The most influential names inside the international rock and metal music industry have continued to sign up as judges of the new Heavy Music Awards (HMA), which launched last week. These 27 new judges bring the total to 53, though the judges’ job is to draw up shortlists not decide winners.
Winners of the Heavy Music Awards, which takes place in London on August 24, will be decided by public vote.
When you look at the list of judges, it’s obvious that they’re the right people for the job as they all work close to acts at the heavier end of the scale and have a genuine passion for the music. We’d normally put this up as a copy/paste news item but wanted to say a hearty “congratulations on being picked” to several of the names who we work with on a regular basis. We can absolutely vouch for their heavy creds – you know who you are!
Andy Pritchard, from organisers The Heavy Group, described the HMAs as “a significant endorsement of the strength of the heavy music scene in 2017.” He said:
Curated by a collective of music industry professionals – all of them without exception fans of music first and foremost – the Heavy Music Awards will provide an entirely independent vehicle to democratically crown the best of the year in heavy music.
Expanding the panel with even more of the industry insiders who represent the beating heart of the heavy music scene underlines our intention to create a fully democratic scheme, crowning winners that are indisputably the best in their field for the year.
Recognising the rich history of heavy music, the HMAs will also see the launch of the Heavy Music Hall of Fame, and The H – a community award recognising inspiring achievement by an individual, group or organisation.
The categories that will be battled over, first by the judges and then by the public are:
- Best Album
- Best UK Band
- Best International Band
- Best Live Band
- Best Breakthrough Band
- Best Festival
- Best Venue
- Best Album Artwork
- Best Producer
- Best Photographer
- The H
- Heavy Music Hall of Fame
The current complete list of judges is as follows:
- Paul Anthony (Planet Rock)
- Justin Arcangel (5B Artist Management)
- Ash Avildsen (Sumerian Records)
- Leo Benton (K2 Agency)
- Anna Bewers (UTA)
- Terry Bezer (That’s Not Metal)
- Satvir Bhamra (Warner Music UK)
- Dante Bonutto (Spinefarm Records)
- Daniel P. Carter (BBC Radio 1)
- Hayley Connelly (Little Press)
- Andy Copping (Live Nation / Download Festival)
- Danny Corr (Roadrunner Records)
- Lulu Davis (Incendia Management)
- Ian Dickinson (Roadrunner Records)
- Kiarn Eslami (Metropolis Music)
- Adam Foster (5B Artist Management)
- George Garner (Music Week)
- Jamie Graham (Sumerian Records)
- Adam Gregory (Bloodstock Festival)
- Thomas Gutches (Thomas Gutches Management)
- Simon Hall (Bloodstock Festival)
- Paul Harries (Freelance)
- Mike Herbrik (Warner Music Norway)
- Alex Herron (Scuzz TV)
- Vicky Hungerford (Bloodstock Festival)
- Lottie Hunt (BIMM)
- Stephen Hill (That’s Not Metal)
- Warul Islam (Communion)
- Sophie K (Freelance)
- Michelle Kerr (Cosa Nostra)
- Sophie K (Freelance)
- Amy Lawson (DHP)
- Sarah Lees (Snapper Music)
- Zoe London (Freelance)
- Abbie Marshall (Ramblin’ Man Fair)
- Clare Maxwell (Rise Records)
- Jon McIldowie (Festival Republic / Reading & Leeds Festivals)
- Leo Nicholas (BIMM)
- Kylie Olsson (Freelance)
- Jamie Otsa (Wall of Sound PR)
- Mark Palmer (Nuclear Blast Records)
- Sharon Richardson (Factory Music Management & Agency)
- Georgia Rawson (Discovered Magazine)
- Paul Ryan (UTA)
- Andy Saiker (The Firepit / Warner Music UK)
- Kirsten Sprinks (Cosa Nostra)
- Martijn Swier (Endless Music)
- Tom Taaffe (UTA)
- Emma Van Duyts (Public City PR)
- Stephanie Van Spronsen (Live Nation)
- Oli Walkers (AC Promotions)
- Julie Weir (Music For Nations)
- Caleb Williams (Unified)
