Wide Awake has been crowned the Best Small Festival at the BandLab NME Awards 2022.
The south London festival, which launched its inaugural edition last September at Brockwell Park, beat competition from the likes of End Of The Road, Live At Leeds, Lost Village and Mighty Hoopla.
Wide Awake 2021 was headlined by IDLES, and also featured sets from Black Country, New Road, Daniel Avery, Black Midi, Shame and more. In a four-star review of the festival, NME described the event as a “a portrait of a punk scene that’s still thriving”.
“Wide Awake takes place less than a mile from Brixton venue the Windmill, a place that’s served as the HQ for most of the exciting music being made in London over the last five years,” NME’s Will Richards wrote. “The first-ever Wide Awake in Brockwell Park serves as a who’s-who of this scene, a movement that continues to thrive.”
Wide Awake is set to return to Brockwell Park for its second edition later this year. It’s also expanding into a two-day event, running from May 27 to 28. Bicep has been announced as the festival’s headliner, while Primal Scream are set to close the event on the second night. Other additions to the 2022 line-up include The Horrors, Dream Wife, Alex Cameron, Grove and loads more.
The BandLab NME Awards 2022 returned to the O2 Academy Brixton on March 2 with co-hosts Daisy May Cooper and Lady Leshurr. The ceremony, which celebrates the most brilliant people in music and pop culture right now, featured performances from Sam Fender, Griff and Sigrid, Bring Me The Horizon and more.
Check back for the latest news, interviews, winners and more from the BandLab NME Awards 2022.