Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2007

Thursday 1st March 2007 - Hammersmith Palais, London, W6 7NL

Broadcast Live on E4 at 11pm and repeated on Ch4 on Friday 2nd March at 11:30pm

Please see below for winners highlighted in red

UK VERSUS USA AT THE SHOCKWAVES NME AWARDS 2007

Expect blood, sweat and tears as we prepare for what will undoubtedly be one big dirty rock ‘n’ roll battle of the bands, and of the nations, at the ShockWaves NME Awards 2007. The best of British - Arctic Monkeys, Muse and Kasabian will take on stateside success stories My Chemical Romance and The Killers on 1st March at Hammersmith Palais. Let the battle begin!

This year, there’s no one clear leader but FIVE bands that dominate the nominations list.  With four nominations each Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Kasabian, The Killers and My Chemical Romance have been chosen by the fans to fight it out on the night!

For the past two years, it’s been British bands sweeping the board, but this year The Killers and My Chemical Romance may very well make the 2007 ceremony a stateside success story! 

Arctic Monkeys made NME awards history last year by scooping the award for both Best New Band and Best British Band in the same year. Sheffield’s favourite featherweights have clearly reached heavyweight status, with four nominations this year for Best British Band, Best Live Band, Best Album and Best Music DVD.

Arctic Monkeys said: “Very nice, we didn’t think we would get any this year! It seems weird for us to be alongside them (the competition) because we still feel like a little band. When it’s your own thing you don’t really see yourself alongside The Killers and Kasabian.”

The Monkeys have more than one tough fight on their hands if they want to claim the Best British Band title for the second year running.  Kasabian are clearly big contenders but will they prove themselves to be winners as they go head to head for the Best British Band, Best Live Band and Best Album titles? The Leicester foursome have also been nominated in the Best Video category for ‘Empire.’

Kasabian said: “We got nominated for four which is f***ing wonderful. I’m blown away by it, it’s an honour. We’ll see what happens but it’s a real pleasure to be nominated for the NME awards. It should be a good f***ing night!”

Joining their British buddies in the Best British Band, Best Live Band and Best Album categories are the almighty Muse. Muse receive their fourth nomination for ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ in the Best Track category.

Representing the USA The Killers and My Chemical Romance are up for four nominations each.  Both bands will contest the Best International Band title. The Killers are also nominated for Best Album, Best Track and Best Video, whilst My Chemical Romance will show their fighting spirit as they battle it out in the Best Live Band, Best Album and Best Music DVD categories.

Talking about the NME Awards, The Killers said: “The first time we watched from the balcony. It lit a fire underneath us; we wanted to be down there, winning awards. The next time we went and we were winning it was really fulfilling. We’ve got so many great memories; we met New Order for the first time there!  On their nomination competition they added, “It’s great to be with them. I’m a huge fan of Kasabian and everyone loves Arctic Monkeys! It’s cool, it feels like music right now is living and breathing!”

My Chemical Romance said: “Seriously, thank you so much. We’re not the kind of people who have shelves of awards in our apartments - some of us don’t even have a place to live – it’s really nice to know you’re thinking of us and responding to us. It’s a great honour to be nominated as it shows someone is listening to you. Whether we win or not, we still hear you.”

There may be a lot of mutual respect, but whether it ends up being a filthy or a friendly fight between the UK and USA, there will only be one winner!

The NME Awards continue to lead the way in new music and the Best New Band category is the most accurate predictor of the bands that will be big in the coming year. The new breed of bands battling it out for the award in 2007 are The Horrors, The Fratellis, Klaxons, The Kooks and The View. They’re all ones to watch but who will walk away with the prize?

NME Editor, Conor McNicholas said: “This year’s Shockwaves NME Awards nominations reflect what has been an exceptional 12 months for rock music. Whether recognising the phenomenal success of bands like Arctic Monkeys, Muse and My Chemical Romance, or shining a spotlight on exciting emerging talent like The View, Klaxons and The Horrors, the nominations list demonstrates the richness and variety at the heart of our scene.”

Fight night is 1st March at Hammersmith Palais and what a night it’s going to be at what is always the most rock ‘n’ roll event of the year. Unlike other music award shows, The ShockWaves NME Awards are entirely voted for by fans. The nominations shortlist is compiled entirely from votes cast via NME and NME.COM. Music fans will now have the chance to vote for the winners in each category.

