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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.
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’.
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’.
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!”
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.”
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’.
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.
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’.
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