British artists Stormzy and FKA twigs emerged as the big winners in an international pack of honourees at this year’s UK Music Video Awards, celebrated last night (23rd October) at London’s Roundhouse, where legendary French director Michel Gondry won the UKMVAs’ biggest honour, The Icon Award, for his outstanding contribution to the music video artform.
Stormzy’s Vossi Bop, the visual accompaniment to his chart-topping summer single, claimed the title for the Video of the Year, and Best UK Urban Video, while Henry Scholfield, who directed the video and its follow-up for Sounds Of The Skeng, won the prestigious Best Director award at the annual celebration of creativity and craft in the medium of music videos.
FKA twigs’ video for Cellophane, directed by Chinese-American director Andrew Thomas Huang, was the most honoured video at the 2019 UKMVAs, winning four awards: Best UK Alternative Video, and three prizes for its technical excellence in the categories of Cinematography, Editing and Visual Effects. Twigs followed that by winning the UKMVAs’ Best Artist award – for the second time in 6 years.
Other British artists honoured for the creativity of their music videos included breakout star Sam Fender, whose video for his single Dead Boys, directed by American director Vincent Haycock, won Best UK Rock Video; beatbox artist/producer Beardyman, won Best UK Dance Video for his video for 6am (Ready To Write) featuring Joe Rogan, directed by British director Ian Pons Jewell; and singer-songwriter Barns Courtney won Best UK Pop Video for You And I, directed by Spanish director Pablo Maestres.
British grime veteran Kano, won the inaugural MVA award for Best Special Video Project, directed by Aniel Karia – continuing their working relationship on the Netflix hit series Top Boy – for the extended video Trouble, and Loyle Carner’s video for Ottolenghi, directed by Oscar Hudson, won Best Production Design in a Video, while Thom Yorke’s mini-feature for his album Anima, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, won Best Choreography in a Video.
The international nature of the UK Music Video Awards 2019 was shown in wins for Spanish pop-flamenco sensation Rosalía, for the De Aqui No Sales video, by directing duo Diana Kunst and Mau Morgó (Best International Pop Video), US hiphop star A$AP Rocky’s video for Sundress by British director Frank Lebon (Best Intrernational Urban Video) Dutch rock band De Staat’s Kitty Kitty, directed by compatriot Wouter Stoter (Best International Rock Video); Italian DJ Salvatore Ganacci’s hilarious video for Horse, by Bosnian director Vedran Rupic (Best International Dance Video award).
Among the individuals honoured, Javier Alejandro, was named Best Producer, for his work with Henry Scholfield on his Stormzy videos and Wiley’s Boasty. Semera Khan of Polydor won the Best Commissioner award for the second time, and this year’s Best New Director was Duncan Loudon for his work with Obongjayar, Flohio and Skepta.
The Best Production Company award was won by relative newcomers Object & Animal at the end of a big night for the company which saw their video for Rosalía’s De Aqui No Sales directed by Diana Kunst and Mau Morgó collect the hotly-contended International Pop Video award, as well as the multiple wins for FKA twigs’
Cellophane. The London-based production company, led by producers Dom Thomas and Morgan Clement, was honoured for an outstanding output of music videos over the past year, for artists including Justice, Madonna, A$AP Rocky and James Blake.
In the live sector, director Elie Girard, continued French production company La Blogothèque’s dominance of the Best Live Video category with his shortform piece for Maggie Rogers’ Light On. Meanwhile, Blink Inc and directors Blue Leach and Rob Sinclair claimed the Live Concert award for their longform film covering Kylie Minogue’s Golden tour.
As new successes were celebrated, there was also recognition for a living legend and enduring inspiration of the music video craft: Michel Gondry. The French born director was honoured with this year’s UKMVA Icon Award, which he received via video link from Los Angeles. Artists including Björk, The Chemical Brothers, and Paul McCartney, actor and longtime collaborator Jim Carrey, and fellow directors including Spike Jonze, Dougal Wilson and Garth Jennings, all paid tribute to Gondry’s contribution to the medium on the night with video messages.
The 12th annual UK Music Video Awards ceremony was hosted by BUG frontman, and UKMVA regular host, Adam Buxton. Backstage interviews with the winners, produced by the team at WhatsUp TV from the Mama Youth Project, will be available to watch on the UKMVA Youtube channel at the start of November.
