The annual awards were launched by music magazine, NME more than 60 years ago and have become a staple of the British recording industry.
Although hosted in Britain, the awards are international in scope. Beside music, awards are given for politics and culture. NME magazine fans can pick the winners at NME Web site.
Fans can vote for the awards by visiting nme.com/awards.
Beyoncé snared nominations for Best Album, Lemonade, Best International Female, Best Music Video for “Formation,” and two taps for crazy awards, Hero of the Year and Moment of the Year.
The latter is for her surprise release last April of Lemonade, her sixth studio album.
Netting four nominations each were French singer Christine and the Queens, The 1975, Bastille and Skepta, the Mercury Music Prize-winning grime artist.
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Kanye West has also been nominated for Best Album for his set Life of Pablo.
The late David Bowie, who died last year, is an odds-on favorite to win “Hero of the Year.” Other nominees include Adele, Millie Bobby Brown, Gary Lineker and Liam Gallagher.
There were no shortage of candidates for the politics and culture awards.
President-elect Trump joined former U.K. prime minister David Cameron and Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage are all up for Villain of the Year prize.
Trump won the award last year and is looking for a repeat.
The awards will be handed out Feb. 15 at the O2 Academy Brixton in London. Here’s are the leading nominations:
| The 2017 NME Music, Politics & Culture Award Nominees | |
|---|---|
|
Best Album Hero of the Year Villain of the Year Best International Band Best International Male |
The Weeknd Frank Ocean Kendrick Lamar Chance the Rapper Best International Female Best British Band Best British Male Best British Female |
Keith Girard has four decades of experience as an award-winning reporter, editor-in-chief, and senior media executive. Keith’s career began in Washington, D.C., where he was a reporter for The Washington Post and a contributing editor for Regardie’s and Washingtonian magazines. He also worked as a writer/producer in CNN’s Washington Bureau and has written one book on the U.S. Marines in the Gulf War and two novels: The ‘Heidelberg Conundrum’ and ‘The Curse of Northam Bay.’