Nominations announced for the Xperia Access Q Awards

09 September 2014 - Press release

KASABIAN AND ARCTIC MONKEYS LEAD NOMINATIONS KATE BUSH UP FOR BEST LIVE ACT  SAM SMITH, PAOLO NUTINI, ELBOW, DAMON ALBARN, ARCADE FIRE EACH NOMINATED FOR TWO AWARDS  25^th AWARDS TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER

Q, the UK’s premier music magazine, is excited to reveal the nominations for this year’s Xperia Access Q Awards. Newly sponsored by Sony Xperia Access, the event will take place on Wednesday,22 October 2014 and is hosted by Absolute Radio’s Christian O’Connell.

An outstanding musical highlight of the year, Kate Bush's comeback residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo after a 35-year absence from the stage earns her first ever nomination for Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club. She’s also nominated for the coveted Best Act In The World Today Award presented by Buster + Punch.

Kasabian lead the nominations this year and have the chance to collect four awards, with nominations for Best Track (Eez-eh), Best Album for 48:13, Best Act In The World Today and Best Live Act following their headline slot at this year’s Glastonbury. Arctic Monkeys have three nominations – for Best Video (Arabella), Best Act In The World Today and, having just headlined the Reading and Leeds Festival, they are among the contenders for Best Live Act.

Jamie xx, Coldplay, Paloma Faith and Elbow all get the nod in the Best Video category while Ed Sheeran is up for the Best Solo Artist award, alongside Jake Bugg.
Sam Smith, Paolo Nutini, Elbow, Damon Albarn and Arcade Fire will each compete to take home two awards. 

A measure of the variety and depth of this year’s emerging talent, Best New Act presented by Xperia Access features 10 nominated artists. Spindly psychedelicists Temples and outrage-rock upstarts The Fat White Family are up against emotive troubadours George Ezra and Hozier, haunting electronica trio London Grammar, soul dynamo Ella Eyre, experimental siren FKA Twigs and three acts who’ve already scored Number 1 albums – Royal Blood, The 1975 and Sam Smith.

From today, Q readers can vote for their favourite artist, track, album or video for each of the following categories at www.Qthemusic.com

·       Q Best New Act presented by Xperia Access

·       Q Best Track presented by Absolute Radio

·       Q Best Video

·       Q Best Album

·       Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club

·       Q Best Solo Artist presented by Citroën

·       Q Best Act In The World Today presented by Buster + Punch 

Matt Mason, Senior Editor of Q magazine says, ”It’s been a remarkable and fascinating 12 months for music, and these nominations are a measure of that. We’ve had the surprise and brilliance of Kate Bush’s return alongside the excitement and invention delivered by all the nominees in the Best New Act category, presented by Xperia Access. From the two-man blast of newcomers Royal Blood to headline performances from Kasabian, Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys, there have been constant reminders of rock’n’roll’s enduring power to knock our socks off. All the nominated acts have helped make 2014 a brilliant year.”

The Xperia Access Q Awards takes place on Wednesday 22 October.

1 Q Best New Act presented by Xperia Access

Ella Eyre

Sam Smith

The Fat White Family

Royal Blood

FKA Twigs

The 1975

George Ezra

Hozier

London Grammar

Temples

 

2 Q Best Track presented by Absolute Radio

Paolo Nutini – Iron Sky

Sam Smith – Stay With Me

Lorde – Royals

Kaiser Chiefs – Coming Home

Kasabian – Eez-eh

 

3 Q Best Video

Arctic Monkeys – Arabella

Elbow – New York Morning

Coldplay – Magic

Jamie xx – Sleep Sound

Paloma Faith – Only Love Can Hurt Like This

 

4 Q Best Album

Elbow – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything

Manic Street Preachers – Futurology

Kasabian – 48:13

Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots

The Black Keys – Turn Blue

 

5 Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club

Arcade Fire

Arctic Monkeys

Kasabian

Kate Bush

Jack White

 

6 Q Best Solo Artist presented by Citroën

Paolo Nutini

St Vincent

Damon Albarn

Jake Bugg

Ed Sheeran

 

7 Q Best Act In The World Today presented by Buster + Punch

Arctic Monkeys

Pharrell Williams

Arcade Fire

Kasabian

Kate Bush