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Sam Fender, FKA Twigs, Little Simz, Rina Sawayama, Bring Me the Horizon, Fontaines D.C., Neneh Cherry, CHVRCHES, Griff & More Win Big at BandLab NME Awards 2022

Credit: Jen McCord for NME

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The biggest stars in music and pop culture congregated tonight in the O2 Academy Brixton, London for the most rock ’n’ roll night in the annual music calendar, the BandLab NME Awards 2022. Daisy May Cooper and Lady Leshurr were tasked with hosting the most raucous night in music, and they did not disappoint, both having the audience wide-eyed in shock and rolling in the aisles with laughter.

Credit: Andy Ford for NME

Kicking off the night in style was Sam Fender, with a thundering performance of his hit single ‘Seventeen Going Under’ that rocked the Brixton Academy stage. He was one of the biggest winners of the night, taking home both the Best Album By A UK Artist award and the Best Album In The World award for his breakthrough second record ‘Seventeen Going Under’.

Credit: Jen McCord for NME

FKA twigs had the Brixton Academy crowd mesmerised with a surprise performance of ‘Meta Angel’, before being honoured with the Godlike Genius Award by the world-renowned Soul II Soul frontman Jazzie B. He said of the artist: “Not so long ago I would have had to have been Bob Marley to get on stage at a do like this and now I’m holding up a sister as an inspiration to everyone in here. That in itself is inspiring.”

UK synth pop royalty CHVRCHES won the first award of the night, with their track ‘How Not To Drown’ with Robert Smith of The Cure being crowned the Best Song By A UK Artist. They were later joined by Smith for a three-song set that had the whole crowd on their feet, which included a one-off collaborative rendition of The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’.

Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Credit: Andy Ford for NME

Neneh Cherry was honoured with this year’s Icon Award, presented to her by her daughter, pop superstar Mabel. In a touching speech, she said: “To you she is the Brit Award-winning, Grammy-nominated superstar Neneh Cherry but to me she is mum. I am so blessed to have you as a mother! You have taught me to move with love and grace, to own everything I do but beyond all you have taught me to be fearless. You will probably always be that tiny bit cooler than me but that’s the small price you pay for being birthed and raised by an icon!”

Credit: Andy Ford for NME

Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock presented Rina Sawayama with the Best Live Act award, who proved to be every bit worthy of the title with a show-stopping performance of her hit ‘XS’. After an incredible year, the widely-celebrated Little Simz was honoured with the Best Solo Act From The UK awarded by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and grime pioneer Ghetts. She said her journey was “the stairs route, not the escalator route, but it was worth it.”

Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Credit: Eva Pentel for NME

Rising star Griff took the special NME Radar Award, which recognises emerging acts who are destined to become legends for the next generation of musicians. She was presented the award by Norwegian pop powerhouse Sigrid, who then joined her on stage for an electrifying performance of their Best Collaboration-winning anthem ‘Head On Fire’. 

Credit: Jen McCord for NME

Jessie & Lennie Ware took home the Best Podcast award for their hit podcast ‘Table Manners’, presented to them by British pop icon and former guest of the podcast Ellie Goulding. Jessie said: “This is my first ever NME Award – I’ve only had four fucking albums out but it takes my 70-year old mother to win one!” Best New Act From The UK winner BERWYN performed a breathtaking rendition of ‘Answers’, from his Best Mixtape-nominated Tape 2/Fomalhaut.

Credit: Jen McCord for NME

Heavy rock titans Bring Me The Horizon had the crowd on their feet throughout the ceremony – first when they were awarded the Best Band From The UK award, and then when they closed the show with a typically unruly, career-spanning six-song set, which included rising rock stars Nova Twins for their collaboration ‘1×1’.

Credit: Jen McCord for NME

This year’s official charity partner will be Music Venue Trust, continuing NME’s long-standing relationship and work with the charity. Created in 2014 to protect, secure and improve the UK’s vital grassroots music venues, they represent over 900 venues across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

See below for the full rundown of winners.

