Between 2009 and 2011, the NME Awards were still clinging onto their rock obsession, but started to have a few interesting nominees.
Shockwaves NME Awards 2009
Hosted at the Brixton Academy on 25 February 2009, by Mark Watson.
- Godlike Genius Award: The Cure
- Outstanding Contribution to Music: Elbow
- Best British Band supported by Shockwaves: Oasis. Also nominated: Bloc Party, The Last Shadow Puppets, Muse, Radiohead
- Best International Band supported by 4music: The Killers. Also nominated: Crystal Castles, Kings of Leon, MGMT, Vampire Weekend
- Best Solo Artist: Pete Doherty. Also nominated: Ladyhawke, Laura Marling, Lightspeed Champion, Jay-Z
- Best Live Band supported by Red Stripe: Muse. Also nominated: The Killers, Kings of Leon, Oasis, Radiohead
- Best New Band supported by Bench: MGMT. Also nominated: Glasvegas, Late of the Pier, Vampire Weekend, White Lies
- Best Album supported by HMV: Kings of Leon, for Only by the Night. Also nominated: Bloc Party, for Intimacy, Glasvegas, for Glasvegas, The Killers, for Day & Age, Oasis, for Dig Out Your Soul
- Best Track supported by NME Radio: MGMT, for Time to Pretend. Also nominated: Kings of Leon, for Sex on Fire, The Last Shadow Puppets, for The Age of the Understatement, The Ting Tings, for That’s Not My Name, Vampire Weekend, for A-Punk
- Best Dancefloor Filler: Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris, for Dance Wiv Me. Also nominated: Bloc Party, for Mercury, Crystal Castles, for Courtship Dating, Friendly Fires, for Paris, Late of the Pier, for Bathroom Gurgle
- Best Video supported by NME TV: The Last Shadow Puppets, for My Mistakes Were Made For You. Also nominated: Late of the Pier, for Heartbreak, Oasis, for The Shock of the Lightning, Radiohead, for House of Cards, Vampire Weekend, for A-Punk
- Best DVD: Arctic Monkeys, for Live at the Apollo. Also nominated: Foo Fighters, for Live at Wembley Stadium, Kaiser Chiefs, for Live at Elland Road, Muse, for HAARP, The Rolling Stones, for Shine a Light
- Best Live Event: Glastonbury Festival. Also nominated: Isle of Wight, Reading and Leeds, T in the Park, V Festival
- Best TV Show: The Mighty Boosh. Also nominated: Gavin and Stacey, The IT Crowd, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Skins
- Worst TV Show: Big Brother
- Best Film: [not stated]. Nominated: The Dark Knight, Juno, Quantum of Solace, Twilight, Wall-E
- Hero of the Year: Barack Obama. Also nominated: Alex Turner, Brandon Flowers, Noel Fielding, Noel Gallagher
- Villain of the Year: George W. Bush. Also nominated: Amy Winehouse, Gordon Brown, John McCain, Pete Doherty
- Best Dressed: Alexa Chung. Also nominated: Alex Turner, Brandon Flowers, Noel Fielding, Noel Gallagher
- Worst Dressed: Amy Winehouse. Also nominated: Brandon Flowers, Johnny Borrell, Katy Perry, Pete Doherty
- Best Website: YouTube. Also nominated: Bebo, Facebook, Last FM, MySpace
- Best Venue: London Astoria. Also nominated: Brixton Academy, Manchester Apollo, Glasgow Barrowlands, London O2 Arena
- Worst Album: Jonas Brothers, for A Little Bit Longer. Also nominated: Britney Spears, for Circus, Coldplay, for Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, Razorlight, for Slipway Fires, Scouting for Girls, for Scouting for Girls
- Worst Band: Jonas Brothers. Also nominated: Fall Out Boy, Oasis, Scouting for Girls, Tokio Hotel
- Sexiest Man: Matt Bellamy. Also nominated: Carl Barat, Keith Murray, Miles Kane, Pete Doherty
- Sexiest Woman: Hayley Williams. Also nominated: Alison Mosshart, Kate Jackson, Lykke Li, Stephanie Dosen
- Best Album Artwork: Muse, for HAARP. Also nominated: The Cure, for 4:13 Dream, Guillemots, for Red, The Killers, for Day and Age, We Are Scientists, for Brain Thrust Mastery
- Best Band Blog: Noel Gallagher / Oasis. Also nominated: Foals, Lightspeed Champion, Little Boots, Radiohead
- Philip Hall Radar Award: The Big Pink
Shockwaves NME Awards 2010
The awards took place at the Brixton Academy on 24 February 2010, and were hosted by Jarvis Cocker, with performances by Kasabian with Noel Fielding, The Specials, Biffy Clyro featuring Marina Diamandis, The Big Pink with Lily Allen.
