THE 1975, IDLES, JANELLE MONAE, CHRISTINE & THE QUEENS, ARCTIC MONKEYS AND GOAT GIRL LEAD NOMINATIONS WITH 2 NODS EACH

KENDRICK LAMAR, ARCTIC MONKEYS, FLORENCE & THE MACHINE, ST VINCENT, THE 1975 AND PAUL WELLER NOMINATED FOR Q BEST ACT IN THE WORLD TODAY

LIAM AND NOEL GALLAGHER BOTH UP FOR AWARDS

THE Q AWARDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH ABSOLUTE RADIO TAKES PLACE AT CAMDEN’S ROUNDHOUSE ON 17 OCTOBER

Vote now at www.qthemusic.com

– Qthemusic.com – #QAwards –

Q Magazine, the UK’s greatest music magazine, tonight unveiled the nominations for the Q Awards 2018 in association with Absolute Radio. The Q Awards, now in their 28^th year, is one of the most prestigious and anticipated nights on the music calendar. Following the massive success of the awards’ new format in 2016 and 2017, the Q Awards will again feature a very special intimate post-awards gig. This year, the already sold-out show will see two top British acts take to the stage – London’s Wolf Alice and Bristol’s IDLES, who have both seen vast amounts of success over the last 12 months. The awards and gig will take place on Wednesday, 17 October at Camden’s Roundhouse.

Leading the nominations this year are British punks IDLES, global pop sensation The 1975, American singer, songwriter and rapper Janelle Monae, French synth-pop auteur Christine & The Queens, British rockers Arctic Monkeys and South London’s Goat Girl.  They receive two nominations each, including Q Best Solo Artist and Q Best Album among others.

Also nominated in the prestigious Q Best Album category is experimental duo Let’s Eat Grandma who were nominated as Best Breakthrough at the Q Awards 2016 and now are praised for their second album I’m All Ears. It will once again be a hotly contested award: the other nominees are Interpol, Anna Calvi and Noel Gallagher who join Arctic Monkeys and IDLES to complete the category.

Renowned for celebrating new and emerging artists, the Q Best Breakthrough Act presented by Red Stripe category is bursting with incredible talent from a diverse spectrum of genres. This year’s list includes the likes of punk band Amyl & The Sniffers who are said to be possessed by the spirit of seventies Aussie rock, Brixton guitar gang Goat Girl, indie-soul newcomer Tom Grennan, Manchester grime rapper Bugzy Malone, indie four-piece The Magic Gang, LGBTQ trailblazer Nakhane and English grime MC and producer Novelist.  Having earned an early reputation for her unique rich and soulful voice is Nadine Shah along side British singer songwriter Jorja Smith whose jazz-tinged cadence and heartfelt lyrics invoke names like Lauren Hill and Alicia Keys.  Completing the Best Breakthrough Act category are critically acclaimed punk band IDLES who are also up for prestigious Best Album, a combination which is extremely rare.

A year after his first Q Award nomination, rap phenomenon Kendrick Lamar is nominated for the coveted Best Act In The World Today presented by Rocksteady Music School along-side pop heavy weights The 1975,   arena indie rockers Arctic Monkeys and Florence and the Machine, generational spokesperson and mod-father Paul Weller and 2017 nominated experimental rock hero St. Vincent.

The Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club features David Byrne, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Liam Gallagher, Stefflon Don, Taylor Swift and the Q Awards 2018 gig headliners Wolf Alice whilst the Q Best Track award presented by Firestone will be fought out by Love It If We Made It by The 1975, Girlfriend by Christine & The Queens, The Man by Goat Girl, Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae, Bells & Circles by Underworld & Iggy Pop and the provactive and enigmatic This Is America by Childish Gambino.

The Editor of Q Magazine, Ted Kessler, commented: “I love these shortlists and I love the Q readership even more for supplying them. We’ve thought for a while at Q that in a digital world where streaming music is so ubiquitous, the old barriers between musical genres are meaningless. All that matters is whether a song has power, or if an artist makes something to become lost within. These shortlists, where Janelle Monáe’s future-funk rubs shoulders with Goat Girl’s garage-punk in Best Track, or where Kendrick Lamar could just as easily be the Best Act In The World Today as Paul Weller, prove that. Unlike some music awards, artists are not nominated by their representatives, nor is there a fee to be paid upon entry. It’s decided by the readers and the writers of Q alone, and consequently these shortlists represent the very best of music now. I can’t wait for the winners to be revealed on 17 October at the Roundhouse.”

