Ahead of the BandLab NME Awards 2022, the results of the fan-voted categories are in – with Tomorrow X Together winning Hero Of The Year and Jacob Rees-Mogg being named Villain Of The Year.
The wildest night in music will return to London’s O2 Academy Brixton tonight (Wednesday, March 2) to celebrate the best in music and entertainment from around the globe.
Fans voted in their hundreds of thousands across both categories, with K-pop sensation Tomorrow X Together receiving over 40 per cent of the total for Hero Of The Year. This follows on from the success of their acclaimed third album ‘The Chaos Chapter: Freeze’, their five-star live show, and their single ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)’ (feat. Seori) coming in at Number 8 in NME’s 25 Best K-Pop songs of 2021, as compiled by NME Asia.
Speaking about their future in an interview with NME last year, TXT’s Beomgyu said: “Our music is our story of growth and, honestly, we’re nowhere near done with growing. We have a long journey ahead, and through our music we’ll continue to represent the emotions we feel and the experiences we have as young people growing in this generation.
“I’m sure that the story we’ll continue to tell will be one that all our fellow Gen Z will be able to relate to, as well as all those who have been at this stage of growth in their lives.”
Previous winners of NME’s Hero Of The Year award include the likes of Lady Gaga, Liam Gallagher, Ozzy Osbourne, John Peel, My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy, Beyonce and Ariana Grande.
Meanwhile, the Brexit-loving Conservative Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg has been named as this 2022’s Villain Of Year. Known for controversial comments and appearing somewhat archaic, the North East Somerset MP also made NME headlines earlier this year when he revealed that he had never read the longstanding and celebrated music and pop culture publication.
The revelation came back in January when Labour’s Kevin Brennan raised an NME article in parliament that highlighted the music industry’s many frustrations at Brexit failings from the “clueless” government regarding touring in Europe and more – one year on from cultural industries being handed what they have called “a No Deal Brexit”.
Speaking to the House Of Commons, Rees-Mogg replied: “The honourable gentleman knows that these matters are being discussed between Her Majesty’s Government and individual member states of the European Union who have responsibility for it. Considerable progress, as I think the honourable gentleman acknowledges, has been made with a number of countries being very willing to have reciprocal arrangements.”
He added: “But may I confess, Mr Speaker, that I have failed in that I have not read the New Musical Express this morning, or indeed on any morning that I can ever recall.”
Previous winners of NME’s Villain Of The Year include George W Bush, David Cameron, Justin Bieber, Nigel Farage, Donald Trump and Piers Morgan.
NME recently announced that Neneh Cherry has been named as the recipient of this year’s Icon Award, while Liam Gallagher will be picking up Music Moment Of The Year for his free concert for NHS workers, and Sigrid will be joining Griff to perform their huge collaboration ‘Head On Fire’ on the night – where Griff will also be the recipient of this year’s NME Radar Award.
This follows the news that FKA Twigs will be crowned as this year’s Godlike Genius, while Bring Me The Horizon will be closing the ceremony with a multi-song set.
The evening will be co-hosted by comedian, actor and writer Daisy May Cooper and grime trailblazer and radio host Lady Leshurr, alongside huge live performances from Sam Fender, Griff, Rina Sawayama as well as the recently revealed BERWYN and Chvrches featuring special guest Robert Smith of The Cure.
See all the nominees for the Awards here, and check back at NME for all of the latest action from the BandLab NME Awards 2022.