UK Music Video Awards Reveals 2022 Nominations

Adele, Arlo Parks, alt-J, black midi, FKA twigs, Florence + The Machine, Gorillaz, IDLES, Jeshi, Kylie Minogue & Jessie Ware, Little Simz, Loyle Carner, Wet Leg and Yard Act are among the British artists who have notched multiple nominations for their music videos and other visual projects at this year’s UK Music Video Awards, in the shortlists announced on 28th September. 

International artists Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Lil Nas X, Pharrell (ft 21 Savage & Tyler The Creator), Stromae and Tove Lo also feature with multiple nods in this year’s list of nominations for over 30 awards, celebrating the best work in music videos in the UK and around the world, and the creativity and technical achievements of the filmmakers who made them. 

The winners at this year’s UKMVAs – the premier global awards programme for music video creativity – will be announced at the awards ceremony which takes place for the first time at Magazine, the new state-of-the-art events venue near The O2 in North Greenwich, on October 27th, in what promises to be a big night for the music video-making industry. 

Leading the way in the nominations is FKA twigs with a stunning haul of 8 nominations, including 5 nods for her video for Tears In The Club, featuring The Weeknd. She is followed by fellow British artist Little Simz with 6 nominations, who similarly gained 5 nominations for a single video - Point and Kill, featuring Obongjayar. UK alt rock outfit black midi also have 6 nods at the UKMVAs, divided between three videos made for tracks from their new album Hellfire.

The black midi video for Sugar/Tzu is one of several videos with 3 nominations in the 2022 shortlist. That includes Kendrick Lamar’s The Heart Pt 5, the video that launched his new album; Doechii’s Crazy, one of the most controversial videos of the past year; the all-animated video for Pharrell’s Cash In Cash Out, featuring 21 Savage and Tyler The Creator; and Nadie, a video for Mexican/Argentine vocal duo Sin Bandera.   

Following the upheavals caused by Covid, the nominations at this year’s UKMVAs also reflect the world of music video production bouncing back, with the shortlist featuring a plethora of burgeoning directing talent making their debut among the nominations, as well as honouring the skills displayed in numerous film departments, including Cinematography, Production Design, Editing and VFX.

Among the ‘behind-the-camera’ talent, British-Ghanaian director Ebeneza Blanche leads the pack with a remarkable 7 nominations – including five nominations for their video for Little Simz’s Point and Kill and a place in the Best New Director list. US director Amber Grace Johnson’s video forTears In The Club for FKA twigs has 5 nominations, and like Point and Kill it is nominated in several Technical Achievement categories, including Best Wardrobe Styling and Best Hair & Make-up. C Prinz, who directed Doechii’s Crazy, sees her video pick up 4 nominations, and also wins a nod in the Best New Director list.

Henry Scholfield, a former winner of the Best Director award at the UKMVAs, is nominated again for that award while his video for Stromae’s Fils de Joie, gains 2 nods, and one for Ed Sheeran’s 2Step, featuring Lil Baby. US director Noel Paul’s videos for black midi’s Sugar/Tzu, and Ezra Furman’s Forever In Sunset get a total of 4 nods.

Also on the Best Director list is Ukranian director Tanu Muino, who won the award last year, and is also nominated for her direction of Harry Styles’ video for As It Was, and Foals’ 2am. She is joined by French directors Arnaud Bresson and Valentin Petit, and British directors Scholfield, Duncan Loudon and Aidan Zamiri. The Best New Director list is completed by French directing duo Bleu Desert, US-based STILLZ, Italian director Giada Bossi and British director Edem Wornoo. 

For the second time, the UKMVAs has an award for Best Performance in a Video, designed to spotlight outstanding on-camera performances by artists, actors and dancers in music videos. The shortlist features mesmerizing turns by Kendrick Lamar, Loyle Carner, and Lil Nas X, hard-hitting performances by young Italian actors in Giada Bossi’s video for electronic act Arssalendo, and celebrated actor David Thewlis in his debut music video appearance for Leeds band Yard Act.

The UK Music Video Awards also recognises work in shortform live video and special visual projects. The Live Video category features an eclectic mix of international artists including Belgian superstar Stromae, Jamaican pop sensation Koffee, Irish band Fontaines DC, Norwegian artist Aurora, Nigerian singer-songwriter Obongjayar and breakout US singer Dijon. Special Visual Projects includes films by Moses Sumney, Lykke Li and Sad Night Dynamite, as well as the much-nominated Little Simz and FKA twigs.  

