Music videos by Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, FKA twigs, Michael Kiwanuka and DJ Shadow ft De La Soul have gained the most nominations at this year’s UK Music Video Awards, in the shortlists announced at 7pm last night (September 29th).
With the largest number of categories in the history of the 12 year-old event that celebrates music video creativity and craft in the UK and worldwide over the past year, there are 8 nods for 3 different Dua Lipa videos, 5 nods for 3 videos by The Weeknd, including 3 for the official video for Blinding Lights, 5 nominations for Michael Kiwanuka videos, and 5 nominations for the Sam Pilling-directed video for DJ Shadow’s Rocket Fuel, featuring De La Soul.
FKA twigs’s video for Sad Day, directed by Hiro Murai – the co-creator of TV comedy Atlanta whose previous video was UKMVA Video of the Year Childish Gambino’s This Is America – has 3 nominations. Murai is one of several heavy-hitting directors who are recognised at this year’s UKMVAs, including Henry Scholfield, last year’s Best Director winner, who returns to the category shortlist this year for his work with Dua Lipa and Stormzy, together with US music video veteran Dave Meyers, British team Crowns & Owls, Spanish director Diana Kunst, British duo Zhang & Knight, and Finnish director Anton Tammi.
The UKMVAs also celebrates up and coming filmmaking talent in a range of Best Video – Newcomer categories and in the Best New Director shortlist, which features British directors Brock Neal-Roberts (regular collaborator with rising star Berwyn), Jocelyn Anquetil (Ashnikko, King Krule), KC Locke (Meekz, Mahalia) and Will Hooper (Bree Runway, Declan McKenna), together with French director Arnaud Bresson (Headie One, Flatbush Zombies).
In a year when the production of music videos was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and then quickly resumed during lockdown in a variety of inventive ways, the UKMVAs have added a special Best Lockdown Video category – which attracted a record number of entries. The shortlist includes Glass Animals Dreamland – with frontman Dave Bayley directed by Colin Read during isolation, Diana Kunst’s sexy Guille Asesino for Spanish artist C Tangana, and Dave Meyers’ video for Anderson .Paak’s timely Lockdown – which also addresses the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
This year the UKMVAs has also redefined its genre titles in its video categories, creating new honours for Best R&B/Soul Video and Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video. The British R&B/Soul Video UK shortlist features videos for Jorja Smith, FKA twigs, Olivia Dean, Celeste, Lola Young and Berwyn; in the Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap UK shortlist, there are nods for videos for Avelino, JME, Stormzy, Headie One, Octavian and slowthai.
This year’s UK Music Video Awards also recognises work in shortform live video, special video projects and longform music film. The Best Music Film category includes documentaries for Mark Ronson and Miles Davis, a livestream from The Streets, a live re-telling of the Beastie Boys Story, live coverage of Ludovico Einaudi in concert, and the Beyoncé album project, Black Is King.
Since its inception in 2008, the UKMVAs has grown into the leading global awards programme for music video creativity, the most important annual event in the calendar for the world of music video production. The global reach of the competition once again saw entries from over 30 different territories.
Despite the impossibility of staging a ceremony with an audience at London’s Roundhouse this year, the organisers remain committed to celebrating the winners via a virtual ceremony with a live audience, details of which will be announced shortly.
