KERRANG!, the world’s greatest global alternative culture and music brand has today unveiled the fan voted nominations shortlist for its annual awards ceremony, which has long been known as the biggest and most raucous party of the year.
Now in their 27th year, the Kerrang! Awards are firmly established as the most prestigious celebration of alternative music talent on the planet and will be making a triumphant comeback after the pandemic. The star-studded event will take place on Thursday June 23 at a top-secret London location and promises to be an almighty return to form.
The shortlists for this year are fan fuelled, with over 10,000 votes cast. British arena heavyweights Bring Me The Horizon and Biffy Clyro lead the nominations in the Best Song and Best British Act categories respectively, whilst chart topper Halsey is up for Best Album and Nova Twins and Cassyette are among those battling it out for Best British Breakthrough. The hotly contested Best Live Act category bears witness to arena titans twenty one pilots, Bedford’s finest Don Broco and sought after US hardcore punk outfit Turnstile included in the running.
Kerrang!, who has relentlessly championed new talent since the magazine was first published in June 1981, has introduced the New Noise Award for 2022, which celebrates the vibrant boundary-pushing artists making Kerrang!’s world the most exciting place to be right now. WARGASM, Heriot, Pinkshift, Pupil Slicer and Static Dress are all nominated with both Wargasm and Static Dress having a K! cover in the past year highlighting the brand’s aim to consistently shine a light on forward-thinking alternative culture.
Kerrang! magazine editor Luke Morton said:
“This year’s Kerrang! Awards looks set to be the biggest yet, celebrating not just the biggest bands on the planet but also the rising stars sending shockwaves throughout the underground. In 2022, the alternative scene is more vibrant and inspiring than ever, as this shortlist demonstrates, with acts from all corners of the heavy music spectrum represented – from Bob Vylan, Wargasm and The Linda Lindas through to Bring Me The Horizon, Denzel Curry and Meet Me @ The Altar, all of whom have appeared on the Kerrang! cover in the past 12 months.
“It’s been a weird and difficult few years for the music industry but it hasn’t stopped forward-thinking artists from making some of the most vital and invigorating records our scene has heard in a long time, so let’s celebrate it properly.”
As well as the voted for categories, the awards ceremony will also see Kerrang! bestow a number of merit awards recognising career-long achievements. This will include the latest inductee into the Kerrang! Hall Of Fame, the Kerrang! Icon and the presentation of the Kerrang! Inspiration Award.
The Kerrang! Awards are hosted in association with Dead Man’s Fingers Rum and Marshall with more to follow.
The Kerrang! Awards 2022 is an invite-only event. Fans can vote for their winners at Kerrang.com
KERRANG! AWARDS 2022 NOMINEES FULL LIST
1/ NEW NOISE AWARD
WARGASM
Heriot
Static Dress
Pupil Slicer
Pinkshift
2/ BEST BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH
Nova Twins
Malevolence
Holding Absence
Higher Power
Cassyette
3/ BEST INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH
Amyl and The Sniffers
KennyHoopla
Meet Me @ The Altar
Stand Atlantic
Spiritbox
4/ BEST SONG
Bring Me The Horizon – ‘DiE4u’
Rammstein – ‘Zeit’
The Linda Lindas – ‘Racist, Sexist Boy’
The Regrettes – ‘Monday’
FEVER 333 – ‘The Innocent’
5/ BEST ALBUM
Bob Vylan – ‘Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life’
Denzel Curry – ‘Melt My Eyez See Your Future’
Every Time I Die – ‘Radical’
Halsey – ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’
Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – ‘Bloodmoon: I’
6/ BEST BRITISH ACT
Biffy Clyro
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Venom Prison
Loathe
Neck Deep
8/ BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Code Orange
Ghost
Ho99o9
Måneskin
Poppy
9/ BEST LIVE ACT
twenty one pilots
Witch Fever
Don Broco
Creeper
Turnstile
10/ BEST FESTIVAL
Download Pilot
Reading & Leeds
Bloodstock
Roadburn
Slam Dunk