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Slipknot Do The Double At Kerrang Awards 2009

• 4th Aug 2009

The crème de la crème of rock stars were out in style at tonight’s Kerrang! Awards, the annual awards ceremony brought to you by Guitar Hero and hosted by weekly rock bible Kerrang! magazine. The Awards took place in London and were hosted by a duet of metal talent, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian for the third year running, joined by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor.

Emerging as the only multiple award recipient (and the most nominated artist this year) were heavy metal maniacs Slipknot, who collected the trophies for Best Live Band (sponsored by Marshall Amplification) following their first ever UK festival headline performance at the Kerrang!-sponsored Download Festival, and Best International Band (sponsored by Guitar Hero), beating off competition from Metallica, Lamb Of God, Madina Lake and Green Day.

“It feels really gratifying,” Corey Taylor told Kerrang! magazine. “If there was ever a band that had to fight against controversy and misconception it was this band, and we’re really starting to kind of get to the point where the respect is getting there – and rightly so. I can’t think of many bands that have worked harder, and it really feels good that people are starting to turn around and really see what we’re about and appreciating it for what it is.
“It feels really good to be where we’re at right now,” he added. “And if I could, I would call every one The Maggots and personally thank them – but, I don’t have a great long distance plan though!”

K! Readers have been furiously voting in both the magazine and on Kerrang.com over the last few weeks to decide upon the winners of the eight public voted categories for this year’s event. Metal legends Metallica sent in a video message to thank Kerrang! magazine for giving them the award for Best Album (sponsored by My Rock City) for Death Magnetic, in a first for the band, who have in previous years been honoured with Best International Band, Kerrang! Hall of Fame and Kerrang! Icon. Essex ravers The Prodigy took time out of their hectic tour schedule to personally collect the award for Best Single (sponsored by Red Stripe), for ‘Omen’, whilst progressive metallers Mastodon picked up the gong for Best Video (sponsored by Rival Colour) for space travel odyssey ‘Oblivion’.

“Thank you Kerrang! for this paperweight,” joked Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. “And thank you to all the readers of Kerrang! for voting Death Magnetic the Best Album!”

“After 20 some odd years we’re still kicking ass,” added frontman James Hetfield.

Best British Band (sponsored by Roadrunner Records) went to Welsh rockers Bullet For My Valentine for the second year running, who accepted via recorded message. In Case Of Fire, who opened up the national Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink tour 2009 nightly were honoured as Best British Newcomer (sponsored by Relentless Energy Drink). Following a memorable performance at the Hard Rock Calling festival in June, New Jersey boys Gaslight Anthem accepted the award for Best International Newcomer (sponsored by Criminal Damage) with a video message.

“We’d like to thank Kerrang! for giving us this award twice on the trot which is awesome,” said Bullet For My Valentine frontman Matt Tuck. “Thanks to all our fans all around the world who voted for us.”

In addition to the public voted awards, another five trophies were given out on the night, recognising the greatest rock talent on the planet! Stepping into the shoes previously filled by the likes of Def Leppard, Deftones and Nine Inch Nails to pick up the Kerrang! Classic Songwriter award were Californian rock band Linkin Park, whose back catalogue (with 50 million albums sold worldwide) includes the Millenium’s nu metal hits ‘One Step Closer’ and ‘Crawling’, mainstream rock anthems ‘Breaking The Habit’ and ‘What I’ve Done’ right up to the Transformers 2 track ‘New Divide’. Reformed nu-metal heroes Limp Bizkit joined the party to collect the Kerrang! Hall Of Fame award (sponsored by Russian Standard vodka), marking the band’s first ever Kerrang! award. This trophy puts Limp Bizkit in the company of legends like Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and honours their place in rock history – and for recruiting a loyal red-capped army of fans!

In the past they have won Best International Newcomer, Best Live Band, Best Album and Best Video, this year San Francisco metallers Machine Head were honoured with the Kerrang! Inspiration award, cementing their role as one of the pioneering bands of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. With a new album scheduled for release this year with new lead vocalist William Duval, Alice In Chains were the 2009 recipients of the Kerrang! Icon award (sponsored by Orange Amplification), their heavy grunge sound having influenced a legion of rock bands and created a popularity that has never ceased. Last but not least, the Kerrang! Spirit of Independence award went to British rockers The Wildhearts. Their 10-year spanning career has been turbulent, unpredictable, yet they remain just as vital as in 1989.