UK Music Video Awards 2020 Nominations Announced

Music videos by Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, FKA twigs, Michael Kiwanuka and DJ Shadow ft De La Soul have gained the most nominations at this year’s UK Music Video Awards, in the shortlists announced on 29th September. 

With the largest number of categories in the history of the 12 year-old event that celebrates music video creativity and craft in the UK and worldwide over the past year, there are eight nods for three different Dua Lipa videos, five nods for three videos by The Weeknd, including three for the official video for Blinding Lights, five nominations for Michael Kiwanuka videos, and five nominations for the Sam Pilling-directed video for DJ Shadow’s Rocket Fuel, featuring De La Soul. 

FKA twigs’s video for Sad Day, directed by Hiro Murai – the co-creator of TV comedy Atlanta whose previous video was UKMVA Video of the Year Childish Gambino’s This Is America – has three nominations. Murai is one of several heavy-hitting directors who are recognised at this year’s UKMVAs, including Henry Scholfield, last year’s Best Director winner, who returns to the category shortlist this year for his work with Dua Lipa and Stormzy, together with US music video veteran Dave Meyers, British team Crowns & Owls, Spanish director Diana Kunst, British duo Zhang & Knight, and Finnish director Anton Tammi. 

The UKMVAs also celebrates up and coming filmmaking talent in a range of Best Video - Newcomer categories and in the Best New Director shortlist, which features British directors Brock Neal-Roberts (regular collaborator with rising star Berwyn), Jocelyn Anquetil (Ashnikko, King Krule), KC Locke (Meekz, Mahalia) and Will Hooper (Bree Runway, Declan McKenna), together with French director Arnaud Bresson (Headie One, Flatbush Zombies). 

In a year when the production of music videos was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and then quickly resumed during lockdown in a variety of inventive ways, the UKMVAs have added a special Best Lockdown Video category – which attracted a record number of entries. The shortlist includes Glass Animals Dreamland – with frontman Dave Bayley directed by Colin Read during isolation, Diana Kunst’s sexy Guille Asesino for Spanish artist C Tangana, and Dave Meyers’ video for Anderson .Paak’s timely Lockdown – which also addresses the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. 

This year the UKMVAs has also redefined its genre titles in its video categories, creating new honours for Best R&B/Soul Video and Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video. The British R&B/Soul Video UK shortlist features videos for Jorja Smith, FKA twigs, Olivia Dean, Celeste, Lola Young and Berwyn; in the Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap UK shortlist, there are nods for videos for Avelino, JME, Stormzy, Headie One, Octavian and slowthai. 

This year’s UK Music Video Awards also recognises work in shortform live video, special video projects and longform music film. The Best Music Film category includes documentaries for Mark Ronson and Miles Davis, a livestream from The Streets, a live re-telling of the Beastie Boys Story, live coverage of Ludovico Einaudi in concert, and the Beyoncé album project, Black Is King. 

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. 

Despite the impossibility of staging a ceremony with an audience at London’s Roundhouse this year, the organisers remain committed to celebrating the winners via a virtual ceremony with a live audience, details of which will be announced shortly. 

The nominations are: 

Best Pop Video – UK 

Harry Styles – Adore You 

Lewis Capaldi – Before You Go Dua Lipa – Break My Heart Ashnikko – Cry 

Harry Styles – Falling 

Dua Lipa – Physical 

Best Dance/Electronic Video – UK 

Waze & Odyssey, George Michael, Mary J Blige & Tommy Theo – Always 

Prospa – Control The Party 

Mura Masa & slowthai – Deal Wiv It 

Disclosure – Energy 

Disclosure ft Aminé & slowthai – My High 

Duke Dumont, Zac Abel – The Power 

Best R&B/Soul Video – UK 

Jorja Smith – By Any Means 

FKA twigs ft Future – Holy Terrain 

Olivia Dean – Password Change 

Celeste – Stop This Flame 

Berwyn – Trap Phone 

Lola Young – Woman 

Best Rock Video – UK 

Sam Fender – Borders 

Michael Kiwanuka – Hero 

The 1975 – People 

Declan McKenna – The Key To Life on Earth 

Coldplay – Trouble In Town 

IDLES – War 

Best Alternative Video – UK 

Ghostpoet – Concrete Pony 

Thom Yorke - Last I Heard (...He was Circling the Drain)