- Godlike Genius Award: Paul Weller
- Outstanding Contribution to Music: The Specials
- Best British Band: Muse. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, Biffy Clyro, Kasabian, Oasis
- Best International Band: Paramore. Also nominated: Green Day, Kings Of Leon, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Best Solo Artist: Jamie T. Also nominated: Dizzee Rascal, Florence And The Machine, Julian Casablancas, Lady Gaga
- Best New Band: Bombay Bicycle Club. Also nominated: The Big Pink, Mumford & Sons, The xx, La Roux
- Best Live Band: Arctic Monkeys. Also nominated: Kasabian, Muse, Radiohead, Them Crooked Vultures
- Best Album: Kasabian, for West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Humbug, Muse, for The Resistance, The Cribs, for Ignore The Ignorant, The Horrors, for Primary Colours
- Best Track: The Big Pink, for Dominos. Also nominated: Animal Collective, for My Girls, Arctic Monkeys, for Crying Lightning, Florence + The Machine, for Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Jamie T, for Sticks N’ Stones
- Best Video: Biffy Clyro, for The Captain. Also nominated: Arctic Monkeys, for Cornerstone, Kasabian, for Fire, The Maccabees, for Can You Give It, Oasis, for Falling Down
- Best Live Event: Blur at Hyde Park. Also nominated: Jay-Z at Alexandra Palace, Muse at Teignmouth, Oasis at Heaton Park, The Dead Weather at Shoreditch Church
- Best Festival: Glastonbury Festival. Also nominated: Download, Reading and Leeds Festivals, T In The Park, V Festival
- Best TV Show: The Inbetweeners. Also nominated: Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Peep Show, Skins, True Blood
- Best Film: Inglourious Basterds. Also nominated: (500) Days Of Summer, In The Loop, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Where The Wild Things Are
- Best Dancefloor Filler: La Roux, for In for the Kill (Skream Remix). Also nominated: Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden, for Bonkers, Florence + The Machine, for You’ve Got The Love, Lady Gaga, for Poker Face, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, for Zero
- Best DVD: The Mighty Boosh Live – Future Sailors Tour. Also nominated: Kings Of Leon, for Live At The The O2 Arena, Flight Of The Conchords, for Complete HBO Second Season, The Killers, for Live From The Royal Albert Hall, Nirvana, for Live At Reading
- Hero of the Year: Rage Against The Machine. Also nominated: Beyoncé, Noel Gallagher, Matt Bellamy, Alex Turner
- Villain of the Year: Kanye West. Also nominated: Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Simon Cowell, Lady Gaga
- Best Dressed: Lady Gaga. Also nominated: Liam Gallagher, Noel Fielding, Florence Welch, Karen O
- Worst Dressed: Lady Gaga. Also nominated: Matt Bellamy, Katy Perry, Liam Gallagher, Elly Jackson (La Roux)
- Worst Album: Jonas Brothers, for Lines, Vines and Trying Times. Also nominated: Green Day, for 21st Century Breakdown, Lady Gaga, for The Fame, U2, for No Line On The Horizon, Arctic Monkeys, for Humbug
- Worst Band: Jonas Brothers. Also nominated: Green Day, Oasis, Paramore
- Hottest Man: Matt Bellamy (Muse)
- Hottest Woman: Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
- Best Website: Muse.mu. Also nominated: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, GreenDay.com
- Best Album Artwork: Kasabian, for West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Also nominated: Muse, for The Resistance, Green Day, for 21st Century Breakdown, The Cribs, for Ignore The Ignorant, Manic Street Preachers, for Journal For Plague Lovers
- Best Band Blog: Radiohead (Radiohead.com/deadairspace). Also nominated: Muse (Muse.mu and Twitter.com/muse), Noel Gallagher (Oasisinet.com), Los Campesinos! (Loscampesinos.com), Paramore (Paramore.net)
- Giving It Back Fan Award: Lily Allen, for her Twitter ticket treasure hunt. Also nominated: Kasabian and Noel Fielding for free Vlad The Impaler video, Danger Mouse for leaking Dark Night Of The Soul, Arctic Monkeys for their Oxfam golden tickets, Vampire Weekend for giving away Horchata from the album Contra
- Phillip Hall Radar Award: The Drums
Shockwaves NME Awards 2011
Hosted by Angelos Epithemiou at the Brixton Academy on 23 February 2011. Performances by My Chemical Romance, Hurts, PJ Harvey, Crystal Castles, and Foo Fighters.
