The Heavy Music Awards are an annual ceremony that recognizes the best in heavy music – artists, events, photographers, designers and more – across multiple categories. Established in 2017, these prestigious awards will take place on September 2nd at O2 Forum Kentish Town.
Heavy metal bands first emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as pioneers of hard rock music characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, and loudness. Legendary artists like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath helped to shape this sound.
Best Album
Heavy metal is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It’s distinguished by distorted guitars, extended solos, and driving beats. Furthermore, heavy metal often features horror-inspired lyrics as well as its dark soundscape.
Metal music has traditionally been dominated by men, but more women are breaking through on the scene. Notable examples include Girlschool, Nightwish and Delain.
However, the heavy metal scene still has a ways to go when it comes to diversity in the music industry. Its members tend to be older and white, making it difficult for these artists to win awards on major televised award shows.
To combat this issue, the Heavy Music Awards were created. These awards cast a light on the rock and metal community while giving fans an outlet to vote for their favourite acts.
In March, a panel of 700 industry insiders announced this year’s nominations. After that, voters chose the winners from among them.
At the Heavy Music Awards, one of the most coveted categories is best album of the year. This honor allows bands to receive recognition after years of hard work and success in their career.
Nominating someone for this category is always an incredible honour, and usually results in big names from the rock or metal scene. This year, Architects were the big winner with their excellent album For Those Who Wish to Exist.
This year’s nominees include several iconic bands that have helped define modern metal: Gojira, Mastodon, Dream Theater, Rob Zombie and Deftones.
Best Live Act
Experience the magic of live music firsthand when you witness an incredible band perform. Whether they are performing for just you, or for thousands in a stadium, witnessing such performances is unlike anything else in existence.
This year’s Heavy Music Awards have gone one step further and added a category for the best live act. Nominations are made by an industry panel, before public voting determines who wins.
Nominees are chosen based on several factors, including how well they performed during the year. This shows how much the audience enjoys watching these acts perform live and that they have a prominent place in the scene.
Though not the most glamorous award in show business, it is nonetheless essential for several reasons. Most notably, it demonstrates how much an audience enjoys an act and encourages them to come back again in the future.
For many, concerts are the only chance they get to witness their favorite band perform live. At concerts, music truly comes alive and fans can get completely engaged in the experience.
Muse is one of the finest bands when it comes to musical talent and stage presence. Their performances always surpass expectations, their musicians reaching new levels of mastery every time.
Def Leppard took home the prize for best live act, with their Hysteria Tour being their most successful ever. This was their first win at The Rocks and an enormous victory for the group.
Best Breakthrough Artist
The greatest breakthrough artist is the one who successfully brands themselves and their persona to the public, often through an engaging song. It’s a huge accomplishment for an emerging artist and often leads to further advancements in their career trajectory.
In the world of heavy music, it can be challenging to break into the top echelons. However, a breakthrough offers bands an incredible chance to be recognized by both fans and industry insiders alike. It is not unheard-of for artists to receive nominations despite lacking exposure prior to their nomination.
For example, German rap-rock band H-Blockx were nominated for the Breakthrough Artist award at the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards despite being relatively unknown outside their country. It was an unorthodox decision from MTV which we’re sure they still don’t regret it two decades later.
Another notable example of an up-and-coming band breaking into heavy metal is BMTH, who were nominated for Best Breakthrough Live Act at the 2016 NME Awards. It was an incredible performance and a chance for them to network with some of music’s biggest names.
Metal bands rarely get to be part of the NME Awards ceremony, making their participation unique. Even if metal bands were invited to perform at the awards show, chances are slim they wouldn’t even get nominated for an award!
Due to their nomination, Amazon Music will provide them with substantial support, including bespoke video and audio content, global marketing campaigns, increased visibility across playlists and programming, high-profile Amazon Original tracks and more. Furthermore, they’ll be featured guests on the Country Heat Weekly podcast where they’ll speak with co-hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson about their music as well as what lies ahead for the year ahead.
Best International Artist
The Heavy Music Awards are the premier rock music event of the year, taking place on May 26th 2023 at London’s OVO Arena Wembley and honoring some of music’s most influential and ground-breaking creatives.
One of the most coveted categories at the annual Heavy Music Awards is Best International Artist. Industry insiders vote on their favourite bands, while public opinion ultimately decides who wins.
Tool’s Fear Inoculum was an iconic album, both artistically and commercially. It also stood as one of the heaviest and most influential releases from the ’90s – yet it wasn’t enough to convince the Academy they belonged in metal circles.
Though Tenacious D’s Dio cover was a huge success, it didn’t quite measure up to Black Sabbath’s 13 (which had just won the Grammy for Best Rock Album) or Volbeat featuring King Diamond (whose album had already been nominated). It felt like they were denied an opportunity here since Tenacious D could have won this category instead.
But it wasn’t all bad news. Iron Maiden’s El Dorado was an outstanding track and deserved its spot on the list. Priest’s Dissident Aggressor wasn’t their strongest effort, but it still deserves consideration for inclusion.
Best Festival
Festivals are an integral part of life and provide us with a break from our mundane schedules. They serve as great chances for people to connect with their families and spend quality time together. Festivals also serve as great platforms to make new friends and foster strong bonds with them.
These festivals serve as a gathering point for people to come together and enjoy their favorite music. They foster unity and send out divine messages to all humans. Furthermore, these festivals take care of your mental stressors by clearing away mental clutter.
They make you feel better and happier with the presence of those you care about. Together, you could celebrate each other’s lives by eating delicious food and taking part in the festivities hosted by your favorite artists.
Glastonbury is one of the greatest festivals in history, founded in 1970s and hosting all the rock & metal legends. This event attracts thousands of music lovers annually due to its incredible line up.
Electric Forest, situated deep in Michigan’s woods, is another renowned festival that draws millions to experience its incredible stages, world-class artists and welcoming #ForestFamily vibes.
These festivals are an essential milestone for young musicians. They offer the chance to connect with like-minded individuals and gain knowledge about the industry. Additionally, it provides a chance to see some of today’s hottest artists.