BANDLAB NME AWARDS 2022 WINNERS

GODLIKE GENIUS

WINNER: FKA twigs

ICON AWARD

WINNER: Neneh Cherry

INNOVATION AWARD

WINNER: Halsey

SONGWRITER AWARD

WINNER: Jack Antonoff

NME RADAR AWARD

WINNER: Griff

MUSIC MOMENT OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Liam Gallagher’s Free Concert For NHS Workers

HERO OF THE YEAR (VOTED BY THE PUBLIC)

WINNER: Tomorrow X Together

VILLAIN OF THE YEAR (VOTED BY THE PUBLIC)

WINNER: Jacob Rees-Mogg

BEST ALBUM IN THE WORLD

WINNER: Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’

Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling With No Teeth’

Ghetts – ‘Conflict Of Interest’

Halsey – ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’

Lana Del Rey – ‘Blue Banisters’

Little Simz – ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’

Self Esteem – ‘Prioritise Pleasure’

Subsonic Eye – ‘Nature Of Things’

Tyler, The Creator – ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’

Wolf Alice – ‘Blue Weekend’

BEST ALBUM BY A UK ARTIST

WINNER: Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’

Ghetts – ‘Conflict Of Interest’

Little Simz – ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’

Self Esteem – ‘Prioritise Pleasure’

Wolf Alice – ‘Blue Weekend’

BEST SONG IN THE WORLD

WINNER: Lorde – ‘Solar Power’

BTS – ‘Butter’

Charli XCX – ‘Good Ones’

CHVRCHES & Robert Smith – ‘How Not To Drown’

Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Good 4 U’

PinkPantheress – ‘Just For Me’

Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’

The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’

Warren Hue – ‘Omomo Punk’

Wet Leg – ‘Chaise Longue’

BEST SONG BY A UK ARTIST

WINNER: CHVRCHES & Robert Smith – ‘How Not To Drown’

Charli XCX – ‘Good Ones’

PinkPantheress – ‘Just For Me’

Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’

Wet Leg – ‘Chaise Longue’

BEST LIVE ACT: SUPPORTED BY GROLSCH

WINNER: Rina Sawayama

Bleachers

Bring Me The Horizon

IDLES

Little Simz

Megan Thee Stallion

Self Esteem

Tomorrow x Together

Wizkid

Yungblud

BEST FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD

WINNER: Life Is Beautiful

All Points East

Austin City Limits

Fuji Rock

Exit Festival

Green Man

Reading & Leeds

Riot Fest

TRNSMT

Wireless

BEST FESTIVAL IN THE UK: SUPPORTED BY WHITE CLAW

WINNER: Reading & Leeds

All Points East

Green Man

TRNSMT

Wireless

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL

WINNER: Wide Awake 

End Of The Road

Live At Leeds

Lost Village

Mighty Hoopla

BEST FESTIVAL HEADLINER

WINNER: Wolf Alice

Billie Eilish

Liam Gallagher

Megan Thee Stallion

Tyler, The Creator

BEST BAND IN THE WORLD

WINNER: Fontaines D.C.

Amyl & The Sniffers

Ben&Ben

Bring Me The Horizon

CHVRCHES

Glass Animals

HAIM

Måneskin

Nova Twins

Wolf Alice

BEST BAND FROM THE UK: SUPPORTED BY PIZZA EXPRESS

WINNER: Bring Me The Horizon

CHVRCHES

Glass Animals

Nova Twins

Wolf Alice

BEST SOLO ACT IN THE WORLD

WINNER: Burna Boy

Arlo Parks

Billie Eilish

Dave

Little Simz

Pyra

Rina Sawayama

Sam Fender

Tkay Maidza

The Weeknd

BEST SOLO ACT FROM THE UK

WINNER: Little Simz

Arlo Parks

Dave

Rina Sawayama

Sam Fender

BEST NEW ACT IN THE WORLD: SUPPORTED BY CANO WATER

WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo

Bad Boy Chiller Crew

BERWYN 

Bree Runway

Inhaler

King Stingray 

Shye

Tems

Wet Leg

Yard Act

BEST NEW ACT FROM THE UK: SUPPORTED BY MUSIC VENUE TRUST

WINNER: BERWYN 

Bad Boy Chiller Crew

Bree Runway

Wet Leg

Yard Act

BEST MIXTAPE

WINNER: Holly Humberstone – ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’