- Godlike Genius Award: Dave Grohl
- John Peel Award for Innovation: Crystal Castles
- Philip Hall Radar Award: The Naked and Famous
- Outstanding Contribution to Music: PJ Harvey
- Best British Band: Muse. Nominated: Arctic Monkeys, Biffy Clyro, Foals, Kasabian
- Best International Band: My Chemical Romance. Nominated: Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon, The Drums, Vampire Weekend
- Best Solo Artist: Laura Marling. Nominated: Florence Welch, Frank Turner, Kanye West, Paul Weller
- Best New Band: Hurts. Nominated: Beady Eye, Everything Everything, The Drums, Two Door Cinema Club
- Best Live Band: Biffy Clyro. Nominated: Arcade Fire, Foals, Kasabian, Muse
- Best Album: Arcade Fire, for The Suburbs. Nominated: Crystal Castles, for Crystal Castles II, Foals, for Total Life Forever, My Chemical Romance, for Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, Two Door Cinema Club, for Tourist History
- Best Track: Foals, for Spanish Sahara. Nominated: Cee Lo Green, for Fuck You, Gorillaz, for Stylo, Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi, for Tightrope, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl., for Bang Bang Bang
- Best Video: My Chemical Romance, for Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na). Nominated: Arcade Fire, for We Used To Wait, Brandon Flowers, for Crossfire, Chase & Status, for Let You Go, Gorillaz, for Stylo
- Best Festival: Glastonbury. Nominated: Download, Reading And Leeds Festivals, T In The Park, V Festival
- Best TV Show: Skins. Nominated: Misfits, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Peep Show, The Inbetweeners
- Best Film: Inception. Nominated: Get Him To The Greek, Kick-Ass, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, The Social Network
- Best Dancefloor Filler: Professor Green, for Jungle. Nominated: Crystal Castles, for Baptism, Kele, for Tenderoni, Plan B, for Stay Too Long, Tinie Tempah, for Pass Out
- Hero of the Year: Lady Gaga. Nominated: Gerard Way, Julian Assange, Kanye West
- Villain of the Year: David Cameron. Nominated: Axl Rose, Justin Bieber, Nick Clegg, Simon Cowell
- Most Stylish: Brandon Flowers. Nominated: Hayley Williams, Lady Gaga, Liam Gallagher, Noel Fielding
- Least Stylish: Justin Bieber. Nominated: Cheryl Cole, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Liam Gallagher
- Worst Album: Justin Bieber, for My World. Nominated: Cheryl Cole, for Messy Little Raindrops, Katy Perry, for Teenage Dream, Kings Of Leon, for Come Around Sundown, My Chemical Romance, for Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys
- Worst Band: Jonas Brothers. Nominated: 30 Seconds To Mars, JLS, Kings Of Leon, Tokio Hotel
- Hottest Man: Matt Bellamy. Nominated: Alex Turner, Billie Joe Armstrong, Dominic Howard, Jared Leto
- Hottest Woman: Alison Mosshart. Nominated: Emily Haines, Hayley Williams, Lady Gaga, Shakira
- Best Album Artwork: Klaxons, for Surfing The Void. Nominated: Foals, for Total Life Forever, Gorillaz, for Plastic Beach, MGMT, for Congratulations, My Chemical Romance, for Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys
- Best Band Blog or Twitter: Hayley Williams. Nominated: Frank Turner, Kanye West, Lily Allen, Theo Hutchcraft
- Best Book: John Lydon, for Mr Rotten’s Scrapbook. Nominated: Carl Barât, for Threepenny Memoir, Jay-Z, for Decoded, Keith Richards, for Life, Russell Brand, My Booky Wook 2
- Best Small Festival (50,000 capacity or lower): RockNess. Nominated: Bestival, Kendal Calling, Latitude, Underage Festival
Music for stowaways 