By 2012, the NME Awards were positively contemporary. Let’s take a look at the awards through to 2014.
NME Awards 2012
Below is the full list of nominations for the event, which will be held at the O2 Academy Brixton on February 29.
- Godlike Genius Award: Noel Gallagher
- Outstanding Contribution to Music: Pulp
- Best British Band: Kasabian. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Horrors, Muse
- Best International Band: Foo Fighters. Also nominated: Arcade Fire, Justice, Odd Future, The Strokes
- Best Solo Artist: Florence + the Machine. Also nominated: Adele, Frank Turner, Laura Marling, Miles Kane, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
- Best New Band: The Vaccines. Also nominated: Foster The People, Lana Del Rey, Tribes, Wu Lyf
- Best Live Band: Arctic Monkeys. Also nominated: Kasabian, Muse, Pulp, Two Door Cinema Club
- Best Album: The Horrors, for Skying. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Suck It And See, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, PJ Harvey, for Let England Shake, The Vaccines, for What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
- Best Track: Florence + the Machine, for Shake It Out. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, Bombay Bicycle Club, for Shuffle, Hurts, for Sunday, Lana Del Rey, for Video Games
- Best Video: Hurts, for Sunday. Also nominated Arctic Monkeys, for Suck It And See, Beyoncé, for Countdown, Lana Del Rey, for Video Games, Tyler, The Creator, for Yonkers
- Best Festival: Glastonbury. Also nominated: Bestival, Reading & Leeds, T In The Park, V Festival
- Best TV Show: Fresh Meat. Also nominated: Doctor Who, Misfits, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, This Is England ’88
- Best Film: Submarine. Also nominated: Black Swan, Drive, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2, The Inbetweeners Movie
- Best Music Film: Foo Fighters, for Back and Forth. Also nominated: George Harrison, for Living In The Material World, Kings Of Leon, for Talihina Sky, The Libertines, for There Are No Innocent Bystanders, Upside Down – The Creation Records Story
- Best Dancefloor Anthem: Katy B, for Broken Record. Also nominated: Azealia Banks, for 212, Foster The People, for Pumped Up Kicks, Justice, for Civilization, Metronomy, for The Bay
- Hero of the Year: Matt Bellamy. Also nominated: Alex Turner, Dave Grohl, Noel Fielding, Noel Gallagher
- Villain of the Year: Justin Bieber. Also nominated: David Cameron, Lady Gaga, Liam Gallagher, Nick Clegg
- Worst Album: Justin Bieber, for Under the Mistletoe. Also nominated: Coldplay, for Mylo Xyloto, Lady Gaga, for Born This Way, One Direction, for Up All Night, Viva Brother, for Famous First Words
- Worst Band: One Direction. Also nominated: Beady Eye, Coldplay, Muse, Viva Brother
- Hottest Male: Jared Leto (30 Seconds To Mars). Also nominated: Andy Biersack (Black Veil Brides), Dominic Howard (Muse), Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance), Matt Bellamy (Muse)
- Hottest Female: Hayley Williams (Paramore). Also nominated: Amy Lee (Evanescence), Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine), Katy Perry, Marina Diamandis (Marina And The Diamonds)
- Best Album Artwork: Friendly Fires, for Pala. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Suck It And See, Bombay Bicycle Club, for A Different Kind Of Fix, Björk, for Biophilia, Jay-Z and Kanye West, for Watch The Throne
- Best Band Blog or Twitter: Lady Gaga, for @LadyGaga. Also nominated: Example, for @Example, Frank Turner, for Frank-Turner.com/blog, Kanye West, for @KanyeWest, Hurts, for @Theohurts
- Most Dedicated Fans: Muse. Also nominated: 30 Seconds To Mars, Arctic Monkeys, Hurts, My Chemical Romance
- Best Book: Noel Fielding, for The Scribblings of a Madcap Shambleton, Jared Leto, for Notes From The Outernet, Jarvis Cocker, for Mother, Brother, Lover: Selected Lyrics, Malcolm X, for A Life Of Reinvention, Shaun Ryder, for Twisting My Melon
- Best Small Festival: RockNess. Also nominated: Field Day, Hop Farm, Kendal Calling, Latitude
