LONDON — Taylor Swift, Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Run The Jewels, Cee Lo Green and OK Go are among the US acts who pick up multiple nominations in this year’s UK Music Video Awards, the annual celebration of creative and technical excellence in music video making around the world which takes place at the Roundhouse in London on Thursday November 5th.
Warp’s visionary artist Flying Lotus leads the charge as the most nominated act, picking up a total of five nominations including a nod in the new Best Artist category. He will go head-to-head for the award – designed to recognize an artist for an outstanding body of music videos over the past year - with alt-j, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Kendrick Lamar and Years & Years.
The most nominated videos at this year’s UKMVAs include U2’s ‘Every Breaking Wave’, an epic love story set in the Troubles in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, directed by Aoife McArdle; Tiga’s ‘Bugatti’, a witty The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Sometimes I Feel So Deserted’, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller directed by Ninian Doff; Royal Blood’s ‘Out Of The Black’, a comic gorefest of live action and animation, directed by David Wilson and Christy Karacas; and Naughty Boy ft Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin for ‘Runnin’ (Lose It All)’, an undersea love story, shot near Tahiti, directed by Charlie Robins.
Creativity and invention abound in the shortlist which sees Ed Sheeran transformed into a ballroom dancer in ‘Thinking Out Loud’, OK Go choreographing hundreds of Japanese school kids in ‘I Won’t Let You Down’, Darwin Deez transformed into a character in a video game in ‘Kill Your Attitude’, Snoop Dogg transformed into the star of a series of inventive Blaxploitation movie posters in ‘So Many Pros’, and perennial music video naysayer Noel Gallagher even making the list for an hilariously downbeat performance in ‘Ballad of the Mighty I’.
The MVA shortlists also reveal a host of ‘event’ videos from celebrated directing talent that have marked out the past 12 months including Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ directed by Joseph Kahn (who won the MVAs’ Icon Award last year), Rihanna’s ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ by previous Best Director winners, Megaforce, Florence + The Machine’s ‘Queen of Peace’ and ‘What Kind of Man’ by Vincent Haycock.
This year’s UK Music Video Awards ceremony will be staged for the first time at the legendary Roundhouse venue, and organizers have today announced two other music video-focused events the same week, in the build-up to the UKMVAs. Firstly, on November 3rd, BUG, BFI Southbank’s long-running music video showcase hosted by Adam Buxton will hold a special show celebrating The Beatles’ pioneering promotional films and formative music videos, now beautifully restored. Then the following day, on November 4th, MusicVidFest, the one day conference on the business of music video creativity will return to BFI Southbank providing professionals within the industry – and those hoping to break into it – with a platform to discuss the issues and advances driving music video production here and abroad, ahead of the celebrations the following evening.
As well as honoring the best work in music videos, there are also awards at the UKMVAs for other music films, including a new Best Music Documentary, which sees filmmakers tackling subjects as diverse as the story of the studio musicians who had an indelible impact on west coast music from the 60s onwards, the impact of the 808 drum machine, the emergence of Hip Hop in the Holy Land, and the return of the Backstreet Boys. In the Best Live Music Coverage category, live shows for Aerosmith, Jay Z and Beyoncé, and Lenny Kravitz compete against more intimate performances by Mumford & Sons, Gabrielle Aplin and Wolf Alice.
The UK Music Video Awards editorial director, David Knight, says, “Since 2008, the UK Music Video Awards has celebrated music videos as a form of creative expression, as entertainment, as an effective way to bring music to the world. We’re honoring the creativity and technical skill of the people who make them – from directors to editors, artists to animators. This year the quality of entries across over 30 categories has been so strong that the task of coming up with the list of nominations has been more difficult than ever."
“But ultimately the nominations reflect the extraordinary extent of talent and craft that’s been applied to the making of music videos in Britain and around the world. And of course, when the UKMVAs 2015 comes to the Roundhouse on the 5th November, there will be fireworks.”