Here is the full list of winners:
Best Pop Video – UK in association with Cinelab London Barns Courtney – You And I Director: Pablo Maestres Producer: Inés Massa Prod co: Primo / Friend Commissioner: Paul McKee
Best Rock Video – UK Sam Fender – Dead Boys Director: Vincent Haycock Producer: Fred Bonham-Carter Prod co: Park Pictures Commissioner: Semera Khan for Polydor
Best Alternative Video – UK FKA twigs – Cellophane Director: Andrew Thomas Huang Producers: Alex Chamberlain & Morgan Clement Prod co: Object & Animal Commissioner: Scott Wright for Young Turks
Best Dance Video – UK Beardyman ft Joe Rogan – 6am (Ready To Write) Director: Ian Pons Jewell Producer: Ash Lockmun Prod co: Academy Films Commissioner: Elena Argiros for Sony Music Entertainment
Best Urban Video – UK Stormzy – Vossi Bop Director: Henry Scholfield Producer: Javier Alejandro Prod co: Caviar Commissioner: Dan Curwin for #Merky Records / Atlantic Records
Best Pop Video – International Rosalía – De Aquí No Sales Directors: Diana Kunst & Mau Morgó
Producer: Ella Ackroyd Prod co: Object & Animal / O Creative Commissioner: Luis Angeles for Sony Music Spain
Best Rock Video – International De Staat – Kitty Kitty Director: Wouter Stoter Producer: William Griffioen Prod co: We Are Will Commissioner: Torre Florim for Caroline Benelux
Best Alternative Video – International Cayucas – Girl Director: Nick Roney Exec Producer: Andreas Attai Producers: Alan Michnoff & Ed Leer Prod co: Anarchy Films Record co: Park The Van
Best Dance Video – International Salvatore Ganacci – Horse Director: Vedran Rupic Producers: Christian Kuosmanen & Siamand Masoodian Prod co: Business Club Royale Record Co: Owsla
Best Urban Video – International A$Ap Rocky ft Tame Impala – Sundress Director: Frank Lebon Producers: Anastasia Ehrich & Nat Baring Prod co: Camera Club Commissioner: A$AP Rocky Record co: A$AP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music, RCA Records Film Laboratory: Cinelab London
Best Pop Video – Newcomer Ashnikko – Hi, It’s Me Director: Lucrecia Taormina Producer: Joseph Goldman Prod co: FRIEND Commissioner: Sam Seager for Parlophone
Best Rock Video – Newcomer Flasher – Material Director: Nick Roney Producer: Andreas Attai Prod co: Anarchy Films Inc. Commissioner: Johanna McManus for Domino Recording Co
Best Alternative Video – Newcomer in association with OB Management Obongjayar – Never Change Director: Duncan Loudon Producer: Tarquin Glass Prod co: Somesuch Commissioner: Richard Grewe for Plastic Circle Film Laboratory: Cinelab London
Best Dance Video – Newcomer Cora Novoa – State Of Mind Director: Alex Gargot Producer: Alvaro Priante Prod co: Grayskull Commissioner: Cora Novoa
Record co: Seeking The Velvet
Best Urban Video – Newcomer Jay Prince – Beamlight Director: Filmawi Producer: Joseph J Goldman Prod co: COMPULSORY. Record co: Cosa Nostra Music
Best Production Design in a Video in association with CHEAT Loyle Carner ft Jordan Rakei – Ottolenghi Production Designer: Luke Moran-Morris Director: Oscar Hudson Producer: Chris Harrison Prod co: Pulse Films Record co: AMF Records
Best Styling in a Video in association with i-D Baloji – Zombies Stylist: Baloji Director: Baloji Prod co: BBL Productions Record Co: Bella Union
Best Choreography in a Video Thom Yorke – ANIMA Choreographer: Damien Jalet Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Producers: Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson & Erica Frauman Prod co: Dawn Chorus, LLC For Netflix Record co: XL Recordings
Best Cinematography in a Video in association with Panalux FKA twigs – Cellophane DOP: Daniel Fernández Abelló Director: Andrew Thomas Huang Producers: Alex Chamberlain & Morgan Clement Prod co: Object & Animal Record co: Young Turks
Best Colour Grading in a Video in association with CHEAT Prince – Mary Don’t You Weep Colourist: Simon Bourne at Framestore Director: Salomon Ligthelm Prod co: Stink Films Record co: Warner Bros
Best Editing in a Video in association with Cut+Run FKA twigs – Cellophane Editor: Andrew Thomas Huang Director: Andrew Thomas Huang Producers: Alex Chamberlain & Morgan Clement Prod co: Object & Animal Record co: Young Turks
Best Visual Effects in a Video in association with Creep FKA twigs – Cellophane VFX: Analog Studio, Matt Chandler, Fabio Zaveti Director: Andrew Thomas Huang Prod co: Object & Animal Record co: Young Turks
Best Animation in a Video Weval – Someday Animator: Páraic Mc Gloughlin Director: Páraic Mc Gloughlin Record co: Kompakt
Best Special Video Project in association with The Mill Kano – Trouble Director: Aneil Karia Producer: Precious Mahaga Prod co: Somesuch Commissioner: Sam Seager for Parlophone
Best Live Video in association with Procam Maggie Rogers – Light On (La Blogothèque – Live In Paris) Director: Elie Girard Producer: Ondine Benetier Prod co: La Blogothèque Commissioner: UMG / Capitol Records
Best Live Concert in association with Anna Valley Kylie Minogue – Golden Live Tour Directors: Blue Leach & Rob Sinclair Producer: Tom Colbourne Prod co: Blink Inc Commissioners: Polly Bhowmik & Alli Main Record co: BMG
Best Commissioner Semera Khan
Best Artist FKA twigs
Best Producer in association with Worldwide Production Agency Javier Alejandro
Best Production Company in association with Leap Object & Animal
Best New Director in association with Time Based Arts Duncan Loudon
Best Director in association with Electric Theatre Collective Henry Scholfield
The Icon Award Michel Gondry
Video Of The Year in association with Promonews Stormzy – Vossi Bop Director: Henry Scholfield Producer: Javier Alejandro Prod co: Caviar Commissioner: Dan Curwin for #Merky Records / Atlantic Records