NOMINATIONS:

Best British Band (supported by ShockWaves)
Arctic Monkeys
BabyShambles
Kasabian
Muse
Oasis

Best International Band (supported by T4)
CSS
The Killers
My Chemical Romance
The Strokes
We Are Scientists

Best Solo Artist (supported by E4)
Lily Allen
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Jarvis Cocker
Jamie T
Thom Yorke

Best New Band (supported by BBC Radio 1)
The Fratellis
The Horrors
Klaxons
The Kooks
The View

Best Live Band (supported by Carling)
Arctic Monkeys
Babyshambles
Kasabian
Muse
My Chemical Romance

Best Album (supported by HMV)
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Whatever You Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’
Kasabian – ‘Empire’
The Killers – ‘Sam’s Town’
Muse – ‘Blackholes And Revelations’
My Chemical Romance – ‘The Black Parade’

Best Track (supported by Orange)
Dirty Pretty Things – ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’
The Killers – ‘When You Were Young’
Klaxons – ‘Atlantis To Interzone’
Muse – ‘Supermassive Black Hole’
The View – ‘Wasted Little DJs’

Best Video (supported by MTV2)
The Horrors – ‘Sheena Is A Parasite’
Kasabian – ‘Empire’
The Killers – ‘Bones’
OK Go – ‘Here It Goes Again’
Panic! At The Disco – ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’

Best Music DVD
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Scummy Man’
Dirty Pretty Things – ‘Puffing On A Coffin Nail’
Foo Fighters – ‘Skin And Bones’
Maximo Park – ‘Found On Film’
My Chemical Romance – ‘Life On The Murder Scene’

Best Live Event
Carling Weekend: Reading And Leeds Festivals
Download 2006
Oxegen
T In The Park
V2006

Best Film
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Casino Royale
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Best TV Show
Extras
Gonzo
Lost
The Mighty Boosh
Never Mind The Buzzcocks

Best Radio Show
Lauren Laverne (Xfm)
Zane Lowe  (Radio 1)
Chris Moyles (Radio 1)
Colin Murray (Radio 1)
Jo Whiley (Radio 1)

VOTE ONLINE AT www.nme.com/awards

KILLER LIVE PERFORMANCES!

The ShockWaves NME Awards 2007 will go down in rock ‘n’ roll history as it brings together the greatest live music line-up ever!  Taking to the stage will be the finest from the US, The Killers and performances from two of the biggest British bands around today - Kasabian and Kaiser Chiefs! Whilst current favourites The View provide the best in new music, the show will be topped off by an electric performance by one of the most successful, important and influential bands of our time…Primal Scream!

The ShockWaves NME Awards will be the most rock ‘n’ roll event of the year with a line-up that puts other award ceremonies to shame!  The 2007 awards will be the last ever live event to happen at Hammersmith Palais before the historic venue is knocked to the ground.  With more special guests yet to be announced - and a few surprises planned for the night - it will also be the best ever as Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Killers, The View and Primal Scream storm the stage and deliver stellar performances to send the venue off in style! 

Conor McNicholas, editor of NME, said: “I cannot imagine a better line-up than this - what a great way to say goodbye to the Palais and remember one of the best years in new and live music ever. The ShockWaves NME Awards 2007 will be an event talked about for years to come!”

Kaiser Chiefs made history of their own last year when they received a record six nominations.  The foursome from Leeds are back with a new album and will be back doing what they do best when they take to the stage on awards night. 

Fellow Brit boys Kasabian are undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories of the year, topped off with four nominations at this year’s awards. The lads from Leicester may only have a one in four chance of winning the awards for Best British Band, Best Live Band, Best Album and Best Video, but they’re 100 percent guaranteed to win over the crowds with the special performance they have planned for the night.

The NME continues to lead the way in new music championing Best New Band nominees The View who are currently touring the country as part of the ShockWaves NME Awards Indie Rock Tour.   As the most accurate predictor of the bands that will hit the big time, NME is proud to have The View performing a one-off acoustic set to show what all the fuss is about!

This years God Like Genius award winners, Primal Scream, will provide the ultimate climax as the curtains draw on the ShockWaves NME Awards for 2007 and on the Hammersmith Palais forever!

Music fans can catch all of the action from the ShockWaves NME Awards 2007 live on E4 at 11pm and repeated on Ch4 on Friday 2nd March at 11:30pm.

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