Little Simz, Dua Lipa, Celeste, Joy Crookes, James Blake, Kano, Berwyn, Pa Salieu, Bicep and Wolf Alice are among the artists notching up multiple nominations for their music videos and film projects at this year’s UK Music Video Awards, in the shortlists announced on 29th September. International artists Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Doja Cat, Skrillex, Duck Sauce and Salvatore Ganacci also feature with multiple nominations in this year’s list.
The UK Music Video Awards, the premier global awards programme for music video creativity, returns to London’s Roundhouse on November 4th for a fully live celebration of the past year’s crop of music videos and music films in what promises to be a big night for the music filmmaking industry.
Little Simz leads the nominations with 5 nods for her videos, 3 for Introvert and 2 for Woman. The collaboration of Skrillex, Starrah and Four Tet wins 4 nominations for their video for Butterflies, followed closely, in a strong year for electronic artists, by Bicep, Duck Sauce and Salvatore Ganacci with 3 nominations apiece.
More UK success comes in the form of Dua Lipa with 3 nominations – for her videos Love Again, and Fever (with Angele), as well as the Studio 2054 livestream – alongside Kano’s triple-nominated Teardrops and Joy Crookes’ 3 mentions for Feet Don’t Fail Me Now. Wolf Alice notch up their 3 nominations for both live and narrative music videos. Their tallies are matched by the boundary-pushing Lil Nas X (Montero (Call Me By Your Name) and Industry Baby) and Megan Thee Stallion for Thot Shit.
As the pandemic continued to pose challenges for artists and production, filmmakers demonstrated their resilience and creativity with this year’s bounty of music videos, and the 2021 shortlists see a plethora of burgeoning directing talent making their debut among the nominations, as well as honouring the skills displayed in numerous film departments, including Cinematography, Production Design, Editing and VFX.
French director Aube Perrie, leads the pack with 5 nominations overall, for videos for Megan Thee Stallion, MK, and a place on the Best New Director shortlist. US director Christian Breslauer, makes his first appearance in the shortlists with 4 nominations. British directors Ben Strebel (Skrillex) and Brock Neal-Roberts (Sam Fender, Jeshi, Eli Brown) also have 4 nominations apiece.
Brock Neal-Roberts is also nominated for the first time in the Best Director shortlist, joining KID. Studio, also nominated for videos for Disclosure and Bryon Tiller, Arnaud Bresson (Beabadoobee), Dave Meyers (Ed Sheeran) and Tanu Muino (Lil Nas X, Normani ft Cardi B), as well as prolific British director KC Locke who wins additional nominations for his videos for Aitch and Little Mix.
UK-based filmmaking talent with multiple nominations includes previous Pop Newcomer Video winner Lucrecia Taormina (Bree Runway, Stephen Wilson ft Elton John) who this year wins a nomination for Best New Director. Joining her on the New Director list is British Nigerian director Femi Ladi, double-nominated for Pa Salieu ft Backroad Gee’s My Family, and Jordan Hemingway who is recognised for a suite of films for Wolf Alice. They vie for the title against British duo bedroom, Spanish-born Nono, and Perrie.
For the first time at the UKMVAs, a new award for the Best Performance in a Video is designed to spotlight outstanding on-camera performances by artists, actors and dancers in music videos. The shortlist features hard-hitting performances by Kano and Berwyn, alongside comedic turns by Salvatore Ganacci, James Blake and Jerome Farrah – and celebrated actor Michael Sheen in his debut music video appearance for Kelly Lee Owens.The UK Music Video Awards also recognises work in shortform live video, special video projects and longform music film. In the Live Video category, performances by Fontaines DC, Michael Kiwanuka, Pa Salieu and Wolf Alice go head-to-head with turns by Lous and the Yakuzas and last year’s winner, The Weeknd. The Best Music Film shortlist features livestreamed concerts for Andrea Bocelli, Dua Lipa, Glass Animals and Liam Gallagher alongside a theatrical collaboration between Rone and La(Horde) and the touching documentary Imogen.
