THE HEAVY MUSIC AWARDS ANNOUNCE 2024 SHORTLIST

THE CEREMONY WILL RETURN TO KENTISH TOWN O2 FORUM IN AUGUST | Oliver Hayman

The Heavy Music Awards return to O2 Forum Kentish Town for 2024! The awards ceremony which began in 2017, recognises “the best of the year across the heavy music landscape”. The finalists are voted by a panel of several hundred members of industry insiders, which then goes down to a public vote to decide the winner of each category.

This year, there are 10 categories to vote for showcasing the best of the best, such as ‘Best Live Artist’ and ‘Best Album Artwork’. Some of the categories also go more grassroots, including ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ – both foreign and UK based – to ensure that the next best heavy music band gets some well deserved exposure, as well as ‘Best Breakthrough Album‘, giving the likes of Empire State Bastard’s ‘Rivers of Heresy‘ a chance at winning a first award.

Some of the standout nominees include masked progressive metal band Sleep Token with four nominations across the board. Enter Shikari are also nominated for 3 categories after their album ‘A Kiss For The Whole World‘ got them their first number one album in the UK. Also nominated are legendary mainstays such as Slipknot, Metallica, Blink – 182 and Avenged Sevenfold.

Although a big focus on artists and bands, the ceremony has also previously celebrated photographers and festivals, such as having the ‘Best Photographer Award‘ and ‘Best Festival Award‘, which also showcases the best of industry workers who are potentially overlooked in these instances.

The Heavy Music Awards are at O2 Forum Kentish Town on the 22nd of August!

Make sure to cast your vote here

This years categories and nominees are: