The Heavy Music Awards (HMAs) are awards presented by The Heavy Group to recognize outstanding achievements in heavy music. It operates as both an annual awards ceremony and a live event. The first ceremony was held on 24 August 2017. Whilst its nominees are selected from a panel of people involved in the heavy metal scene, its winners are selected by an online vote.
The Heavy Music Awards (HMAs) is an annual event celebrating the best in rock, metal, and alternative music. Founded in 2017, the HMAs recognize artists, bands, producers, and other industry professionals through various award categories. The event is organized by the Heavy Group, a media company focusing on heavy music.
History The Heavy Music Awards were conceived in late 2016 by Dave Bradley and Andy Pritchard, and announced on 1 March 2017 by their joint venture The Heavy Group. Pritchard has stated that they set up the awards with the intention of "[treating] heavy music as a legitimate art form", with the hopes that the event would offer increased recognition and exposure for those involved in the scene/genre. The inaugural Heavy Music Awards ceremony, held on 24 August 2017 at the House of Vans in London, received 97,000 votes. The ceremony was broadcast on the British TV channel Scuzz on 16 September 2017. The 2018 edition, which took place on 22 August 2018 at KOKO in London, received 131,000 votes. The 2019 ceremony took place at the larger O2 Forum Kentish Town and was hosted by Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!.
In November 2019, the Heavy Music Awards moved its annual date from August to May. The Heavy Music Awards 2020 was due to take place on 21 May 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, it was instead livestreamed on the Amazon Music UK Twitch channel on 3 September 2020, with its ceremony and live performers being filmed in differing locations. The ceremony drew in 150,000 votes and was watched by 177,000 people online. The 2021 edition Heavy Music Awards was held as both an in-person event (at the O2 Forum Kentish Town) and a livestream, and saw a sharp increase in voters; between 16 June and 14 July 2021, the awards finalists collectively received over 1.4 million votes. The livestream was shut down by Twitch after Milkie Way of Wargasm suffered a wardrobe malfunction that exposed her nipples whilst performing onstage with Trash Boat, leading the Heavy Music Awards channel to be struck for nudity and suspended for three days. Way refused to apologize for the incident, whilst Trash Boat vocalist Tobi Duncan accused Twitch of using a double standard, as both musicians were wearing outfits that exposed their nipples during the performance.
The 2023 edition was hosted at the OVO Arena Wembley, drawing in a crowd of 5,000 and receiving over 1.3 million votes from people in 161 countries. The 2025 edition was due to take place at O2 Forum Kentish Town; two weeks before it was due to take place, the in-person ceremony was cancelled owing to health issues, and its winners were instead announced on Kerrang! Radio in October.
Awards process
Nominees are selected for the Heavy Music Awards from a panel of people involved in the heavy music industry, from the UK and internationally. They are invited to list their top three albums for any given category, given it has been released in the previous year (between 1 January and 31 December) and fits specific criteria. The HMA has no say in selecting its finalists. The top 7 artists in each category are then listed as finalists that are voted on by the general public on the Heavy Music Awards website. Its trophies are manufactured by Gaudio Awards.
The Heavy Music Awards 2017 had an panel size of 300+ personnel, which has been expanded upon with its subsequent editions. The panel for the Heavy Music Awards 2024 is made up of almost 1,000 personnel.
List of ceremonies Year Date Venue Host city Host(s) Performers 2017 24 August House of Vans London Alex Baker and Sophie K Creeper, Venom Prison, Vukovi, Dead! 2018 23 AugustKOKO Sophie K Fever 333, Milk Teeth, Black Peaks, Coldbones 2019 22 AugustO2 Forum Kentish Town Laura Jane Grace Cancer Bats, Loathe, Nova Twins, Delaire the Liar 2020 3 September Twitch (livestream)HMA's Offices (awards)Afterlive Music (performances) Sophie K and Jon Mahon The Hunna, Holding Absence, Heart of a Coward, Wargasm, Coldbones, Hawxx 2021 2 SeptemberO2 Forum Kentish Town Alex Baker Sleep Token, Trash Boat, Hot Milk, As Everything Unfolds 2022 5 June Beartooth, Holding Absence, Meet Me @ The Altar, Static Dress 2023 26 MayOVO Arena WembleyAlex Baker, Alyx Holcombe and Nels Hylton Boston Manor, Creeper, Lzzy Hale & Joe Hottinger (Unplugged ft. Sophie Lloyd), Underoath, Vukovi ft. Scene Queen 2024 22 AugustO2 Forum Kentish Town Alex Baker Neck Deep, Casey, Graphic Nature, Unpeople 20254 OctoberKerrang! RadioN/AAlex BakerN/A 202611 JulyAlex BakerN/A
Award categories
Voted categories As of the Heavy Music Awards 2024, nominees can win in the following categories:
Best Album Best Breakthrough Album Best UK Artist (awarded as Best UK band from 2017 to 2021) Best UK Live Artist Best International Artist (awarded as Best International Band from 2017 to 2021) Best International Live Artist Best Breakthrough Live Artist Best UK Breakthrough Artist (awarded as Best UK Breakthrough Band from 2017 to 2022) Best International Breakthrough Artist (awarded as Best International Breakthrough Band from 2017 to 2022) Best Album Artwork
Non-voted categories The H (awarded for "exceptional positive contribution to the heavy music scene") Pioneer (awarded for "groundbreaking approach to artistry and presentation") Icon (presented for "exceptional long-standing positive contribution to the heavy music scene")
Retired categories
Best Photographer (2017 to 2020) Best Live Band (2017 to 2020), Best Live Artist (2021 to 2022) Best Festival (2017 to 2023) Best Production (2017 to 2023) (awarded as Best Producer from 2017 to 2020) Best Video (2020 to 2023) Best Podcast (2021 to 2022) Best Single (2021 to 2023)