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. Tickets for the awards show at London’s Roundhouse on November 4th are on sale now at www.ukmva.com
The nominations are:
Best Pop Video – UK Joy Crookes – Feet Don’t Fail Me Now Arlo Parks – Hope Mabel – Let Them Know Dua Lipa – Love Again Maisie Peters – Psycho Little Mix – Sweet Melody
Best R&B/Soul Video – UK Samm Henshaw – All Good Disclosure – Birthday Jorja Smith ft Shaybo – Bussdown Tendai – Not Around Wesley Joseph ft Jorja Smith – Patience Celeste – Tonight Tonight
Best Dance/Electronic Video – UK Good Boys & Imanbek – Goodbye Jungle – Keep Moving Public Service Broadcasting ft EERA – People, Let’s Dance Rudimental x Skream – So Sorry Hot Chip, Jarvis Cocker – Straight To The Morning Eli Brown – Trouble
Best Rock Video – UK Sam Fender – 17 Going Under Doves – Broken Eyes Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes ft Lynks – Go Get A Tattoo Wolf Alice – How Can I Make It OK Beebadoobee – Last Day On Earth Shame – Nigel Hitter
Best Alternative Video – UK Kelly Lee Owens ft John Cale – Corner of My Sky Paul McCartney ft Beck – Find My Way Texas ft Wu Tang – Hi Bakar – Noun Steven Wilson ft Elton John – Personal Shopper James Blake – Say What You Will
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – UK Bree Runway ft Missy Elliott – ATM slowthai ft James Blake & Mount Kimbie – feel away Little Simz – Introvert Aitch – Learning Curve Pa Salieu ft Backroad Gee – My Family Kano – Teardrops
Best Pop Video – International Saweetie – (Fast) Motion Selena Gomez, Rauw Alejandro – Baila Conmigo Bella Poarch – Build a B*tch Lolo Zouaï – Galipette Lil Nas X ft Jack Harlow – Industry Baby Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
Best R&B/Soul Video – International Bryson Tiller – Always Forever Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid – Brown Skin Girl Doja Cat – Streets The Weeknd – Take My Breath Witch Prophet – Tesfay Normani x Cardi B – Wild Side
Best Dance/Electronic Video – International Skrillex, Starrah & Four Tet – Butterflies MK – Chemical Salvatore Ganacci – Fight Dirty Rysy – Kilo Duck Sauce – Mesmerize Salvatore Ganacci – Step-Grandma
Best Rock Video – International Hedgehog – Bat Biting Elbows – Boy Is Dead The Academic – Kids (Don’t End Up Like Me) The Parrots, C Tangana – Maldito Space Chaser – Remnants of Technology Trash Talk – Something Wicked
Best Alternative Video – International Eels – Are We Alright Again BadBadNotGood – Beside April Cuco – Forevermore Phoebe Bridgers – I Know The End MCHT – Unknown World Sansara – We will become better
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – International Vladimir Cauchemar – Brrr Tyler, The Creator – Corso Pharrell ft Jay-Z – Entrepreneur (Official Video) Travis Scott ft Young Thug & MIA – Franchise Tommy Cash – Racked Megan Thee Stallion – Thot Shit
Best Pop Video – Newcomer Drew Sycamore – 45 Fahrenheit Girl Elsa y Elmar – Corazones Negros Nick Wilson – Lead Me To The Water Between Friends – Lonely Terno Rei – Medo YMA – White Peacock
Best R&B/Soul Video – Newcomer Odeal – 24/48 Preditah ft WTSRN – Distant Memory Mykki Blanco – Free Ride Bamao Yendé & Le Diouck – Marvin Gueye Mansur Brown – My Prayer Eddy Luna – Still Breathing
Best Dance/Electronic Video – Newcomer Welshy – All For You Fred Again.. – Dermot (See Yourself In My Eyes) Jimothy Lacoste – Describe My Life Not Waving ft Marie Davidson – Hold on Modeselektor – Mean Friend Elderbrook – Why Do We Shake In The Cold
Best Rock Video – Newcomer The Bluestocking – Never Ready TV Priest – Press Gang Middle Kids – R U 4 Me? Dry Cleaning – Scratchcard Lanyard El Columpio Asesino – Sirenas de Mediodía Jeremy Ivey – Someone Else’s Problem
Best Alternative Video – Newcomer Tiberius B – Big Deal Tycho Jones – Don’t Be Afraid Califato ¾ – Fandangô de carmen porter Memorial – Hero’s Death (cover) Audio Books – Lalala It’s The Good Life Lava La Rue – Magpie
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – Newcomer KAM-BU x Knucks – Call Me Back Kaydy Cain – Hollywood Jeshi – Look Like Trouble Ichon ft Yseult – Mélange Homeboy Sandman – Monument ENNY ft Amia Brave – Peng Black Girls