Since its inception in 2008, the UKMVAs has grown into the leading global awards programme for music video creativity, the most important annual event in the calendar for the world of music video production. The global reach of the competition once again saw entries from over 30 different territories. Tickets for the awards show at Magazine, London on October 27th are on sale now at www.ukmva.com

Best Pop Video – UK in association with Cinelab Film & Digital

Harry Styles - As It Was

George Ezra - Green Green Grass

Kylie Minogue & Jessie Ware - Kiss of Life

Adele - OMG

The 1975 - Part Of The Band 

Arlo Parks – Softly

Best Dance/Electronic Video - UK

Gorillaz ft Thundercat - Cracker Island

Chase & Status - Mixed Emotions

Franc Moody - Raining in LA

Orbital - Smiley

Lewis Thompson ft David Guetta - Take Me Back

Tourist - Your Love

Best R&B/Soul Video - UK

Joy Crookes - 19th Floor

Michael Kiwanuka - Beautiful Life

FKA Twigs - Jealousy 

Greentea Peng - Look To Him 

Labrinth - Mount Everest

FKA twigs ft The Weeknd - Tears in the Club

Best Rock Video - UK

Foals - 2am

Muse - Compliance

IDLES - Crawl!

Sam Fender - Getting Started (Director's Cut)

Florence + The Machine - King

Sam Fender - Spit Of You

Best Alternative Video - UK

Yard Act - 100% Endurance

Bakar – Build Me A Way

black midi - Eat Men Eat

alt-J - Hard Drive Gold

Radiohead - If You Say The Word

black midi - Sugar/Tzu

Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video - UK

Jeshi - 3210

Jeshi - Generation

Loyle Carner - Hate

Big Zuu ft JME & Novelist - Offline

Little Simz ft Obongjayar - Point And Kill

Dave – Verdansk

Best Pop Video - International

Lizzo - About Damn Time

Stromae - Fils De Joie

Desirée Dawson - Meet You At The Light

Tove Lo - No One Dies From Love

Rosalía - Saoko

Lil Nas X - That's What I Want 

Best Dance/Electronic Video - International

Meduza, James Carter ft Elley Duhe & Fast Boy - Bad Memories

Kavinsky - Cameo

DJ Snake - Disco Maghreb

Arca - Prada/Rakata

Flume ft May-A - Say Nothing

Ásgeir - Snowblind

Best R&B/Soul Video - International

IDK - Breathe

Omar Apollo ft Daniel Caeser - Invincible 

Lucky Daye ft Lil Durk - N.W.A.

The Weeknd - Out Of Time

Steve Lacy - Sunshine

UMI - Wish That I could

Best Rock Video - International

The Lumineers - Brightside

Ezra Furman - Forever in Sunset

Pretty Sick - Human Condition

Imagine Dragons - Sharks

Måneskin - Supermodel

The Black Keys - Wild Child

Best Alternative Video - International

MorMor - Far Apart

Joji - Glimpse of Us

Stephan Moccio - Halston

GENER8ION x 070 Shake x SURKIN - Neo Surf

Jean-Michel Blais - Passepied

ZNTNDR – Untitled Us

Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video - International

SCREW - 22

Pharrell ft 21 Savage & Tyler The Creator - Cash In Cash Out

Doechii - Crazy

Sopico - Slide

Kendrick Lamar - The Heart Part 5

Residente ft Ibeyi - This is Not America

Best Pop Video - Newcomer

Cavetown x beabadoobee - Fall In Love With A Girl

Flowerovlove - I Love This Song

Taura Lamb - Love Song

Empress Of - Save Me

Mads Langer - Ukendt land

Sad Night Dynamite - What Does That Make Me

Best R&B/Soul Video - Newcomer

Khazali - Better With The Devil

Lava La Rue - High Fidelity

Sipho - I Don't Get It

Nightmares On Wax - Isolated

Ivy Sole - Talk That Talk

Murkage Dave - Us Lot

Best Dance/Electronic Video - Newcomer

Cheap Electric Pink Wool - 01G

Confidence Man - Feels Like A Different Thing

Duvall ft Sam Gray - Good Feeling

David Lindmer ft Johanson - Omen

Adibanti - One Door Closes

Ross from Friends - The Daisy

Best Rock Video - Newcomer

Didirri - Begin Again

Wu-Lu - Blame

Alex Orma - Du Sang du Singe

Cafuné - Tek It

Wet Leg - Ur Mum

Wet Leg - Wet Dream

Best Alternative Video - Newcomer

Baby Dave - Clarence's Dead Dad

Nick Leng - Morning / Midnight

Arssalendo- Quattro Pareti

ALASKALASKA - Still Life

Nother - Us

Marina Satti - Yiati Pouli M'

Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video - Newcomer

Bxks ft Oscar Worldpeace - 321

Fly Anakin - Class Clown

Flohio - Cuddy Buddy

WU-LU - Ten

Rodney Chrome - To The Money

AntsLive – Tweakin

Best Live Video

Aurora - A Touch of the Divine

Dijon - Annie

Obongjayar - I Wish It Was Me

Fontaines DC - Jackie Down The Line (The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon)

Stromae - Santé

Koffee - Where I'm From (Vevo LIFT Live Session)

Best Special Visual Project in association with LEAP

Moses Sumney - Blackalachia

FKA twigs - Caprisongs

Dream Diver - Dream Diver

Lykke Li - EYEYE

Little Simz - I Love You, I Hate You

Sad Night Dynamite - Volume II Mix Tape

Best Performance in a Video

Yard Act - 100% Endurance

Belief - Dreams

Loyle Carner - Hate

Arssalendo - Quattro Pareti

Lil Nas X - That's What I Want 

Kendrick Lamar - The Heart Part 5

Best Production Design in a Video

Hikaru Utada - Bad Mode

Thom Draft - Breathtaking

Angèle - Bruxelles Je t'aime

Tove Lo - No One Dies From Love

Adele - OMG

Arlo Parks - Softly

Best Choreography in a Video

Doechii - Crazy

Florence + The Machine - Heaven Is Here

Jean-Michel Blais - Passepied

FKA twigs - Ride the Dragon

FKA twigs ft The Weeknd - Tears in the Club

alt-J - The Actor

Best Wardrobe Styling in a Video in association with i-D

Stromae - Fils de Joie

Kylie Minogue & Jessie Ware - Kiss of Life 

Sin Bandera - Nadie

Sampa The Great - Never Forget

Little Simz ft Obongjayar - Point and Kill

FKA twigs ft The Weeknd - Tears in the Club

Best Hair & Make-up in a Video

Gloria Groove - A Queda

Priyanka - Come Through

Sin Bandera - Nadie

Sudan Archives - NBPQ (Topless)

Little Simz ft Obongjayar - Point and Kill

FKA twigs ft The Weeknd - Tears in the Club

Best Cinematography in a Video in association with CHEAT

Taylor Swift - All Too Well

Doechii - Crazy

Sin Bandera - Nadie

Little Simz ft Obongjayar - Point and Kill

black midi - Sugar/Tzu

ZNTNDR - Untitled Us

Best Colour Grading in a Video in association with Studio RM

Ethan P Flynn - Distraught

Sam Fender - Get You Down

Greantea Peng - Look To Him 

M83 - My Tears Are Becoming A Sea

Little Simz ft Obongjayar - Point and Kill

Ásgeir - Snowblind

Best Editing in a Video

black midi - Eat Men Eat

Bourne - Ere We Go 

Joji - Glimpse of Us

black midi - Sugar/Tzu

FKA twigs ft The Weeknd - Tears in the Club

Chase & Status - When It Rains

Best VFX in a Video

Ed Sheeran ft Lil Baby - 2Step

Pharrell ft 21 Savage & Tyler The Creator - Cash In Cash Out

Gorillaz ft Thundercat - Cracker Island

OrelSan ft Skread - Ensemble

Arca - Prada/Rakata

Kendrick Lamar - The Heart Part 5

Best Animation in a Video

Pharrell ft 21 Savage & Tyler The Creator - Cash In Cash Out

Mac Miller - Colors and Shapes

IDLES - Crawl!

Odesza - Light of Day

Orelsan - The Quest

black midi - Welcome to Hell

Best Director in association with Electric Theatre Collective

Aidan Zamiri

Arnaud Bresson

Duncan Loudon

Henry Scholfield

Tanu Muino

Valentin Petit

Best New Director in association with No.8 London

Bleu Desert

C Prinz

Ebeneza Blanche

Edem Wornoo

Giada Bossi

STILLZ

Best Director of Photography in association with Loop Talent

Christopher Ripley

Harry Wheeler

Jaime Ackroyd

Jake Gabbay

Nikita Kuzmenko

Patrick Golan

Best Producer in association with WPA UK

Aaron Z Willson

Alex Chamberlain

Elizabeth Doonan

Fred Bonham Carter

Jules de Chateleux

Mayling Wong 

Best Production Company in association with Kodak

COMPULSORY

DIVISION

Iconoclast

Object & Animal

SMUGGLER

UnderWonder Content

Best Commissioner

Connie Meade

John Moule

Kim Jarrett

Louis Danckwerts

Michael Lewin

Scott Wright

Best Agent

Alexa Haywood, FreeAgent

André Reid-McKinley, Somesuch

Carrie Sutton

Claire Stubbs & Connie Meade, Mouthpiece

Joceline Gabriel & Sarah Boardman, HANDS

Sam Davey & Polly Millner, OB Management