One-off categories Best Breakthrough Band (2017) Best Venue (2017) Innovation Award (2022) (awarded for "innovative application of new ideas for the greater good of the heavy music scene")
List of Heavy Music Awards winners and nominees Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
2017 The H award was posthumously given to Kerrang! photographer Ashley Maile, and was accepted by on his behalf by his wife Caroline, sister Carly and friend Paul Harries. {| class="wikitable" ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Album ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best UK Band |- | valign="top" | All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us – ArchitectsGore – Deftones Low Teens – Every Time I Die Magma – Gojira Hardwired... to Self-Destruct – Metallica Rheia – Oathbreaker | valign="top" | Black Sabbath Architects Biffy Clyro Black Peaks Bring Me the Horizon Creeper Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Live Band ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best International Band |- | valign="top" | Enter Shikari Architects The Dillinger Escape Plan Every Time I Die Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Ghost Gojira | valign="top" | Gojira A Day to Remember Beartooth Deftones Every Time I Die Ghost Metallica |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Photographer ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Album Artwork |- | valign="top" | Ben Gibson Tom Barnes Corrine Cumming Ross Halfin Paul Harries Jennifer McCord John McMurtie | valign="top" | Popestar – Ghost All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us – Architects I'm Not Well – Black Foxxes Gore – Deftones Magma – Gojira The Violent Sleep of Reason – Meshuggah Sorceress – Opeth |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Breakthrough Band ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Festival |- | valign="top" | I Prevail Black Peaks Black Foxxes Casey Dead! Venom Prison Zeal & Ardor | valign="top" | Download 2000trees ArcTanGent Bloodstock Open Air Desertfest Reading & Leeds Slam Dunk |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Producer ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Venue |- | valign="top" | Fredrik Noström & Henrik Udd Tom Dalgety John Feldmann Greg Fidelman Matt Hyde Dan Lancaster Will Putney | O2 Academy, Brixton Black Heart, Camden The Dome, Tufnell Park KOKO, Camden O2 Forum, Kentish Town The Underworld, Camden |- ! colspan="2" style="background:#EEDD82; width=50%" |The H |- | colspan="2" scope="row" style="text-align: center;" |Ashley Maile|}
2018 Best AlbumBest UK Band You Are We – While She Sleeps Forever – Code Orange The Dusk in Us – Converge Eternity, In Your Arms – Creeper The Spark – Enter Shikari Emperor of Sand – Mastodon After the Party – The Menzingers | valign="top" | Architects Arcane Roots Creeper Enter Shikari Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes Marmozets While She Sleeps |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Live Band ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best International Band |- | valign="top" | Gojira Architects Enter Shikari Every Time I Die Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes Ghost While She Sleeps | valign="top" | Metallica Code Orange Converge Mastodon The Mezingers Parkway Drive Trivium |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Photographer ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best UK Breakthrough Band |- | valign="top" | Ed Mason Corrine Cumming Ben Gibson Joshua Halling Paul Harries Tina Korhonen Jennifer McCord | valign="top" | Milk Teeth Bad Sign Conjurer Employed to Serve Holding Absence Loathe Venom Prison |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Album Artwork ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best International Breakthrough Band |- | valign="top" | The Future in Whose Eyes? – Sikth (Meats Meier) Mirror Reaper – Bell Witch (Mariusz Lewandowski) The Dusk in Us – Converge (Jacob Bannon) Eternity, In Your Arms – Creeper (Nicky Barkla) Modern Ruin – Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes(Dean Richardson/Studio Yuck) Emperor of Sand – Matsodon (Donny Phillips) Mesmer – Northlane (Jacques Duquette/Fvckrender) Knocked Loose Brutus Can't Swim Palaye Royale Slotface Stand Atlantic WaterparksBest FestivalBest Producer Hellfest Open Air 2000trees ArcTanGent Bloodstock Open Air Download Festival Slam Dunk UK Tech Fest Will Putney Kurt Ballou Romesh Dodangoda Neil D. Kennedy Dan Lancaster Brendan O'Brien Will YipThe HThe Sophie Lancaster Foundation
2019
The H Award was given to the Dixon family. According to MMH News, the family "are revered on the live circuit for selflessly offering accommodation to bands touring the north east [of England] for many years." {| class="wikitable" ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Album ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best UK Band |- | valign="top" | Holy Hell – Architects All That Divides – Black Peaks Prequelle – Ghost Joy as an Act of Resistance – Idles Firepower – Judas Priest Reverence – Parkway Drive Time & Space – Turnstile | valign="top" | Bring Me the Horizon Architects Black Peaks Enter Shikari Iron Maiden Judas Priest While She Sleeps |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Live Band ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best International Band |- | valign="top" | Architects Bring Me the Horizon Enter Shikari Fever 333 Ghost Parkway Drive Slayer | valign="top" | Parkway Drive Beartooth Behemoth Ghost Halestorm Turnstile Twenty One Pilots |- ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best Photographer ! style="background:#EEDD85; width=50%" |Best UK Breakthrough Band |- | valign="top" | Paul Harries Derek Bremer Thomas Lisle Coe-Brooker Corrine Cumming Jennifer McCord Tom Pullen Ester Segarra | valign="top" | Dream State Conjurer Holding Absence Parting Gift Puppy Sleep Token Yonaka |-