The nominations are:
Best Pop Video – UK
Harry Styles – Adore You
Lewis Capaldi – Before You Go
Dua Lipa – Break My Heart
Ashnikko – Cry
Harry Styles – Falling
Dua Lipa – Physical
Best Dance/Electronic Video – UK
Waze & Odyssey, George Michael, Mary J Blige & Tommy Theo – Always
Prospa – Control The Party
Mura Masa & slowthai – Deal Wiv It
Disclosure – Energy
Disclosure ft Aminé & slowthai – My High
Duke Dumont, Zac Abel – The Power
Best R&B/Soul Video – UK
Jorja Smith – By Any Means
FKA twigs ft Future – Holy Terrain
Olivia Dean – Password Change
Celeste – Stop This Flame
Berwyn – Trap Phone
Lola Young – Woman
Best Rock Video – UK
Sam Fender – Borders
Michael Kiwanuka – Hero
The 1975 – People
Declan McKenna – The Key To Life on Earth
Coldplay – Trouble In Town
IDLES – War
Best Alternative Video – UK
Ghostpoet – Concrete Pony
Thom Yorke – Last I Heard (…He was Circling the Drain)
Låpsley – My Love Was Like The Rain
FKA twigs – Sad Day
Moses Boyd – Stranger Than Fiction
Mura Masa – Teenage Headache Dreams
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – UK
Stormzy ft Headie One – Audacity
Headie One & Fred Again – Gang
Avelino – Higher Power
JME ft Merky Ace – Live
Octavian – Poison
slowthai – Psycho
Best Pop Video – International
Rosalía – A Palé
Tove Lo ft MC Zaac – Are U Gonna Tell Her?
The Weeknd – Blinding Lights
Rosalía – Juro Que
BTS – On
Rosalía, Travis Scott – TKN
Best Dance/Electronic Video – International
Flight Facilities – Better Than Ever
Salvatore Ganacci – Boycycle
Piero Pirupa – Braindead (Heroin Kills)
Bronson – Keep Moving
Chris Liebing & Charlotte De Witte – Liquid Slow
Brodinski ft ZelooperZ – Master Section
Best R&/Soul Video – International
Tiwa Savage – 49-99
Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – Already
Yseult – Corps
070 Shake – Nice To Have
Gregory Porter – Revival
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Best Rock Video – International
Håkan Hellström – Alla Drömmar Är Uppfyllda
The Strokes – Bad Decisions
Broken Bells – Good Luck
Joywave – Obsession
The Strokes – Ode To The Mets
Leonard Cohen – The Hills
Best Alternative Video – International
Agoria – Call of the Wild
Moses Sumney – Cut Me
Meryem Aboulouafa – Deeply
Ferran Palau – Flora & Caic
Woodkid – Goliath
Sheenah Ko – Wrap Me Up
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – International
Flatbush Zombies – After Life
A$AP Rocky – Babushka Boi
Future ft Drake – Life Is Good
Run the Jewels ft Greg Nice & DJ Premier – Ooh La La
DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel
Tommy Cash – Sdubid
Best Pop Video – Newcomer
Babeheaven – Cassette Beat
Ashnikko – Drunk With My Friends
Nick Wilson – Enough to Know You
Vagabon – In a Bind
filous – Monday
Raine Allen-Miller – Wank Wiggle
Best Dance/Electronic Video – Newcomer
Leifur James – AAID
Samaran – Allo
Raven – Cass & Lex
Akwasi – Extase
Saavan – In My Head
Mild Minds ft Boats – Walls
Best R&B/Soul Video – Newcomer
Jeshi ft Celeste – 30,000 Feet
Arlo Parks – Black Dog
Black Square ft Laville – Coral Blues
Fredwave – Dust
Ni Houstonn ft Darius Raheem – Gemini
Greentea Peng – Mr Sun (miss da sun)
Best Rock Video – Newcomer
The Academic – Acting My Age
Sports Team – Camel Crew
Beabadobee – I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus
Dream Wife – So When You Gonna…
Kid Kapichi – Thugs
Willie J Healey – True Stereo
Best Alternative Video – Newcomer
María José Llergo – A Través De Ti
Alaskan Tapes – And, We Disappear
Midnight Tracks – Anymore
L’Homme Statue – Braços/Vela
LL Burns – Get Me Back In The Game
Zebra Katz – Moor
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – Newcomer
Louis Culture – Being Me
Spxxn P – Complicació
KAM-BU ft Lord Apex – Different
Meekz – Like Me
Flohio – WAY2
Jurdan Bryant – Words For Thomas
Best Production Design in a Video
Michael Kiwanuka – Hero
Dua Lipa – Physical
Eden – Projector
DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel
Tommy Cash – Sdubid
Aigel – You’re Born
Best Styling in a Video
Tiwa Savage – 49-99
Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – Already
Raleigh Ritchie – Aristocrats
Yves Tumor – Gospel For A New Century
Michael Kiwanuka – Hero
Dua Lipa – Physical
Best Choreography in a Video
Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – Already
Waze & Odyssey, George Michael, Mary J Blige & Tommy Theo – Always
Tove Lo ft MC Zaac – Are U Gonna Tell Her?
