NME Awards 2022: Wins for Sam Fender, Liam Gallagher, Chvrches & Robert Smith and more

Virgin Radio

3 Mar 2022, 09:31

After a year’s break due to the pandemic, The BandLab NME Awards returned to London’s iconic O2 Brixton Academy last night, hosted by Daisy May Cooper and Lady Leshurr.

Fresh from his triumph at the BRIT Awards, Sam Fender took out two NME prizes last night. As well as winning for Best Album By a UK Artist for his acclaimed sophomore LP Seventeen Going Under, he also won Best Album in the World as well. 

The Geordie indie-rocker also opened the ceremony, which is generally recognised as the wildest night in the music calendar, with a live performance of the title-track from his record. 

Taylor Swift won Best Reissue for her re-imagining 2012’s Red (Taylor’s Version), beating the likes of Nirvana’s Nevermind and Radiohead’s Kid Amnesiae.

One winner that was announced prior to the event was Liam Gallagher, who picked up this year’s Music Moment Of The Year Award in honour of the free concert he played for NHS workers at London’s O2 Arena last August. 

Another winner that was revealed in advance of the big night was Neneh Cherry, who was honoured with this year’s Icon Award. The artist follows in the footsteps of the likes of Garbage’s Shirley Manson and Hole’s Courtney Love, in celebration of “her continual ability to redefine music, fashion and culture over the past three decades”.

Best Song by a UK Artist was won by Chvrches & Robert Smith for their collaboration How Not To Drown. The Cure’s frontman teamed up with Scottish synth-pop trio for the song, which featured on Chvrches’ 2021 album, Screen Violence.

Last night (2nd March) at the Brixton Academy, they performed a live version of The Cure’s 1987 classic, Just Like Heaven. 

Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie beat Dave Grohl and Paul McCartney to the Best Music Book award, for his memoir Tenement Kid. 

Irish act Fontaines D.C. took out Best Band In The World, while Best Band from the UK went to Bring Me The Horizon. The Songwriter Award went to Jack Antonoff, who has collaborated with the likes of Taylor Swift, St Vincent, Lana Del Rey and Lorde. The latter won Best Song in the World, for Solar Power. 

English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs was announced as the recipient of the coveted Godlike Genius Award. Previous winners include Massive Attack, Liam Gallagher, Primal Scream and 2020’s winner Glastonbury Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis.

Best Solo Act from the UK was announced as Little Simz, and Best New Act in the World went to Olivia Rodrigo.

Best Festival in the UK went to Reading and Leeds, while London's Wide Awake won Best Small Festival. Wolf Alice were announced Best Festival Headliner.

In the film and TV categories, Best Film was awarded to Edgar Wright’s brilliant horror Last Night In Soho, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie. In what was a great night for Edgar Wright, his Sparks Brothers documentary won Best Music Film.

Best Film Actor was won by Alana Haim, Best TV Actor went to Aisling Bea, and Best TV Series went to Mae Martin’s Feel Good.

Elsewhere, Punk act Amyl & The Sniffers were named Best Band from Australia, with rapper Tkay Maidza taking out the solo prize. Best Band from Asia was won by Ben&Ben, and Best Solo Act from Asia was taken out by Pyra.