BERWYN – ‘Tape 2/Fomalhaut’

Central Cee – ‘Wild West’

FKA twigs – ‘Caprisongs’

PinkPantheress – ‘To hell with it’

BEST COLLABORATION

WINNER: Griff x Sigrid – ‘Head On Fire’

Baby Keem x Kendrick Lamar – ‘Family Ties’

Coldplay x BTS – ‘My Universe’’

FKA twigs x The Weeknd – ‘Tears In The Club’

Rina Sawayama x Elton John – ‘Chosen Family’

BEST PRODUCER: SUPPORTED BY BANDLAB

WINNER: Nia Archives

Arca

Fred again..

India Jordan

Travis Barker

BEST FILM

WINNER: Last Night In Soho

Licorice Pizza

Promising Young Woman

Sound Of Metal

The Harder They Fall

BEST TV SERIES: SUPPORTED BY 19 CRIMES

WINNER: Feel Good

It’s A Sin

Sex Education

Stath Lets Flats

We Are Lady Parts

BEST FILM ACTOR

WINNER: Alana Haim

Benedict Cumberbatch

Jonathan Majors

Riz Ahmed

Thomasin McKenzie

BEST TV ACTOR

WINNER: Aisling Bea

Mae Martin

Ncuti Gatwa

Olly Alexander

Zendaya

BEST REISSUE

WINNER: Taylor Swift – ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’

The Beatles – ‘Let It Be’

Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’

OutKast – ‘ATLiens’

Radiohead – ‘Kid Amnesiae’

BEST MUSIC FILM

WINNER: The Sparks Brothers

Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

Summer Of Soul

Oasis Knebworth 1996

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

WINNER: Foals – ‘Wake Me Up’

Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’

Lil Nas X – ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’

Taylor Swift – ‘All Too Well The Short Film’

Wet Leg – ‘Chaise Longue’ 

BEST MUSIC BOOK

WINNER: Bobby Gillespie – Tenement Kid

Dave Grohl – The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast) – Crying In H Mart

Questlove – Music Is History

Paul McCartney – The Lyrics

BEST PODCAST

WINNER: Table Manners

Disgraceland

Grounded With Louis Theroux

Songs To Live By

Wheel Of Misfortune

GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Metroid Dread

Deathloop

Halo Infinite

Hitman 3

Unpacking

INDIE GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Unpacking

The Artful Escape

Cruelty Squad

The Forgotten City

Overboard!

BEST GAME DEVELOPMENT STUDIO

WINNER: Double Fine

Arkane Studios

Black Matter

IO Interactive

Xbox Game Studios

BEST ONGOING GAME

WINNER: Final Fantasy XIV

Apex Legends

Escape From Tarkov

Fortnite

Genshin Impact

BEST AUDIO IN A VIDEO GAME

WINNER: Forza Horizon 5

The Artful Escape

Deathloop

Guardians of the Galaxy

Psychonauts 2

BEST ALBUM BY AN AUSTRALIAN ARTIST

WINNER: Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling With No Teeth’

Alice Skye – ‘I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good’

Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Comfort To Me’

Baker Boy – ‘Gela’

Ngaiire – ‘3’

BEST ALBUM BY AN ASIAN ARTIST

WINNER: Subsonic Eye – ‘Nature Of Things’

BAP. – ‘Momo’s Mysterious Skin’

Ben&Ben – ‘Pebble House, Vol 1: Kuwaderno’