Here is the full list of nominations:
Best Pop Video – UK, in association with Rushes
Gabrielle Aplin – Sweet Nothing
George Ezra - Listen To The Man
Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
Naughty Boy ft Beyoncé & Arrow Benjamin - Runnin' (Lose It All)
Sam Smith - Lay Me Down
Years & Years - King
Best Pop Video – International
DATA ft Benny Sings - Don't Sing
OK Go - I Won't Let You Down
Rihanna - Bitch Better Have My Money
Roy Kafri - Mayokero
Sia - Elastic Heart
Taylor Swift – Bad Blood
Best Pop Video – Budget
ALB - The Road
Aquilo - Losing You
Cais Sodré Funk Connection – Offbeat
Honne - Coastal Love
The Coronas - Just Like That
Zak Abel & Joker - Wise Enough
Best Rock/Indie Video – UK
Bastille vs Grades - Torn Apart
Florence + The Machine - Queen of Peace
Florence + The Machine - What Kind of Man
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Ballad of The Mighty I
Royal Blood - Out of The Black
Slaves - Cheer Up London
Best Rock/Indie Video – International
Cold Mailman - Something You Do
Darwin Deez - Kill Your Attitude
Death From Above 1979 - Virgins
Joywave - Somebody New
Tame Impala - Let It Happen
U2 - Every Breaking Wave
Best Rock/Indie Video – Budget
BRO - Less Than Three
Eaves - Pylons
Electric Youth - Runaway
Naïve New Beaters - Run Away
Oscar - Daffodil Days
Stealing Sheep - Deadlock
Best Dance Video – UK
Clark - To Live and Die in Grantham
Fono - Real Joy
Grades - King
Hot Chip - Need You Now
Leftfield & Sleaford Mods - Head and Shoulders
The Chemical Brothers - Sometimes I Feel So Deserted
Best Dance Video – International
Hook N Sling ft Far East Movement - Break Yourself
Paul Kalkbrenner - Feed Your Head
Skrillex - Doompy Poomp
Tchami - Promesses
Ten Walls - Walking With Elephants
Tiga - Bugatti
Best Dance Video – Budget
Delta Heavy - Ghost
Gwilym Gold - Triumph
Little Boots - Taste It
Lorn - Acid Rain
Rone ft François Marry - Quitter La Ville
Sinkane - How We Be
Best Alternative Video – UK
alt-j - Pusher
alt-j - Every Other Freckle
FKA twigs - Pendulum
Glass Animals - Hazey
Philip Selway - Coming Up For Air
The Staves - Black & White
Best Alternative Video – International
Black Atlass - Jewels
Brodinski ft SD - Can't Help Myself
Chet Faker - Gold
Flying Lotus - Coronus, The Terminator
Flying Lotus ft Kendrick Lamar - Never Catch Me
Nicolas Godin - Widerstehe Doch Der Sünde
Best Alternative Video – Budget
AE - Dreamers
Ariel Pink - Dazed Inn Daydreams
Bruce Smear - Pick and Roll
Dralms - Crushed Pleats
Son Lux - Change Is Everything
Young Fathers – Shame
Best Urban Video – UK
Dizzee Rascal - Couple of Stacks
Dizzee Rascal - Pagans
George the Poet – 1, 2, 1, 2
Krept & Konan ft Jeremih - Freak of the Week
Rag n Bone Man ft Vince Staples - Hell Yeah
Raleigh Ritchie - Bloodsport ’15 Pt 2
Best Urban Video – International
Childish Gambino - Sober
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Run The Jewels ft Zack de la Rocha - Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)
SonReal - For The Town
Stromae - Carmen
Vince Staples ft Future & Snoh Aalegra - Señorita
Best Urban Video – Budget
A$AP Rocky - Chevy
Dels - Burning Beaches
Findlay - Electric Bones
Hervé ft Knytro - Money Where Your Mouth Is
Run The Jewels - Lie, Cheat, Steal
Stig Of The Dump ft Jehst - Kubrick