 Låpsley – My Love Was Like The Rain 

FKA twigs – Sad Day 

Moses Boyd – Stranger Than Fiction 

Mura Masa – Teenage Headache Dreams 

Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – UK 

Stormzy ft Headie One – Audacity 

Headie One & Fred Again – Gang 

Avelino – Higher Power 

JME ft Merky Ace – Live 

Octavian – Poison 

slowthai – Psycho 

Best Pop Video – International 

Rosalía – A Palé 

Tove Lo ft MC Zaac – Are U Gonna Tell Her? 

The Weeknd – Blinding Lights 

Rosalía – Juro Que 

BTS – On 

Rosalía, Travis Scott – TKN 

Best Dance/Electronic Video – International 

Flight Facilities – Better Than Ever 

Salvatore Ganacci – Boycycle 

Piero Pirupa – Braindead (Heroin Kills) 

Bronson – Keep Moving 

Chris Liebing & Charlotte De Witte – Liquid Slow 

Brodinski ft ZelooperZ – Master Section 

Best R&/Soul Video – International 

Tiwa Savage – 49-99 

Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – Already 

Yseult – Corps 

070 Shake – Nice To Have 

Gregory Porter – Revival 

Marvin Gaye – What's Going On 

Best Rock Video – International 

Håkan Hellström – Alla Drömmar Är Uppfyllda 

The Strokes – Bad Decisions 

Broken Bells – Good Luck 

Joywave – Obsession 

The Strokes – Ode To The Mets 

Leonard Cohen – The Hills 

Best Alternative Video – International 

Agoria – Call of the Wild 

Moses Sumney – Cut Me 

Meryem Aboulouafa – Deeply 

Ferran Palau – Flora & Caic 

Woodkid – Goliath 

Sheenah Ko – Wrap Me Up 

Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – International 

Flatbush Zombies – After Life 

A$AP Rocky – Babushka Boi 

Future ft Drake – Life Is Good 

Run the Jewels ft Greg Nice & DJ Premier – Ooh La La 

DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel 

Tommy Cash – Sdubid 

Best Pop Video – Newcomer 

Babeheaven – Cassette Beat 

Ashnikko – Drunk With My Friends 

Nick Wilson – Enough to Know You 

Vagabon – In a Bind 

filous – Monday 

Raine Allen-Miller – Wank Wiggle 

Best Dance/Electronic Video – Newcomer 

Leifur James – AAID 

Samaran – Allo 

Raven – Cass & Lex 

Akwasi – Extase 

Saavan – In My Head 

Mild Minds ft Boats – Walls 

Best R&B/Soul Video – Newcomer 

Jeshi ft Celeste – 30,000 Feet 

Arlo Parks – Black Dog 

Black Square ft Laville – Coral Blues 

Fredwave – Dust 

Ni Houstonn ft Darius Raheem – Gemini 

Greentea Peng – Mr Sun (miss da sun) 

Best Rock Video – Newcomer 

The Academic – Acting My Age 

Sports Team – Camel Crew 

Beabadobee – I Wish I Was 

Stephen Malkmus Dream Wife – So When You Gonna... 

Kid Kapichi – Thugs 

Willie J Healey – True Stereo 

Best Alternative Video – Newcomer 

María José Llergo – A Través De Ti 

Alaskan Tapes – And, We Disappear 

Midnight Tracks – Anymore 

L'Homme Statue – Braços/Vela 

LL Burns – Get Me Back In The Game 

Zebra Katz – Moor 

Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video – Newcomer 

Louis Culture – Being Me 

Spxxn P – Complicació 

KAM-BU ft Lord Apex – Different 

Meekz – Like Me 

Flohio – WAY2 

Jurdan Bryant – Words For Thomas 

Best Production Design in a Video 

Michael Kiwanuka – Hero

Dua Lipa – Physical 

Eden – Projector 

DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel 

Tommy Cash – Sdubid 

Aigel – You're Born 

Best Styling in a Video 

Tiwa Savage – 49-99 

Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – Already 

Raleigh Ritchie – Aristocrats 

Yves Tumor – Gospel For A New Century 

Michael Kiwanuka – Hero 

Dua Lipa – Physical 

Best Choreography in a Video 

Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – Already 

Waze & Odyssey, George Michael, Mary J Blige & Tommy Theo – Always 

Tove Lo ft MC Zaac – Are U Gonna Tell Her? 

