One of the music industry’s most anticipated events is set to return this year, The BandLab NME Awards will be held on Wednesday 2nd March 2022 at London’s 02 Brixton Academy. This year, the award’s official charity partner will be the Music Venue Trust. The foundation aims to protect UK grassroots live music venues and remains instrumental throughout the COVID pandemic in continuing their mission. Along with the announcement of the ceremony date, NME has also announced the winners of the award’s categories. Amongst many deserving winners is multi-talented artist Neneh Cherry, the influential figure was confirmed to be the winner of this year’s coveted Icon Award.
The Icon award has been a category recognized by the event for previous years, in 2018 the accolade was awarded to Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson and in 2020 grunge icon Courtney Love was awarded the prize. The award is bestowed to those who have earned the title through their work within the music, fashion and culture. With a discography full of highly influential records and a career spanning three decades, Cherry is the epitome of an Icon.
The 57-year-old artist has provided the following statement concerning her win, “Life is a series of ups and downs – along the way I’ve tried to get better at loving myself but ultimately it’s the love from others given then received that makes that possible, I’ve just tried to hold my corner and serve with truth, all made possible by the great visionaries I’ve come up and collaborated with along the way – you know what they say… it takes a village. To wake up one day to hear I’m being given an Icon Award seems crazy, but I’ll take it with great honour, so thank you NME.”
Cherry first made her name within the punk rock scene in London, during the early 1980’s she was part of Rip Rig + Panic and the legendary group The Slits. Her first major breakthrough came with the release of her debut album Raw Like Sushi, the 1989 album sired her best-loved track “Buffalo Stance”. The single gained critical acclaim through its incorporation of different genres and is known as a hybrid of hip-hop, electronica and pop.
The Swedish hitmaker is no stranger to accolades, Cherry won two Brit awards in 1990 for Best International Breakthrough and Best International Solo Artist. She was also nominated in 1990 for Best Video for single “Manchild”, Cherry was also nominated in 1991 and 1997 for the Brit award of Best International Female. The singer was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best New Artist and won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song for “7 Seconds” in 1994.
The annual awards show continues to be an important tradition within popular music, the show was first held in 1953 and was initially named the NME Poll Winners Concerts. Since its inception, the awards have grown into a British institution and have held importance through various genres of music including the 90’s Britpop era. Through its expansive multiple awards categories were added, the ceremony now includes 34 categories within their global nominations, 6 categories of UK nominations, 5 prizes for nominations in Asia and Australia.
The awards ceremony will be co-hosted by Daisy May Cooper and Lady Leshurr and will feature performances by Sam Fender, Rina Sawayama, Griff, BERWYN and Chvrches. This year’s event will also celebrate another musical icon, The Cure’s frontman Robert Smith will join the other performers in March. Despite many winners already named, music fans are still able to cast their vote for two categories, Hero of the Year and Villain of the year.
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Click here to vote for Hero of the Year and Villain of the Year.
