Q Awards


The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since the awards began in 1990, they became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios and near the end of its life, the Ballroom of The Park Lane Hotel, London.
One of the more notable events of the awards was the ceremony of 2004, at which Elton John accused Madonna of cheating fans by miming on stage, after she had been nominated for a Best Live Act award. The 2001 event, was somewhat notoriously notable for Phill Jupitus stretching out the time it took to announce the "Best Producer" award, with him, exclaiming "Best Producer?.... 'Would you like a cowbell in that?'", before being told off camera to get on with announcing the winner.
The Q Awards included many awards recognising a lifetime of achievement, rather than achievements over the year in question. In its last few years, the 'lifetime' awards have usually outnumbered the 'current' awards.
The awards came to an end when the magazine itself ceased publishing in 2020, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 awards ceremony would have been held at the Roundhouse and seen a performance by Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott. When it was announced that the magazine was closing, Heaton was revealed to have donated a substantial amount of money to the magazine's former staff members. As thanks, and for his contributions to music as a songwriter, Heaton was presented with a final Q Award.

Results

2019

The winners of 2019 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayThe 1975
Best Breakthrough ActPale Waves
Best Live PerformanceMichael Kiwanuka – End of the Road Festival
Best Solo ActStormzy
Best TrackLewis Capaldi — "Someone You Loved"
Best Festival/EventAll Points East
Best AlbumFoals — Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1

2018

The winners of 2018 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayPaul Weller
Best Breakthrough ActGoat Girl & Idles
Best Live ActTaylor Swift
Best Solo ArtistNoel Gallagher
Best TrackUnderworld and Iggy Pop — "Bells & Circles"
Best AlbumLet's Eat Grandma — I'm All Ears

2017

The winners of 2017 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayEd Sheeran
Best Breakthrough ActRag'n'Bone Man
Best Live ActLiam Gallagher
Best Solo ArtistStormzy
Best TrackKasabian — "You're in Love with a Psycho"
Best VideoSleaford Mods — "Bunch of Kunst"
Best AlbumGorillaz — Humanz

2016

The winners of 2016 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayMuse
Best Live ActU2
Best Breakthrough ActJack Garratt
Best Solo ArtistJames Bay
Best TrackBastille — "Good Grief"
Best VideoPJ Harvey — "The Community of Hope"
Best AlbumThe 1975 — I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It

2015

The winners of 2015 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayFoals
Best Live ActRoyal Blood
Best New ActJames Bay
Best Solo ArtistEd Sheeran
Best TrackThe Libertines — "Gunga Din"
Best VideoFlorence and the Machine — "Ship to Wreck"
Best AlbumNoel Gallagher's High Flying Birds — Chasing Yesterday

2014

The winners of 2014 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayKasabian
Best Live ActKasabian
Best New ActSam Smith
Best Solo ArtistEd Sheeran
Best TrackPaolo Nutini — "Iron Sky"
Best VideoJamie xx — "Sleep Sound"
Best AlbumElbow — The Take Off and Landing of Everything

2013

The winners of 2013 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayVampire Weekend
Best Live ActFoals
Best New ActJake Bugg
Best Solo ArtistEllie Goulding
Best TrackArctic Monkeys — "Do I Wanna Know?"
Best VideoManic Street Preachers — "Show Me the Wonder"
Best AlbumBiffy Clyro — Opposites

2012

The winners of 2012 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayMuse
Best Live ActBlur
Best New ActDjango Django
Best Solo ArtistEmeli Sandé
Best TrackPlan B — "Ill Manors"
Best VideoKeane — "Disconnected"
Best AlbumBobby Womack — The Bravest Man in the Universe

2011

The winners of 2011 Q Awards are:
AwardWinnerNominee
Best Act in the World TodayColdplay
Best Live ActBiffy Clyro
Best New ActWU LYF
Best Breakthrough ArtistEd Sheeran
Best Male ArtistTinie Tempah
Best Female ArtistAdele
Best TrackAdele — "Rolling in the Deep"
Best VideoJessie J — "Do It like a Dude"
Best AlbumBon Iver — Bon Iver, Bon Iver