Best Art Direction & Design in a Video, in association with WPA
Fur Voice - Fantasía
Little Boots - Taste It
Snoop Dogg - So Many Pros
Take That - These Days
Tiga - Bugatti
U2 - Every Breaking Wave
Best Styling in a Video, in association with i-D
FKA twigs - Glass & Patron
Rihanna - Bitch Better Have My Money
Róisín Murphy - Evil Eyes
Snoop Dogg - So Many Pros
Taylor Swift - Bad Blood
Tiga - Bugatti
Best Choreography in a Video
Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
FKA twigs - Glass & Patron
Flying Lotus ft Kendrick Lamar - Never Catch Me
Gwilym Gold - Triumph
OK Go - I Won't Let You Down
Sia - Elastic Heart
Best Cinematography in a Video, in association with Panalux
Flying Lotus - Coronus, The Terminator
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Naughty Boy ft Beyoncé & Arrow Benjamin - Runnin' (Lose It All)
Nicolas Godin - Widerstehe Doch Der Sünde
Sam Smith - Lay Me Down
U2 - Every Breaking Wave
Best Colour Grade in a Video
Benjamin Booker - The Future Is Slow
FKA twigs - M3LL155X
Lapalux ft Andreya Triana - Puzzle
Naughty Boy ft Beyoncé & Arrow Benjamin - Runnin' (Lose It All)
Rudimental - Never Let You Go
The Chemical Brothers – Sometimes I Feel So Deserted
Best Editing in a Video
Bruce Smear - Pick and Roll
DATA ft Benny Sings - Don’t Sing
Royal Blood - Out Of The Black
The Chemical Brothers - Sometimes I Feel So Deserted
Tiga – Bugatti
U2 – Every Breaking Wave
Best Animation in a Video
Hugo ‘Beats’ Chegwin & Fred Berry - Amaro & Walden’s Joyride
Leftfield & Sleaford Mods – Head And Shoulders
Panda Bear - Boys Latin
Royal Blood - Out Of The Black
Son Lux - Change Is Everything
Stromae – Carmen
Best Visual Effects in a Video
Black Atlass - Jewels
Darwin Deez - Kill Your Attitude
Fur Voice - Fantasía
Maestro - Darlin' Celsa
Roy Kafri - Mayokero
The Bug - Function/Void
Best Live Music Coverage, in association with Procam
Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014
Gabrielle Aplin at Wilton’s Music Hall
Jay Z & Beyoncé - On The Run Tour
Lenny Kravitz - Just Let Go
Mumford & Sons - The Hospital Live Sessions
Wolf Alice – Vevo Lift UK
Best Music Documentary
808 - The Documentary
Backstreet Boys - Show 'Em What You're Made Of
Dazed x Channel 4 - Music Nation Open Mic
Noisey Israel Palestine - Hip Hop in the Holy Land
The Redemption of the Devil
The Wrecking Crew
Best Lyric Video
Cee Lo Green - Robin Williams
Newham Generals ft Wiley - Scars
Rolling Stones - Wild Horses
Run The Jewels - Early
The Shoes - Feed The Ghost
To Kill A King - Love Is Coal
Best Interactive Video
Cee Lo Green - Robin Williams
Coldplay - Ink
Foals - Moutain At My Gate
Steye & The Bizonkid - What Do We Care 4
The Geek x vrv - Waves
Years & Years – Shine, Channel 4 Takeover
Best Commissioner
Caroline Clayton
Dan Curwin
James Hackett
Jane Third
John Moule
Sam Seager
Best Producer
Amber Millington
Corin Taylor
Jason Colon/Danielle Hinde
Jess Bell
Sarah Boardman
Sarah Tognazzi
Best Artist
alt-j
Ed Sheeran
Florence + The Machine
Flying Lotus
Kendrick Lamar
Years & Years
Best New Director, in association with Electric Theatre Collective
Dexter Navy
Eoin Glaister
Fred Rowson
Helmi
Nelson de Castro
Zack Spiger
Best Director, in association with MPC
Colin Tilley
David Wilson
Fleur & Manu
Ian Pons Jewell
Ninian Doff
Vincent Haycock