The world’s greatest night in music, the Q Awards, took place this evening with artists, fans and industry alike coming together to celebrate the best music 2019 has had to offer. At Camden’s legendary Roundhouse, the awards were hosted by one of Britain’s foremost artists Nadine Shah,who proudly became the first female to host the awards and wowed the room full of music’s biggest stars.
A total of eighteen Q Awards were given out throughout the evening including Q Song Of The Decade and Q Best Vocal Performance,both of which were new for 2019. The ceremony was this year preceded by a spectacular sold-out show the night before from Scottish heavyweights Biffy Clyro.
All categories were particularly competitive this year with 2019’s nominations list being the longest to date, a reflection of how brilliant music is currently. The category that this is perhaps most prevalent in is Q Best Breakthrough Act (presented by Red Stripe). The hotly contested category was won by Mancunian indie-pop band Pale Waves.
It was an excellent night for Stormzy who took away Q Best Solo Act, topping off an incredible year that has seen him hailed as a Next Generation Leader, along with Kano who took home Q Outstanding Contribution To Music. An accolade well deserved by the East London artist who is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Grime music and culture.
The 1975 came and also conquered – the global sensations were crowned Q’s Best Act In The World Today (presented by Rocksteady Music School) in the same year they wowed arenas on a packed out tour and headlined Reading & Leeds festival.
The Q Best Track (presented by Absolute Radio) gong was gifted to Lewis Capaldi for his epic anthem Someone You Loved that almost a year ago peaked at Number 1 in the UK single charts and stayed there for seven consecutive weeks. Making its debut at this year’s awards was the Q Best Vocal Performance award, taken home by British female rapper Little Simz.
Meanwhile, Foals were furnished with this year’s coveted Q Best Album award for Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Part 1), their widely praised fifth studio album released in March of this year.
New for this year is the prestigious honour of Q Song Of The Decade which was awarded to global pop superstar Lana Del Rey for Video Games, her debut song that in 2011 went globally viral, a hazy love song that amplified her low 1950s-inspired croon and melancholic grandeur.
This year the Q Awards also paid homage to Dexys Midnight Runners frontman Kevin Rowland by awarding him the Q Classic Songwriter Award. Other distinguished accolades given out on the night included Q Hero to Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and the Q Inspiration Award to Madness. Q Icon (presented by Raymond Weil) went to critically acclaimed artist Christine And The Queens, who is rumoured to be working on her highly anticipated third album.
All Points East beat stiff competition to bag the Q Best Festival/Event award and Michael Kiwanuka came out top in the hugely competitive category Q Best Live Performance for his set at End Of The Road.
The Q Maverick (presented by The Roundhouse) award, which is for musicians who’ve inspired cult worship, went to Edwyn Collins and Bristolian trip-hop star Tricky was honoured with the Q Classic Album award for his 1995 solo debut Maxinquaye. The Q Innovation In Sound awardwas won by another pioneer of Grime music and culture, Dizzee Rascal, and the Fender Play Award,now in its second year, was granted to guitar virtuoso Anna Calvi.
Biffy Clyro, Anne-Marie, Jarvis Cocker, Rose McGowan and Ella Eyre were among those presenting awards.
Ted Kessler, Editor of Q magazine, commented on proceedings:
“I always say that music is not a competition. But someone has to win these Q Awards. And, even though the shortlists in the voted for categories were extremely tight, this year I think our readers have captured the eclectic current tastes of the most music-hungry in the nation, from Stormzy to The 1975, Lewis Capaldi to Foals. It’s also a great privilege to be able to honour the lifetime achievements of artists like Kim Gordon, Tricky, Madness and Kevin Rowland, those who’ve not just soundtracked our lives going back generations, but have also changed our wardrobes many times over between them. I’m glad, too, that Lana Del Rey’s Video Games answered the question that’s been bugging us for months, too: what *is* the best song of the decade? You can read more about that in the new Q, out on Monday.”
The full list of Q Awards 2019 winners is as follows:
Q Best Breakthrough Act Presented by Red Stripe – Pale Waves
Q Best Track Presented by Absolute Radio – Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
Q Best Album – Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Part 1)
Q Best Live Performance Presented by The Cavern Club – Michael Kiwanuka –End Of The Road Festival
Q Best Solo Act – Stormzy
Q Best Act In The World Today Presented by Rocksteady Music School – The 1975
Q Best Festival/Event– All Points East
Q Innovation In Sound – Dizzie Rascal
Q Classic Album – Tricky – Maxinquaye
Q Maverick Presented by The Roundhouse – Edwyn Collins
Fender Play Award – Anna Calvi
Q Outstanding Contribution To Music – Kano
Q Classic Songwriter – Kevin Rowland
Q Inspiration – Madness
Q Icon Presented by Raymond Weil – Christine And The Queens
Q Hero – Kim Gordon
Q Song Of The Decade– Lana Del Rey –Video Games
Q Best Vocal Performance – Little Simz