It’s time to vote for your Q awards winners…
It’s that time of year again where Q Magazine dish out their famous awards to a host of brilliant artists for achievements such as ‘Q Best Breakthrough Act’ and ‘Q Best Single’. We’ll take you through this years’ awards and nominations and give you our picks for the worthy winners.
Q BEST BREAK-THROUGH ACT
This year has seen many artists break on to the scene with outstanding singles and albums. Here are the nominations for the award:
- Rag’N’Bone Man
- HMLTD
- Shame
- Stefflon Don
- The Big Moon
- Pumarose
- Girl Ray
- Formation
- The Moonlandingz
- Sampha
- OUR PICK: The Big Moon.
The Big Moon have had a brilliant year since the release of their Mercury Prize nominated album ‘Love In The 4th Dimension’. The girls from London first gained exposure on the DIY Neu Tour with VANT and INHEAVEN and they haven’t stopped snowballing since. Their tune off the album “Cupid” had airtime on all the major radio stations in the UK including BBC Radio 1 and Radio X, proving the indie rockers have a very bright future ahead of them.
Listen to The Big Moon on Spotify here:
Catch The Big Moon at Neighbourhood Festival 2017! Tickets available HERE.
Q BEST TRACK
This one is tough to choose. There have been so many bangers released this year by huge bands this year which could easily get in their ‘Greatest Hits’ album when they’re all old and wrinkly. Here’re the nominations:
- Liam Gallagher – Wall Of Glass
- Royal Blood – Lights Out
- Kendrick Lamar – Humble
- Lorde – Green light
- The Killers – The Man
- Gorillaz – We Got The Power
- Kasabian – You’re In Love With A Pyscho
- The xx – On Hold
- Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You
- Stormzy – Big For Your Boots
OUR PICK: The Killers – The Man.
It’s been a sensational return for The Killers since they dropped ‘The Man’ earlier this summer. They haven’t released anything since their last album ‘Battle Born’ 5 years ago. It’s always dangerous for a band as big as The Killers to take so long out, but Brandon Flowers and co have come back with a banger that shows off all the swagger and arrogance the American giants have. ‘The Man’ has propelled The Killers back into the limelight and they are here to stay.
Listen to ‘The Man’ on Spotify below:
Q BEST ALBUM
Again, with so many huge albums dropping this year, it’s been tough to choose a winner out of this lot:
- The xx – I See You
- Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
- Stormzy – Gangs Signs & Prayer
- Sleaford Mods – English Tapas
- Paul Weller – A Kind Of Revolution
- Gorillaz – Humanz
- A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
- Laura Marling – Semper Femina
- Sampha – Process
- Jay Z – 4:44
OUR PICK: Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer.
Stormzy’s ‘Gang Signs & Prayers’ is one of those albums that can change the course of music. He shot Grime music onto the world stage with the release of his single ‘Shut Up’ and the rapper hasn’t stopped since. Grime has been described as “punk music of this generation” and Stormzy has become the pioneer of this new movement. His number 1 debut album has also been nominated for the Mercury Prize and its easy to see why.
Listen to ‘Gangs Signs & Prayers’ on Spotify below:
See Stormzy live at V Festival! Tickets available HERE.
Q BEST LIVE ACT
With more artists touring massive venues than ever before, the demand by the fans to put on a brilliant live show is extremely high. Nominations for this award below:
- Ed Sheeran
- Liam Gallagher
- Depeche Mode
- Lorde
- Father John Misty
- The xx
- Radiohead
- The Killers
- PJ Harvey
- Stormzy
OUR PICK: The Killers.
I know we’ve already picked them, but it’s not our fault they’ve got the tunes and the performances to match! The Killers are not only one of the coolest looking bands, but Brandon Flowers is one of the best frontmen around. With their iconic ‘K’ in lights radiating over the audience and with Brandon with the crowd in the palm of his hand, The Killers make anthems ‘Mr Brightside’ and ‘When You Were Young’ sound 100x more powerful making it near impossible to belt the tunes at the top of your lungs.
Get tickets for The Killers HERE.
Q BEST SOLO ARTIST
Another impossible bunch to choose from, here are the nominations for the ‘Q Best Solo Artist’:
- Lana Del Ray
- Ed Sheeran
- Lorde
- Liam Gallagher
- Paul Weller
- Jay Z
- Wiley
- Stormzy
- Kendrick Lamar
- St. Vincent
OUR PICK: Jay Z.
He is probably the biggest rapper the world has ever seen, Jay Z has dominated the RnB/Rap world since he burst onto the scene. He has sold over 100 million records, received 21 Grammy Awards and has been named at MTV as “the greatest MC of all time”… A title which he has held since 2006. His music has touched millions across the world and his fans absolutely adore him. Although every single nominee of this award deserve to win, it’s difficult to look above the one and only Jay Z.
Q BEST ACT IN THE WORLD TODAY
This is an award which has divided everybody’s opinions. It’s a HUGE shout for anyone to call, but here are the nominees:
- Lorde
- Adele
- The 1975
- Ed Sheeran
- Radiohead
- Queens Of The Stone Age
- The Killers
- Stormzy
- Depeche Mode
- Kendrick Lamar
OUR PICK: Ed Sheeran.
Yes, it has to be Ed. Glastonbury headline, chart dominator and all round nice guy Ed Sheeran is our pick for ‘Q Best Act In The World Right Now’. His WORLD arena tour, which includes MORE THAN 100 dates sold out in minutes, and every single song from his latest album ‘Divide’ was in the top 20. That’s gotta count for something, right? The world mega star has won every award under the sun, so surely he deserves to win this one too.