The public can cast their votes and choose the winners for the following categories over at www.Qthemusic.com – with voting closing on Thursday, 5 October.

• Q Breakthrough Act presented by Red Stripe
• Q Best Track presented by Firestone
• Q Best Album
• Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club
• Q Best Solo Artist
• Q Best Act In The World Today presented by Rocksteady Music School
• Q Best Festival/Event presented by Pretty Green Clothing

Full list of nominees as follows:

Q Breakthrough Act presented by Red Stripe

Amyl & The Sniffers

Goat Girl

Tom Grennan

The Magic Gang

IDLES

Bugzy Malone

Nakhane

Novelist

Nadine Shah

Jorja Smith

Rejjie Snow

Q Best Track presented by Firestone

Love It If We Made It – The 1975

This Is America – Childish Gambino

Girlfriend – Christine & The Queens

The Man – Goat Girl

Make Me Feel – Janelle Monae

Bells & Circles – Underworld & Iggy Pop

Q Best Album

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino – Arctic Monkeys

Hunter – Anna Calvi

Who Built The Moon? – Noel Gallagher

Joy As An Act Of Resistance – IDLES

Marauder – Interpol

I’m All Ears – Let’s Eat Grandma

Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club

David Byrne

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Liam Gallagher

Stefflon Don

Taylor Swift

Wolf Alice

Q Best Solo Artist presented by Absolute Radio

Christine & The Queens

Drake

Noel Gallagher

Janelle Monae

Ed Sheeran

Sophie

Q Best Act In The World Today presented by Rocksteady Music School

The 1975

Arctic Monkeys

Florence & The Machine

Kendrick Lamar

St Vincent

Paul Weller

Q Best Festival/Event presented by Pretty Green Clothing

All Points East

British Summertime

Isle Of Wight Festival

Latitude Festival

RIZE Festival

Spotify Presents: Who We Be

*ENDS*

Notes to editors 

2017 winners

Q Best Breakthrough Act Presented by Red Stripe – Rag’n’Bone Man

Q Best Live Act Presented by The Cavern Club – Liam Gallagher

Q Maverick Presented by the Roundhouse – Viv Albertine

Q Innovation In Sound Presented by Flare Audio – Wiley

Q Best Film Presented by Pretty Green – Bunch Of Kunst (Sleaford Mods)

Q Best Track Presented by Flare Audio – Kasabian – You’re In Love With A Psycho

Q Inspiration Award Presented by Three – Manic Street Preachers

Q Best Album Presented by The Box Plus Network  – Gorillaz – Humanz

Q Best Solo Artist – Stormzy

Q Gibson Les Paul Award – Kelley Deal

Q Best Act In The World Today Presented by Buster + Punch  – Ed Sheeran

Q Icon presented by BMW UK – Liam Gallagher

About Q

With Q’s online presence, an interactive tablet edition, hugely influential social media activity, as well as live events including The Making Of nights and, of course, the world-famous annual Q Awards at The Roundhouse, Q is not just the World’s Greatest Music magazine – it also widely shapes musical taste, action and debate beyond its pages too.

About Bauer Media:

Bauer Media UK reaches over 25 million UK consumers through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heat, Kiss, Grazia, Empire, MOJO, TV Choice, Take a Break, Bella, Magic and Absolute Radio. It creates and curates entertaining media content that audiences love whenever, wherever and however they want through a multi-channel strategy and a focus on product excellence and audience insight. The result is an exciting array of influential brands, content and talent which provide compelling and engaging advertising opportunities with valuable audiences for UK commercial partners. Bauer Media UK is part of the Bauer Media Group, one of the world’s largest privately owned media businesses with media assets all over the globe.

About Absolute Radio:

Absolute Radio is a national radio station where ‘Real Music Matters’, wrapped up with lashings of personality and mischief from presenters including Frank Skinner, Jason Manford and Dave Berry who have the freedom to say what they think and tell it like it is. Absolute Radio also has a network of digital decade brands; Absolute Radio 60s, Absolute Radio 70s, Absolute 80s, Absolute Radio 90s, Absolute Radio 00s and Absolute Classic Rock.

Listen to Absolute Radio on 105.8FM in London and the South-East, 105.2FM in the West Midlands, nationally on DAB or 1215AM, online, via the official mobile app digital TV or voice-activated device. For more information log on to www.absoluteradio.co.uk

For Further Information, please contact:
Libby Maguire or Jamie Skinner, LD Communications
Tel: 020 7439 7222
Libby.Maguire@ldcommunications.co.uk / Jamie.Skinner@ldcommunications.co.uk