Best Performance in a Video Jerome Farah – Concrete Jungle Fever Kelly Lee Owens ft John Cale – Corner of My Sky Berwyn – I’d Rather Die Than Be Deported James Blake – Say What You Will Salvatore Ganacci – Step-Grandma Kano – Teardrops
Best Production Design in a Video Rag N Bone Man – All You Ever Wanted Disclosure, Kehlani, Syd – Birthday London Grammar – Lose Your Head DJ Snake & Selena Gomez – Selfish Love Celeste – Tonight Tonight Loyle Carner – Yesterday
Best Choreography in a Video FKA twigs, Headie One, Fred again.. – Don’t Judge Me Purple Disco Machine ft Moss Kena & The Knocks – Fireworks Lil Nas X ft Jack Harlow – Industry Baby Little Simz – introvert Black Midi – John L S+C+A+R+R – Never Give Up
Best Wardrobe Styling in a Video in association with i-D Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid – Brown Skin Girl Priya Ragu – Chicken Lemon Rice Joy Crookes – Feet Don’t Fail Me Now Trouble Wanted – Lonely Cowgirl Tommy Cash – Racked Little Simz ft Cleo Sol – Woman
Best Hair & Make-up in a Video in association with Loop Talent Biting Elbows – Boy Is Dead Anaiis ft Topaz Jones – Chuu Ashnikko – Deal With It Joy Crookes – Feet Don’t Fail Me Now Rachel Chinouriri – Plain Jane Little Simz ft Cleo Sol – Woman
Best Cinematography in a Video in association with Panalux Skrillex, Starrah & Four Tet – Butterflies Califato ¾ – Fandangô de carmen porter Simon Leoza – La Nuée Pa Salieu ft Backroad Gee – My Family Bicep ft Clara La San – Saku MCHT – Unknown World
Best Colour Grading in a Video in association with CHEAT Jerome Farah – Concrete Jungle Fever Bastille – Distorted Light Beam Dua Lipa ft Angele – Fever Eli Brown – In Trouble Now The Academic – Kids (Don’t End Up Like Me) Megan Thee Stallion – Thot Shit
Best Editing in a Video in association with Homespun Skrillex, Starrah & Four Tet – Butterflies Little Simz – Introvert Duck Sauce – Mesmerize Bicep ft Clara La San – Saku Megan Thee Stallion – Thot Shit Enfant Sauvage – Time to Fall
Best Animation in a Video Easy Life – A Message To Myself L’Impératrice – Hématome Duck Sauce – Mesmerize Squid – Pamphlets Iron Maiden – The Writing on The Wall Run The Jewels – Walking In The Snow
Best Visual Effects in a Video Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits Belly and The Weeknd and Young Thug – Better Believe Skrillex ft Starrah and Four Tet – Butterflies Darius ft Duñe – Feels Right Fuel Fandango – Mi huella Bicep ft Clara La San – Saku
Best Live Video Lous And The Yakuza – Amigo (Live From The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) Pa Salieu – Frontline (live on Jimmy Fallon) Fontaines DC – Hero’s Death (Jimmy Fallon) Wolf Alice – Lipstick On The Glass The Weeknd – Save Your Tears Michael Kiwanuka – Solid Ground (Live at the V&A)
Best Special Video Project Berwyn – Berwyn Video Series Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend Topaz Jones – Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma Sam Dew – Moonlit Fools Olivia Rodrigo – Sour Prom Kano – Teardrops
Best Music Film Andrea Bocelli & Guests – Believe in Christmas Liam Gallagher – Down By The River Thames Glass Animals – Glass Animals: Live in the Internet Imogen Rone & (LA)HORDE – Room With a View Dua Lipa – Studio 2054
Best Director in association with Electric Theatre Collective Arnaud Bresson Brock Neal-Roberts Dave Meyers KC Locke KID. Studio Tanu Muino
Best New Director in association with Time Based Arts Aube Perrie bedroom Femi Ladi Jordan Hemingway Lucrecia Taormina Nono
Best Producer in association with WPA UK Elizabeth Doonan Ersan Beskardes Joseph J Goldman Maurizio Von Trapp Mayling Wong Precious Mahaga
Best Agent Alexa Haywood (Free Agent) Claire Stubbs (Mouthpiece) Estere Sulca (WPA) Lee Fairweather (COMPULSORY) Sam Davey (OB Management) Sarah Boardman (HANDS LDN)
Best Commissioner Daniel Millar Elena Argiros Kat Cattaneo Kim Jarrett Marco Grey Sam Seager
Best Production Company Agile Films CANADA London Alley Object & Animal Pulse Films Somesuch
Best Post Production Company in association with Studio RM CHEAT Electric Theatre Collective Ingenuity Studios MPC Stitch/Homespun TRIM