Christine and the Queens – La Vita Nuova
Jessie Ware – Step Into My Life
Sheenah Ko – Wrap Me Up
Best Cinematography in a Video
The Weeknd – Blinding Lights
Ferran Palau – Flora & Caic
DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel
FKA twigs – Sad Day
IDLES – War
Aigel – You’re Born
Best Colour Grading in a Video in association with CHEAT
The Weeknd – Blinding Lights
Dua Lipa – Break My Heart
Woodkid – Goliath
Michael Kiwanuka – Hero
Eden – Projector
DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel
Best Editing in a Video
Jorja Smith – By Any Means
Raven – Cass & Lex
Disclosure ft Aminé & slowthai – My High
Dua Lipa – Physical
DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel
IDLES – War
Best Visual Effects in a Video
Flatbush Zombies – After Life
Dua Lipa – Break My Heart
Taylor Swift – Cardigan
Woodkid – Goliath
Bronson – Keep Moving
FKA twigs – Sad Day
Best Animation in a Video
Jorja Smith – Come Over
Coldplay – Daddy
Ghetts ft Jaykae & Moonchild Sanelly – Mozambique
Moby – My Only Love
Max Cooper – Repetition
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Where Do The Children Play?
Best Live Video
The Weeknd – Blinding Lights (Live)
Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now (Live In LA, 2019)
The Weeknd – Heartless (Live)
Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – Lift Off
Michael Kiwanuka – Live At The Mildmay Club
Charlie Winston – Lost in the Memory
Best Lockdown Video
Glass Animals – Dreamland
Gracey ft Ruel – Empty Love
C Tangana – Guille Asesino
Bronson – Keep Moving
Anderson .Paak – Lockdown
LYR ft Florence Pugh, Melt Yourself Down – Lockdown (in aid of Refuge)
Best Special Video Project
J Views ft Instagram – Featuring
MASN – How To Kill a Rockstar
Christine and the Queens – La Vita Nuova
Nightmares On Wax – Smoker’s Delight
Riz Ahmed – The Long Goodbye
FKJ – They Saw The Sun First
Best Music Film
Ludovico Einaudi – Apple Music Live from the Steve Jobs Theatre
Beastie Boys – Beastie Boys Story
Miles Davis – Birth Of The Cool
Beyoncé – Black Is King
Mark Ronson – From The Heart
The Streets – None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This LIVE Alive (Livestream)
Best Director
Anton Tammi
Crowns & Owls
Dave Meyers
Diana Kunst
Henry Scholfield
Zhang & Knight
Best New Director
Arnaud Bresson
Brock Neal-Roberts
Douglas Bernardt
Jocelyn Anquetil
KC Locke
Will Hooper
Best Producer in association with WPA
Daniella Manca
Horace de Gunzbourg
Kareem Adeshina
Karen Saurí
Luke Tierney
Mayling Wong
Best Commissioner
Caroline Clayton
Kat Cattaneo
Nicola Sheppard
Sam Seager
Scott Wright
Semera Khan
Best Agent
Andy Roberts
Barnaby Laws
Claire Stubbs
Joceline Gabriel
Lee Fairweather
Sam Davey
Best Production Company
Blink
CANADA
COMPULSORY
Division
FRIEND
Somesuch
Best Post Production Company
Black Kite Studios
CHEAT
Electric Theatre Collective
Ingenuity Studios
tenthree
The Mill