Heavy Music Awards 2022 Finalists Announced
The finalists have been unveiled for the sixth annual Heavy Music Awards, with the event once again set to shine a light on the leading talents across an eclectic and exciting rock and metal scene.
Backed for a third consecutive year by headline sponsor Amazon Music, the shortlists are decided by a panel of around 700 industry insiders, before winners are picked entirely by public vote.
Leading the way with four nominations each are Architects, Don Broco, Trivium and Spiritbox, while UK bands Bullet For My Valentine, Holding Absence and While She Sleeps mark a successful year of their own with three nominations each.
As ever the shortlists represent a broad cross section of the previous calendar year’s most notable artists, with nods across the event’s 11 categories for more scene heavyweights including Bring Me The Horizon, Turnstile, Nova Twins, Code Orange, Wargasm, A Day To Remember, Sleep Token and Gojira, among others.
Brighton’s Architects will be looking to add to their two previous HMA Best Album wins for their number one LP ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’. Their most recent wins, in 2019, saw the band take home two of the coveted 4.5kg awards - but they may find competition hard-going in the Best UK Artist category with Bring Me The Horizon scoring an unprecedented three consecutive victories since 2019.
In the Best International Artist category, presented by Arising Empire, familiar names including A Day To Remember, Beartooth, Gojira and Trivium face off against hardcore/crossover act Turnstile, Canada’s breakout stars Spiritbox and - perhaps the surprise package of the category - pummelling deathcore outfit Lorna Shore.
Across the HMAs’ two Breakthrough Artist categories, diversity is once again apparent with artists of several sub-genres battling it out.
The Best UK Breakthrough Artist, presented by O2 Forum Kentish Town, sees acts as varied as Midlands metal four-piece Heriot and pop-rock crossover starlet Cassyette facing off in what is set to once again be a fiercely contested category.
Equally the Best International Breakthrough Artist category, presented by Goth Girlfriends, is packed with wild mix of sounds from as far afield as India, Australia and the USA, and represents another year of excitingly diverse artists driving all types of heavier music forward.
Voting closes at 5pm BST on 22 April 2022. All voters are entered into a ballot for tickets to the event on Sunday 5 June 2022 at O2 Forum Kentish Town, London.
Heavy Music Awards 2022: The Finalists
BEST ALBUM
Presented by Amazon Music
Architects - For Those That Wish To Exist
Epitaph Records • Produced by Dan Searle, Co-Produced by Josh Middleton
Beartooth - Below
Red Bull Records • Produced by Caleb Shomo
Bullet For My Valentine - Bullet For My Valentine
Spinefarm Records • Produced by Carl Bown
Don Broco - Amazing Things
SharpTone Records • Produced by Jason Perry
Holding Absence - The Greatest Mistake of My Life
SharpTone Records • Produced by Dan Weller
Spiritbox - Eternal Blue
Rise Records • Produced & Engineered by Daniel Braunstein, Co-Produced by Michael Stringer
Turnstile - Glow On
Roadrunner Records • Produced by Mike Elizondo
BEST UK ARTIST
Presented by Allianz Musical Insurance
Architects
Epitaph Records
Bring Me The Horizon
RCA
Don Broco
SharpTone Records
Enter Shikari
So Recordings
Nova Twins
Marshall Records
Sleep Token
Spinefarm Records
While She Sleeps
Spinefarm Records / Sleeps Brothers
BEST LIVE ARTIST
Presented by Marshall
Bring Me The Horizon
RCA
Bullet For My Valentine
Spinefarm Records
Don Broco
SharpTone Records
Enter Shikari
So Recordings
Sleep Token
Spinefarm Records
Wargasm
Angry Songs For Sad People
While She Sleeps
Spinefarm Records / Sleeps Brothers
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
