BandLab NME Awards 2022: Full list of nominations revealed

The full list of nominations for the BandLab NME Awards 2022 has been revealed – celebrating the best in pop culture across the worlds of music, film, TV, gaming and beyond over the last year.

The wildest night in music will return to London’s O2 Academy Brixton on Wednesday, March 2 to celebrate the best in music and entertainment from around the globe. Tickets to the event are on sale now and available here.

We’ve already announced that the evening will be co-hosted by comedian, actor and writer Daisy May Cooper and grime trailblazer and radio host Lady Leshurr, alongside huge live performances from Sam Fender, Griff, Rina Sawayama and the recently revealed BERWYN and Chvrches featuring special guest Robert Smith of The Cure. Halsey will also be in attendance on the night to pick up this year’s Innovation Award.

Now, we can reveal the full list of nominees for the BandLab NME Awards 2022 – with Sam Fender, Little Simz, Wet Leg, Wolf Alice, Billie Eilish, Rina Sawayama and CHVRCHES amongst those leading the nominations with multiple nods each, while the likes of Lana Del Rey, Self Esteem, Ghetts, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, Bring Me The Horizon, IDLES and Megan The Stallion are up for the some of the biggest gongs on the night.

BandLab NME Awards 2022 Songwriter Award Jack Antonoff

Meanwhile, today also sees the announcement that Bleachers frontman singer, songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff, will be honoured with the Songwriter Award at this year’s event – following in the footsteps of 2020’s Songwriter of the Decade winner Robyn.

Following a landmark year, which saw Antonoff release Bleachers’ acclaimed third album ‘Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night‘ and work with the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Clairo and more, NME is thrilled to honour Jack with the award for his outstanding contributions to music over the past two decades. Previous winners of this award include Elton John and Bob Dylan. Bleachers are also nominated for the Best Live Act award.

“Looking at the company of artists who have received this award and I am absolutely humbled,” said Jack. “This one goes out to everyone who writes and knows that sacred place it comes from. If you know it, it’s a place you live in. This means the world to me.”

He added: “To hear that Bleachers are also shortlisted for Best Live Act… well, that’s the shit. We play every show like the last night on earth. So this one means a hell of a lot to be recognised for it.”

You can have your say too – head here to vote for who you think should be crowned this year’s Hero Of The Year and Villain Of The Year.

Check out the full list of winners in the Asia and Australia categories at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 here, and the remaining nominees below. Some of the biggest and most prestigious honorary awards are still to be announced in the weeks ahead – along with some more live performances.

The BandLab NME Awards 2022 nominees are:

INNOVATION AWARD

Halsey

SONGWRITER AWARD

Jack Antonoff

BEST ALBUM IN THE WORLD

Genesis Owusu – ‘Smiling With No Teeth’
Ghetts – ‘Conflict Of Interest’
Halsey – ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’
Lana Del Rey – ‘Blue Banisters’
Little Simz – ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’
Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Self Esteem – ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
Subsonic Eye – ‘Nature Of Things’
Tyler, The Creator – ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’
Wolf Alice – ‘Blue Weekend’

BEST ALBUM BY A UK ARTIST

Ghetts – ‘Conflict Of Interest’
Little Simz – ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’
Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Self Esteem – ‘Prioritise Pleasure’
Wolf Alice – ‘Blue Weekend’

BEST SONG IN THE WORLD

BTS – ‘Butter’
Charli XCX – ‘Good Ones’
CHVRCHES & Robert Smith – ‘How Not To Drown’
Lorde – ‘Solar Power’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Good 4 U’
PinkPantheress – ‘Just For Me’
Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’
Warren Hue – ‘Omomo Punk’
Wet Leg – ‘Chaise Longue’

BEST SONG BY A UK ARTIST

Charli XCX – ‘Good Ones’
CHVRCHES & Robert Smith – ‘How Not To Drown’
PinkPantheress – ‘Just For Me’
Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Wet Leg – ‘Chaise Longue’

BEST LIVE ACT: SUPPORTED BY GROLSCH

Bleachers
Bring Me The Horizon
IDLES
Little Simz
Megan Thee Stallion
Rina Sawayama
Self Esteem
Tomorrow x Together
Wizkid
Yungblud

BEST FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD

All Points East
Austin City Limits
Fuji Rock
Exit Festival
Green Man
Life Is Beautiful
Reading & Leeds
Riot Fest
TRNSMT
Wireless