- Best Reissue: The Smiths, for Complete Re-issues. Also nominated: Manic Street Preachers, for National Treasures, Nirvana, for Nevermind, Primal Scream, for Screamadelica, The Rolling Stones, for Some Girls
- Greatest Music Moment of the Year: The Stone Roses reunite. Also nominated: Brian May joins My Chemical Romance onstage at Reading Festival, Kasabian see in 2012 with their epic London O2 Arena show, Noel Gallagher launches his solo career with press conference, Pulp steal the show at Glastonbury with secret set
NME Awards 2013
London’s Troxy on Wednesday, February 27, 2013:Host: Russell Kane
- Godlike Genius Award: Johnny Marr
- Philip Hall Radar Award: The Child of Lov
- Teenage Cancer Trust Outstanding Contribution to Music: The Cribs
- Best British Band: Biffy Clyro. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The Vaccines, The Maccabees, The Cribs
- Best International Band: The Killers. Also nominated: Tame Impala, The Black Keys, Odd Future, Crystal Castles, Foo Fighters
- Best Solo Artist: Florence + the Machine. Also nominated: Jake Bugg, Noel Gallagher, Miles Kane, Grimes, Paul Weller
- Best New Band: Palma Violets. Also nominated: Alt-J, Peace, Django Django, Alabama Shakes, Haim
- Best Live Band: The Rolling Stones. Also nominated: The Maccabees, The Cribs, Blur, Biffy Clyro, Foals
- Best Album: The Maccabees, for Given to the Wild. Also nominated: Frank Ocean, for Channel Orange, Jake Bugg, for Jake Bugg, Alt-J, for An Awesome Wave, The Vaccines, for Come Of Age, Tame Impala, for Lonerism
- Best Track: Foals, for Inhaler. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for R U Mine?, Haim, for Don’t Save Me, MIA, for Bad Girls, Palma Violets, for Best Of Friends, Tame Impala, for Elephant
- Best Music Video: Arctic Monkeys, for R U Mine?. Also nominated: Grimes, for Oblivion, MIA, for Bad Girls, David Bowie, for Where Are We Now?, Haim, for Don’t Save Me, Tame Impala, for Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
- Best Festival: Reading & Leeds. Also nominated: T In The Park, Bestival, Primavera, Latitude, Isle of Wight
- Best TV Show: Fresh Meat. Also nominated: Breaking Bad, Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, Sherlock, The Thick Of It, Doctor Who
- Best Film: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Also nominated: Ted, iLL Manors, The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
- Best Music Film: The Rolling Stones, for Crossfire Hurricane. Also nominated: Searching For Sugar Man, LCD Soundsystem, for Shut Up And Play The Hits, Hit So Hard: The Life & Near Death Story of Patty Schemel Marley, Led Zeppelin, for Celebration Day
- Dancefloor Anthem: Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch, for Sweet Nothing. Also nominated: Mosca featuring Katy B, for What You Came For, Psy, for Gangnam Style, MIA, for Bad Girls, Kanye West and Jay-Z, for Paris, Solange, for Losing You
- Hero of the Year: Barack Obama. Also nominated: David Bowie, Bradley Wiggins, Pussy Riot, Frank Ocean, Dave Grohl
- Villain of the Year: Harry Styles. Also nominated: David Cameron, Skrillex, Psy, Fred Macpherson, Azealia Banks
- Worst Band: One Direction. Also nominated: Muse, Mumford & Sons, Alt-J, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran
- Hottest Man: Matthew Bellamy
- Hottest Woman: Amy Lee
- Best Band Blog or Twitter: Alana Haim (Haim), for @babyhaim. Also nominated: Muse, for @muse, Fred Macpherson (Spector), for @fredmacpherson, Theo Hutchcraft (Hurts), for @theohurts, Wiley, for @EskiDance, MIA, for @MIAuniverse
- Best Fan Community: Muse. Also nominated: Hurts, 30 Seconds To Mars, Manic Street Preachers, The Killers, Enter Shikari
- Best Book: Mike Skinner (The Streets), for The Story of the Streets. Also nominated: David Byrne, for How Music Works, Neil Young, for Waging Heavy Peace, Tim Burgess, for Telling Stories, The Rolling Stones, for 50, Peter Hook, for Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division
- Best Small Festival: Festival No. 6. Also nominated: Sŵn, The Great Escape, Field Day, End Of The Road, Constellations
