Calvin Harris, Basement Jaxx, Dizzie Rascal, David Guetta, Tinchy Stryder, Alexander Burke, Egypt, Cascada, Mr Hudson, Daniel Merriweather all receive nominations at this year’s 7th annual Urban Music Awards. The UMA’s returns to the UK to celebrate its 7th anniversary after a successful show in New York earlier on in July this year.
Newcomer, Alexander Burke who is back with a debut album celebrates a record three nominations whilst Tinchy Stryder, JLS, and Mr Hudson all receive nominations for a year that has been truly successful for urban music.
The Urban Music Awards through IMG have helped build and solidify the UK urban music scene for over 10 years and several of the acts nurtured by the UMA have gone on to reign top 10 in the charts. From Dizzee Rascal and M.I.A nominated and winning in 2003 to Alexander Burke in 2004 and not forgetting JLS being crowned ‘Best Unsigned Act’ in 2007.
The Urban Music Awards has always been the place to find out past, present and future rising stars. Always striving to be the multi-cultural melting pot for talent, the UMA’s are proud to also launch the Best Asian Music Act category to promote and increase the exposure and awareness for acts of Asian origin. With the international success of past UMA winners including Raghav, M.I.A, Punjabi MC and Jay Sean who is currently No. 1 in the US Billboard charts. The Urban Music Awards will allow the millions of followers of music and musicians of Asian origin throughout the UK the opportunity to vote for their favourite Asian Music act to win this prestigious award.
Also, the launch of this new category will also give birth to the Desi UMA Rising Star competition. The competition will see entries from lesser known British Asian acts from all around the UK with the winner to be selected, announced and given an opportunity to perform live at the UMA’s next month.
Jordan Kensington, C.E.O, of Urban Music Awards and IMG added, “This year, we celebrate UK urban music going pop. There is no denying when we launched IMG in 1999 to support 100% UK acts, there was hardly any awards show or platform in support for UK music. We worked extremely hard to make sure UK urban music got it’s deserving place in pop culture and we are proud to see acts we gave coverage to via our magazines, radio, and the UMA’s 10 years ago make it top 10 in the charts and are now well known names in every single household. This is a testament to our achievements, but the work doesn’t stop there. Our artists need sustainability and gateway for international success which is why the UMA’s launched its US version in New York in 2007 with an aim to provide a vehicle to promote a collaboration between UK and US artists and we were back this year in July at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Next year we return with the 3rd US version of the UMA’s in Los Angeles. UMA’s is the only music awards show dedicated to HipHop, R&B, Soul, and Dance music to have versions of the show in six countries and with our planned launch in Africa this coming December. We are proud to build a global phenomenon of music fans internationally and becoming a market leader in offering artists a gateway opportunity to be booked for international appearances in the USA, France, Germany, Japan, Caribbean and now Africa”.
Grandmaster Flash (Godfather of HipHop) added, “I am an innovator as we created HipHop, a music genre that wasn’t fully embraced. We worked long and hard to make sure it grew to become a credible and successful genre and now it is being enjoyed all around the world by music fans from different races, ages and more. The UMA’s would always have my support because what the UMA’s are doing worldwide is way ahead of it’s time and the effects and positive impact of the Urban Music Awards worldwide would only be realised several years after for how groundbreaking one show has been to inspire a generation from the grassroots to the mainstream”.
This year’s 2009 UMA’s is set to be the hottest ticket in town with a mixture of top television comedians, celebrities from the world of film, TV, radio, sports and this year will feature a special collaboration merging some of the countries well known rock bands and some of our very own top UK performers. We would also celebrate the rise and rise of the funky house scene by a performance medley of all the dance hits and artists that made the summer feel a lot hotter than it actually was.