BEST FESTIVAL IN THE UK: SUPPORTED BY WHITE CLAW

All Points East
Green Man
Reading & Leeds
TRNSMT
Wireless

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL

End Of The Road
Live At Leeds
Lost Village
Mighty Hoopla
Wide Awake

BEST FESTIVAL HEADLINER

Billie Eilish
Liam Gallagher
Megan Thee Stallion
Wolf Alice
Tyler, The Creator

BEST BAND IN THE WORLD

Amyl & The Sniffers
Ben&Ben
Bring Me The Horizon
CHVRCHES
Fontaines DC
Glass Animals
HAIM
Måneskin
Nova Twins
Wolf Alice

BEST BAND FROM THE UK: SUPPORTED BY PIZZA EXPRESS

Bring Me The Horizon
CHVRCHES
Glass Animals
Nova Twins
Wolf Alice

BEST SOLO ACT IN THE WORLD

Arlo Parks
Billie Eilish
Burna Boy
Dave
Little Simz
Pyra
Rina Sawayama
Sam Fender
Tkay Maidza
The Weeknd

BEST SOLO ACT FROM THE UK

Arlo Parks
Dave
Little Simz
Rina Sawayama
Sam Fender

BEST NEW ACT IN THE WORLD: SUPPORTED BY CANO WATER

Bad Boy Chiller Crew
BERWYN
Bree Runway
Inhaler
King Stingray
Olivia Rodrigo
Shye
Tems
Wet Leg
Yard Act

BEST NEW ACT FROM THE UK: SUPPORTED BY MUSIC VENUE TRUST

Bad Boy Chiller Crew
BERWYN
Bree Runway
Wet Leg
Yard Act

BEST MIXTAPE

Berwyn – ‘Tape 2/Fomalhaut’
Central Cee – ‘Wild West’
FKA twigs – ‘Caprisongs’
Holly Humberstone – ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’
PinkPantheress – ‘To hell with it’

BEST COLLABORATION

Baby Keem x Kendrick Lamar – ‘Family Ties’
Coldplay x BTS – ‘My Universe’
FKA Twigs x The Weeknd – ‘Tears In The Club’
Griff x Sigrid – ‘Head On Fire’
Rina Sawayama x Elton John – ‘Chosen Family’

BEST PRODUCER: SUPPORTED BY BANDLAB

Arca
Fred again..
India Jordan
Nia Archives
Travis Barker

BEST FILM

Last Night In Soho
Licorice Pizza

Promising Young Woman
Sound Of Metal

The Harder They Fall

BEST TV SERIES

It’s A Sin
Feel Good
Sex Education
Stath Lets Flats
We Are Lady Parts

BEST FILM ACTOR

Alana Haim
Benedict Cumberbatch
Jonathan Majors
Riz Ahmed
Thomasin McKenzie

BEST TV ACTOR

Aisling Bea
Mae Martin
Ncuti Gatwa
Olly Alexander
Zendaya

BEST REISSUE

Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’
OutKast – ‘ATLiens’
Radiohead – ‘Kid Amnesiae’
Taylor Swift – ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’
The Beatles – ‘Let It Be’

BEST MUSIC FILM

Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry
If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
Oasis Knebworth 1996
Summer Of Soul
The Sparks Brothers

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’
Foals – ‘Wake Me Up’
Lil Nas X – ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’
Taylor Swift – ‘All Too Well – The Short Film’
Wet Leg – ‘Chaise Longue’

BEST MUSIC BOOK

Bobby Gillespie – Tenement Kid
Dave Grohl – The Storyteller: Tales Of Life And Music
Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast) – Crying In H Mart
Paul McCartney – The Lyrics
Questlove – Music Is History

BEST PODCAST

Disgraceland
Grounded With Louis Theroux
Songs To Live By
Table Manners
Wheel Of Misfortune

GAME OF THE YEAR

Deathloop
Halo Infinite

Hitman 3
Metroid Dread
Unpacking

INDIE GAME OF THE YEAR

Cruelty Squad
Overboard! 
The Artful Escape
The Forgotten City
Unpacking

BEST GAME DEVELOPMENT STUDIO

Arkane Studios
Black Matter
Double Fine
IO Interactive
Xbox Game Studios

BEST ONGOING GAME

Apex Legends
Escape From Tarkov

Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite

Genshin Impact

BEST AUDIO IN A VIDEO GAME

Deathloop
Forza Horizon 5
Guardians of the Galaxy

The Artful Escape
Psychonauts 2

Head here to cast your vote for Hero Of The Year and Villain Of The Year.

This year’s official charity partner for the BandLab NME Awards 2022 will be the Music Venue Trust, continuing our ongoing work with the MVT to support, protect and promote the UK’s grassroots live music scene.

Check back in the coming weeks for more news on winners, performers and more at the NME Awards 2022. Visit here for tickets.