- Best Reissue: Blur, for 21. Also nominated: Manic Street Preachers, for Generation Terrorists, The Prodigy, for The Fat Of The Land, Interpol, for Turn On The Bright Lights, Smashing Pumpkins, for Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, Ian Brown, for Collected
- Music Moment of the Year: 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Also nominated: David Bowie‘s comeback, The Stone Roses comeback shows at Heaton Park, The Rolling Stones 50th anniversary show at London’s O2 Arena, Green Day‘s secret set at Reading Festival, Pussy Riot‘s punk prayer
NME Awards 2014
February 26 at London’s O2 Academy in Brixton. Host: Huw Stephens
- Godlike Genius Award: Blondie
- Songwriters’ Songwriter: Paul McCartney
- Award For Innovation: Damon Albarn
- Teenage Cancer Trust Outstanding Contribution to Music Award: Belle and Sebastian
- Best British Band: Arctic Monkeys. Also nominated: Foals, Palma Violets, Biffy Clyro, Disclosure, Two Door Cinema Club
- Best International Band: Haim. Also nominated: Arcade Fire, Queens Of The Stone Age, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend
- Best Solo Artist: Lily Allen. Also nominated: Lorde, Jake Bugg, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, David Bowie
- Best New Band: Drenge. Also nominated: Swim Deep, Chvrches, Jagwar Ma, Wolf Alice, Courtney Barnett
- Best Live Band: Arctic Monkeys. Also nominated: Palma Violets, Biffy Clyro, Haim, Queens of the Stone Age, Savages
- Best Album: Arctic Monkeys, for AM. Also nominated: Queens Of The Stone Age, for Like Clockwork, Peace, for In Love, Kanye West, for Yeezus, Savages, for Silence Yourself, Drenge, for Drenge
- Best Track: Disclosure, for White Noise. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Do I Wanna Know?, Lily Allen, for Hard Out Here, Arcade Fire, for Reflektor, Primal Scream, for 2013, Daft Punk, for Get Lucky
- Best Music Video: Eagulls, for Nerve Endings. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?, Pharrell, for Happy, Arcade Fire, for Reflektor, Lily Allen, for Hard Out Here, Haim, for Falling
- Best Festival: Glastonbury. Also nominated: Reading & Leeds, T In The Park, Latitude, Bestival, V
- Best TV Show: Breaking Bad. Also nominated: Fresh Meat, Sherlock, Game Of Thrones, Misfits, Doctor Who
- Best Music Film – The Stone Roses, for Made of Stone. Also nominated: Muscle Shoals, Sound City, The National, for Mistaken For Strangers, Good Vibrations, Muse
- Philip Hall Radar Award: Fat White Family
- Best Reissue – The Clash, for Sound System. Also nominated: Nirvana, for In Utero: 20th Anniversary Edition, The Beta Band, for The Regal Years: 1997-2004, The Breeders, for LSXX (Last Splash 20th Anniversary Edition), Bob Dylan, for Bootleg Series, Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969-1971), The Velvet Underground, for White Light/White Heat 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition
- Best Band Blog Or Twitter – Alana Haim (Haim). Also nominated: Jehnny Beth (Savages), Albert Hammond Jr, James Blunt, Theo Hutchcraft (Hurts), Grimes
- Best Book: Morrissey, for Autobiography. Also nominated: Alan McGee, for Creation Stories, Bob Stanley, for Yeah Yeah Yeah, Mark Lewisohn, for The Beatles – All These Years: Volume One: Tune In, Beck, for Song Reader, Richard Hell, for I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp
- Best Small Festival: Sŵn. Also nominated: RockNess, Y Not, Kendall Calling, Green Man, Festival Number 6
- Best Fan Community: Arctic Monkeys. Also nominated: Hurts, Haim, Muse, Peace, Morrissey
- Music Moment of the Year: Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn come together for Teenage Cancer Trust. Also nominated: Pussy Riot are freed, Arctic Monkeys headline Glastonbury, Rolling Stones headline Glastonbury, Morrissey‘s autobiography is released, Kanye West brings Jesus impersonator on stage
- Worst Band: The 1975. Also nominated: One Direction, The Wanted, Imagine Dragons, 30 Seconds To Mars, Muse
- Hero of the Year: Alex Turner. Also nominated: David Bowie, Este Haim, Russell Brand, Pussy Riot, Lou Reed
- Villain of the Year: Harry Styles. Also nominated: Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, David Cameron, Vladimir Putin, Russell Brand
Music for stowaways 