Heavy Music Awards

The Heavy Music Awards (HMAs) are awards presented by The Heavy Group to recognize outstanding achievements in heavy music. It operates as both an annual awards ceremony and a live event. The first ceremony was held on 24 August 2017. Whilst its nominees are selected from a panel of people involved in the heavy music industry, its winners are selected by an online vote.

History
The Heavy Music Awards were conceived in late 2016 by Dave Bradley and Andy Pritchard, and announced on 1 March 2017 by their joint venture The Heavy Group. Pritchard has stated that they set up the awards with the intention of "[treating] heavy music as a legitimate art form", with the hopes that the event would offer increased recognition and exposure for those involved in the scene/genre. The inaugural Heavy Music Awards ceremony, held on 24 August 2017 at the House of Vans in London, received 97,000 votes. The ceremony was broadcast on the British TV channel Scuzz on 16 September 2017. The 2018 edition, which took place on 22 August 2018 at KOKO in London, received 131,000 votes. The 2019 ceremony took place at the larger O2 Forum Kentish Town and was hosted by Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!.

In November 2019, the Heavy Music Awards moved its annual date from August to May. The Heavy Music Awards 2020 was due to take place on 21 May 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, it was instead livestreamed on the Amazon Music UK Twitch channel on 3 September 2020, with its ceremony and live performers being filmed in differing locations. The ceremony drew in 150,000 votes and was watched by 177,000 people online. The 2021 edition Heavy Music Awards was held as both an in-person event (at the O2 Forum Kentish Town) and a livestream, and saw a sharp increase in voters; between 16 June and 14 July 2021, the awards finalists collectively received over 1.4 million votes. The livestream was shut down by Twitch after Milkie Way of Wargasm suffered a wardrobe malfunction that exposed her nipples whilst performing onstage with Trash Boat, leading the Heavy Music Awards channel to be striked for nudity and suspended for three days. Way refused to apologize for the incident, whilst Trash Boat vocalist Tobi Duncan accused Twitch of using a double standard, as both musicians were wearing outfits that exposed their nipples during the performance.

The 2023 edition was hosted at the OVO Arena Wembley, drawing in a crowd of 5,000 and receiving over 1.3 million votes from people in 161 countries.

Awards process
Nominees are selected for the Heavy Music Awards from a panel of people involved in the heavy music industry, from the UK and internationally. They are invited to list their top three albums for any given category, given it has been released in the previous year (between 1 January and 31 December) and fits specific criteria. The HMA has no say in selecting its finalists. The top 7 artists in each category are then listed as finalists that are voted on by the general public on the Heavy Music Awards website. Its trophies are manufactured by Gaudio Awards.

The Heavy Music Awards 2017 had an panel size of 300+ personnel, which has been expanded upon with its subsequent editions. The panel for the Heavy Music Awards 2024 is made up of almost 1,000 personnel.

Voted categories
As of the Heavy Music Awards 2024, nominees can win in the following categories:


 * Best Album
 * Best Breakthrough Album
 * Best UK Artist (awarded as Best UK band from 2017 to 2021)
 * Best UK Live Artist
 * Best International Artist (awarded as Best International Band from 2017 to 2021)
 * Best International Live Artist
 * Best Breakthrough Live Artist
 * Best UK Breakthrough Artist (awarded as Best UK Breakthrough Band from 2017 to 2022)
 * Best International Breakthrough Artist (awarded as Best International Breakthrough Band from 2017 to 2022)
 * Best Album Artwork

Non-voted categories

 * The H (awarded for "exceptional positive contribution to the heavy music scene")
 * Pioneer (awarded for "groundbreaking approach to artistry and presentation")
 * Icon (presented for "exceptional long-standing positive contribution to the heavy music scene")

Retired categories

 * Best Photographer (2017 to 2020)
 * Best Live Band (2017 to 2020), Best Live Artist (2021 to 2022)
 * Best Festival (2017 to 2023)
 * Best Production (2017 to 2023) (awarded as Best Producer from 2017 to 2020)
 * Best Video (2020 to 2023)
 * Best Podcast (2021 to 2022)
 * Best Single (2021 to 2023)

One-off categories

 * Best Breakthrough Band (2017)
 * Best Venue (2017)
 * Innovation Award (2022) (awarded for "innovative application of new ideas for the greater good of the heavy music scene")

List of Heavy Music Awards winners and nominees
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

2017
The H award was posthumously given to Kerrang! photographer Ashley Maile, and was accepted by on his behalf by his wife Caroline, sister Carly and friend Paul Harries.

2019
The H Award was given to the Dixon family. According to MMH News, the family "are revered on the live circuit for selflessly offering accommodation to bands touring the north east [of England] for many years."

2020
Bring Me the Horizon, Slipknot and Rammstein all had four nominations each. Catherine Marks and Ester Segarra became the first women to win in each of their respective categories, for Best Producer and Best Photographer. The H Award was given to Dom Fraiser and Space, owners of the Boileroom venue in Guildford. Space also produced Idles' Joy as an Act of Resistance.

2022
The H Award was given to Heavy Metal Truants, a charity cycle challenge established in 2013 by ex-Metal Hammer editor-in-chief Alexander Milas and Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood. As of 2022, it has raised over £1 million for Teenage Cancer Trust, Nordoff Robbins, Childline, and Save The Children. The Innovation Award was given to While She Sleeps in recognition of their fan-led Sleeps Society initiative, which allowed the band to release their fifth album Sleeps Society (2021) and stay afloat without the backing of a label and touring amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023
The Scottish pop-punk band Vukovi led the Heavy Music Awards 2023 with five nominations (winning one), whilst Nova Twins, Halestorm and Ghost all received four nominations. The H Award was given to the Teddy Rocks Festival, founded by The Bottom Line guitarist Tom Newton to raise money for Teddy20, a children's cancer charity. The Icon award was given to Daniel P. Carter, radio DJ and host of the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show.