Presented by Arising Empire
A Day To Remember
Fueled By Ramen
Beartooth
Red Bull Records
Gojira
Roadrunner Records
Lorna Shore
Century Media
Spiritbox
Rise Records
Trivium
Roadrunner Records
Turnstile
Roadrunner Records
BEST UK BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Presented by O2 Forum Kentish Town
Bob Vylan
Ghost Theatre
Cassyette
Devil Land
Heriot
Church Road Records
Kid Kapichi
Independent
Pupil Slicer
Prosthetic Records
Static Dress
Independent
Witch Fever
Music For Nations
BEST INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Presented by Goth Girlfriends
Bloodywood
Independent
KennyHoopla
Arista Records
Magnolia Park
Epitaph Records
Meet Me @ The Altar
Fueled By Ramen
Pinkshift
Independent
Vended
Independent
Yours Truly
UNFD
BEST SINGLE
Presented by SharpTone Records
Architects - Meteor
Epitaph Records • Produced by Dan Searle, co-produced by Josh Middleton
Bring Me The Horizon - Die4u
RCA • Produced by BloodPop & Evil Twin
Code Orange - Out For Blood
Roadrunner Records • Produced by Rob Cavallo
Holding Absence - Afterlife
SharpTone Records • Produced by Dan Weller
Spiritbox - Circle With Me
Rise Records • Produced & Engineered by Daniel Braunstein, co-produced by Michael Stringer
Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon
Roadrunner Records • Produced by Josh Wilbur
Yungblud - Fleabag
Locomotion Recordings / Interscope • Produced by Andrew Wells, Chris Greatti & Mike Crossey
BEST PRODUCTION
Presented by AfterLive Music
Bullet For My Valentine - Bullet For My Valentine
Spinefarm Records • Produced by Carl Bown
Gojira - Fortitude
Roadrunner Records • Produced by Joe Duplantier
Holding Absence - The Greatest Mistake of My Life
Sharptone Records • Produced by Dan Weller
Mastodon - Hushed and Grim
Reprise Records • Produced by David Bottrill
Spiritbox - Eternal Blue
Rise Records • Produced & Engineered by Daniel Braunstein, co-produced by Michael Stringer
Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon
Roadrunner Records • Produced by Josh Wilbur
While She Sleeps - Sleeps Society
Spinefarm Records / Sleeps Brothers • Produced by Carl Bown & Sean Long
BEST VIDEO
Presented by Lightwave Productions
Bring Me The Horizon - Die4U
RCA • Directed by Oliver Sykes
Code Orange - Out For Blood
Roadrunner Records • Directed by Max Moore
Don Broco - Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan
SharpTone Records • Directed by Do Not Entry
Electric Callboy - Pump It
Century Media • Directed by Pascal Schillo & Oliver Schillo
Gojira - Born For One Thing
Roadrunner Records • Directed by Charles De Meyer
Ice Nine Kills ft. Jacoby Shaddix - Hip To Be Scared
Fearless Records / Concord Recorded Music • Directed by Jensen Noen
Trash Boat - Don't You Feel Amazing?
Hopeless Records • Directed by Zak Pinchin
BEST PODCAST
Presented by Amazon Music
The Downbeat
Hosted by Craig Reynolds
Hell Bent For Metal
Hosted by Tom Dare & Matt Rushton
Life In The Stocks
Hosted by Matt Stocks
On Wednesdays We Wear Black
Hosted by Alyx Holcombe, Sophie K & Yasmine Summan
Peer Pleasure
Hosted by Dewey Halpus
Sappenin Podcast with Sean Smith
Hosted by Sean Smith & Morgan Richards
The State Of The Scene Podcast
Hosted by Sam & Marcos
BEST ALBUM ARTWORK
Architects - For Those That Wish To Exist
Epitaph Records • Artwork by Tom Welsh, Giles Smith, Featherwax
Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I
Epitaph Records / Deathwish Inc • Artwork by Jacob Bannon
Employed To Serve - Conquering
Spinefarm Records • Artwork by Luke Preece
Mastodon - Hushed And Grim
Reprise Records • Artwork by Paul Romano
The Offspring - Let The Bad Times Roll
Concord Recorded Music • Artwork by Daveed Benito
Of Mice & Men - Echo
SharpTone Records • Artwork by Derek Hess
Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon
Roadrunner Records • Artwork by Mathieu Nozières