Christine and the Queens – La Vita Nuova 

Jessie Ware – Step Into My Life 

Sheenah Ko – Wrap Me Up 

Best Cinematography in a Video 

The Weeknd – Blinding Lights 

Ferran Palau – Flora & Caic 

DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel 

FKA twigs – Sad Day 

IDLES – War 

Aigel – You're Born 

Best Colour Grading in a Video in association with CHEAT 

The Weeknd – Blinding Lights 

Dua Lipa – Break My Heart 

Woodkid – Goliath 

Michael Kiwanuka – Hero 

Eden – Projector 

DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel 

Best Editing in a Video 

Jorja Smith – By Any Means 

Raven – Cass & Lex 

Disclosure ft Aminé & slowthai – My High 

Dua Lipa – Physical 

DJ Shadow ft De La Soul – Rocket Fuel 

IDLES – War 

Best Visual Effects in a Video 

Flatbush Zombies – After Life 

Dua Lipa – Break My Heart 

Taylor Swift – Cardigan 

Woodkid – Goliath 

Bronson – Keep Moving 

FKA twigs – Sad Day 

Best Animation in a Video 

Jorja Smith – Come Over 

Coldplay – Daddy 

Ghetts ft Jaykae & Moonchild Sanelly – Mozambique 

Moby – My Only Love 

Max Cooper – Repetition 

Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Where Do The Children Play? 

Best Live Video 

The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (Live) 

Dua Lipa – Don't Start Now (Live In LA, 2019) 

The Weeknd – Heartless (Live) 

Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – Lift Off 

Michael Kiwanuka – Live At The Mildmay Club 

Charlie Winston – Lost in the Memory 

Best Lockdown Video 

Glass Animals – Dreamland 

Gracey ft Ruel – Empty Love 

C Tangana – Guille Asesino 

Bronson – Keep Moving 

Anderson .Paak – Lockdown 

LYR ft Florence Pugh, Melt Yourself Down – Lockdown (in aid of Refuge) 

Best Special Video Project 

J Views ft Instagram – Featuring 

MASN – How To Kill a Rockstar 

Christine and the Queens – La Vita Nuova 

Nightmares On Wax – Smoker's Delight 

Riz Ahmed – The Long Goodbye 

FKJ – They Saw The Sun First 

Best Music Film 

Ludovico Einaudi – Apple Music Live from the Steve Jobs Theatre 

Beastie Boys – Beastie Boys Story 

Miles Davis – Birth Of The Cool 

Beyoncé – Black Is King 

Mark Ronson – From The Heart 

The Streets – None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This LIVE Alive (Livestream) 

Best Director 

Anton Tammi 

Crowns & Owls 

Dave Meyers 

Diana Kunst 

Henry Scholfield 

Zhang & Knight 

Best New Director 

Arnaud Bresson 

Brock Neal-Roberts 

Douglas Bernardt 

Jocelyn Anquetil 

KC Locke 

Will Hooper 

Best Producer in association with WPA 

Daniella Manca 

Horace de Gunzbourg 

Kareem Adeshina 

Karen Saurí 

Luke Tierney 

Mayling Wong 

Best Commissioner 

Caroline Clayton 

Kat Cattaneo 

Nicola Sheppard 

Sam Seager 

Scott Wright 

Semera Khan 

Best Agent 

Andy Roberts 

Barnaby Laws 

Claire Stubbs 

Joceline Gabriel 

Lee Fairweather 

Sam Davey 

Best Production Company 

Blink 

CANADA 

COMPULSORY 

Division 

FRIEND 

Somesuch 

Best Post Production Company 

Black Kite Studios 

CHEAT 

Electric Theatre Collective 

Ingenuity Studios 

tenthree 

The Mill