No Good – ‘Punk Gong’

Zild – ‘Huminga’

BEST SONG BY AN AUSTRALIAN ARTIST

WINNER: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’

Gang Of Youths – ‘The Man Himself’

Miiesha – ‘Damaged’

King Stingray – ‘Get Me Out’

Tkay Maidza & Baby Tate – ‘Kim’

BEST SONG BY AN ASIAN ARTIST

WINNER: Warren Hue – ‘Omomo Punk’

ForceParkBois – ‘Lotus’

Grrrl Gang – ‘Honey Baby’

Pyra, Ramengvrl, Yayoi Daimon – ‘Yellow Fever’

BEST BAND FROM AUSTRALIA

WINNER: Amyl & The Sniffers

The Goon Sax

Hiatus Kaiyote

King Stingray

Middle Kids

BEST BAND FROM ASIA

WINNER: Ben&Ben

Lomba Sihir

No Good

Senyawa

Subsonic Eye

BEST SOLO ACT FROM AUSTRALIA

WINNER: Tkay Maidza

Baker Boy

Genesis Owusu

Jaguar Jonze

The Kid LAROI

BEST SOLO ACT FROM ASIA

WINNER: Pyra

Pamungkas

Reese Lansangan

Zild

BEST NEW ACT FROM AUSTRALIA

WINNER: King Stingray

Budjerah

Ruby Fields

Sycco

Youngn Lipz

BEST NEW ACT FROM ASIA

WINNER: Shye

Alec Orachi

Ena Mori

The Filters

Warren Hue

About the BandLab NME Awards 2022:

Our award categories are designed to celebrate the best in music, entertainment and pop culture today. To reflect NME’s global reach and to champion artists from all around the world, we have divided the categories into two broad bands: Global and Regional. Artists who are nationals of Southeast Asian countries, Australia and the UK will be nominated in categories under their respective regions (Asia, Australia and the UK), and artists from outside the aforementioned regions will be nominated in the Global categories. Artists who are nominated for the Regional categories may also appear additionally in the Global categories. The editors and the management of NME Networks reserve the right to amend any categories and/or nominees, or remove any nominees and/or categories in light of new developments.

About NME:

Launched in London, UK, in 1952 as the New Musical Express, NME has grown into a global media powerhouse that creates and curates content, products and experiences essential to fans of music and pop culture today. NME brings together the best writers and photographers to provide a multi-platform editorial offering that is at the bleeding edge of what matters most across the globe — be it music, film, TV or gaming. Intent on shining a spotlight on the artists and stories coming out of the world’s most compelling music scenes via NME.com, NME also has dedicated editions for Australia and Asia, using its distinctive voice and point of view to champion and celebrate established and emerging homegrown talent.

About BandLab:

BandLab’s vision is simple: A future where there are no boundaries to making and sharing music. BandLab is the next-generation social music platform with over 40 million users on a mission to break down the technical, geographic, and creative barriers for musicians and fans. Free-to-use, the mobile-first cross-platform DAW and social network, unites the entire creator journey into one place, boasting a suite of features and tools for creators to make their music, earn a living and grow their audience.

About Music Venue Trust:

Music Venue Trust is a UK registered charity which acts to protect, secure and improve Grassroots Music Venues. Created in January 2014, Music Venue Trust aims to secure the long-term future of iconic Grassroots Music Venues such as Hull Adelphi, Exeter Cavern, Southampton Joiners, The 100 Club, Band on the Wall, Tunbridge Wells Forum etc. These venues have played a crucial role in the development of British music over the last 40 years, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills. The charity works to gain recognition of the essential role these venues fulfil, not only for artist development but also for the cultural and music industries, the economy and local communities. Music Venue Trust aims to preserve and improve venues, making them more efficient and improving the experience for performers and audiences. Long-term, it plans to acquire the freeholds of as many of these vital venues as possible.

For more information please contact:

NMEawards@insideout.agency

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