Paul Morris, VP of IMG commented, “I am so excited that the UMA’s continues to set the trend for others to follow. The UMA’s is like the catalyst for change in a music industry that is always changing. As a VP of the bookings department, it’s been great to book and connect our very own UK award winners with events and lucrative sponsorship opportunities in Dubai, Japan, Switzerland and more and I am so looking forward to what would be a fantastic 2009 event”.
As, always music fans worldwide who have nominated for all the categories will still get to decide on who gets to win a prestigious UMA award. The awards which is set to be held at a secret location in London on the 1st of November and will only offer limited amount of tickets to members who apply before the 20th of October 2009.
Full list of nominees for the UMA 2009 include:
Best Album 2009
Dizzee Rascal ‘Tongue & Cheek’ (UK)
Daniel Merriweather ‘Love & War’ (UK)
Basement Jaxx ‘Scars’ (UK)
Tinchy Stryder ‘Catch 22’ (UK)
Beverley Knight ‘100 Percent’ (UK)
David Guetta ‘One Love’ (France)
N-Dubz ‘Uncle B’ (UK)
Best Dance Act 2009 (UK & France)
David Guetta (France)
Donaeo (UK)
K.I.G Family (UK)
Cascada
King Kuduro (France)
Calvin Harris (UK)
Egypt (UK)
Best DJ (UK & France)
David Guetta (France)
Sarah Love (1Xtra)
Jigs (Choice)
Ronnie Herrel (1Xtra)
Swerve (Kiss)
Manny Norte (Kiss)
Masterstepz (Choice)
Best Group (UK & France)
Brick & Lace
N-Dubz
JLS
BBE
RDB
The Noisettes
Best TV Station
Flava TV
E4 Music
Channel Aka
TMF
Best Collaboration
Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz- Number 1
Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne ‘Down’
Tinchy Stryder ft. Amelle ‘Never Leave You’
Chipmunk ft. Emeli Sande ‘Diamond Rings’
Mr Hudson ft. Kanye West ‘Supernova’
Lazee ft. Neverstore ‘Hold On’
Best Hip Hop Act
Giggs
Wretch 32
Ghetts
Bashy
Sway
Speech Debelle
Best Music Video
N-Dubz ‘Wouldn’t You’
BBE ‘Too Many Mans’
K.I.G ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes’
Taoi Cruz ‘Break Your heart’
Dizzee Rascal ‘Holiday’
Alexander Burke ft Flo rida ‘Badboys’
Best Radio Station (UK & France)
1 Xtra (UK)
Radio Nova 101.5 (France)
Radio 1 (UK)
Kiss (UK)
NRJ (France)
Choice (UK)
Best UK Asian Act
M.I.A.
Jay Sean
R.D.B.
Mumzy Stranger
Khiza Music
Talvin Singh
Best Entrepreneur Category
Tim Campbell
Levi Roots
Corey Johnson
T. Oyelola
Nii Sackey
Jamie Binns
Best Newcomer sponsored by INVINCIBLE
Example
Mr Hudson
Egypt
JLS
Alexander Burke
VV Brown
Best R&B Act
Brick & Lace
Mr. Hudson
Daniel Merriweather
JLS
Alexander Burke
Taio Cruz
Most Inspiring Act 2009
Brick & Lace
Yolanda Brown
N-Dubz
VV Brown
Princess Nya
The Noisettes
Best Jazz Act
Yolanda Brown
Gary Crosby
Lizz Wright
Dave Holland
Best Gospel Act
29th Chapter
Guvna B
Victizzle
New Direction Crew
Sons of Light
Jahziel
Best Producer
Calvin Harris
Blessed Beats
Davinche
Mark Ronson
Chase & Status
Best Radio Show
Rickie & Melvin (Kiss)
Trevor Nelson & Gemma (1Xtra)
279 (Choice fm)
Ace & Vis (1Xtra)
James Meritt (Kiss)
- Vote for the UMA 2009 by registering @ www.britishmusicweek.com (Voting commences 12th of Oct – 29th of Oct)
- Keep up to date with all news @ www.urbanmusicawards.net