The official shortlisted nominees for The UMAs 2018 have been announced following a fantastic launch party at 100 Wardour street earlier this week with live performances including Jerry Williams and July Jones.
UMA Music has teamed up with Live Nation and Europe’s biggest spring festival for new music, The Great Escape, to host the 2018 event. The UMAs will take over the 4,000 capacity Brighton Centre to celebrate the UK’s most special unsigned artists, some who have yet to be discovered and those who remain firmly independent. The awards will take place on 16 May 2018 to kick off the 13th edition of The Great Escape.
There is a 100 strong voting panel of professionals and influencers from across the UK’s music industry (including label A&Rs through to publishers, live agents and music editors.) The nominees have been selected from a list of thousands of applicants. This has been streamlined down to 16 categories with five acts in each. Categories include ‘Best Female’, ‘Best Record’ and ‘Best Songwriter’ and category sponsors include Shazam, Ticketmaster, Fastrax, Strange Place, Bimm and Mood Media.
There are 5 confirmed live acts who will be performing at the annual award show which will be televised. They include Mullally, Newton Faulkner, Anavae, Tayla, and Foreign Beggers.
Simon O’Kelly, CEO of UMA Music Group and the Unsigned Music Award says:
“We are excited to continue the growth of the Unsigned Music Awards as a platform to promote unsigned, self-signed and otherwise emerging artists, around the world. Opening Europe’s largest festival for new music with an award ceremony that recognises only new music makes perfect sense and we can’t think of a more suitable partner to bring this vision to life, than Live Nation.”
The list of nominees represents the very best in independent, unsigned and emerging UK talent across a board of music genres
Best Urban Act
Dave
Raheem Bakare
Kojey Radical
Josh Barry
Tayla
Best Rock Act
Sponsored by Strange Place
The People The Poet
The Harlers
Saint Agnes
The Bay Rays
These Wicked Rivers
Best Country / Folk Act
Sponsored by Ticketmaster & Universe
Adam Beattie
Katy Hurt
Laura Oakes
Danni Nicholls
Ferris & Sylvester
Best Jazz / Blues Act
Ezra Collective
Oscar Jerome
Nerija
Ruby Rushton
Poppy Ajudha
Best Songwriter
Harry Pane
Jorja Smith
Albert Gold
Carmody
Violet Skies
Best Produced Record
Ginger Snaps - Number Crunching
Jalen N’Gonda - Why I Try
Strong Asian Mothers - Animal
Cattle & Cane - Mirrors
Le Flex - The Dancefloor Suite
Best Music Video
Sponsored by Fastrax
Dave - Question Time
Poppy Ajudha ft Kojey Radical - Spilling Into You
Femme - Fire With Fire
Foreign Beggars - Bosh
Eyre Llew - Atelo
Best International Music Video
Sponsored by YouTube
Jarami - Hear This
Gus Dapperton - Prune, You Talk Funny
Charlotte Day Wilson - Work
Fletcher - You Should Talk
Beissoul & Einius - Lion
Best Female Solo Act
Sponsored by Nasty Gal
Jorja Smith
Violet Skies
Joy Crookes
Maisie Peters
Suzi Wu
Best Male Solo Act
Kojey Radical
Rex Orange County
Bruno Major
Benny Mails
Bexey
Best International Record
Sponsored by Shazam
Stella Donnelly - Thrush Metal
Siv Jakobsen - The Nordic Mellow
Steve Lacy - Steve Lacy’s Demo
Vérité - Somewhere In Between
Gus Dapperton - Yellow and Such
Best Record
Sponsored by BIMM
Bruno Major - Song For Every Moon
Tom Misch - 5 Day Mischon
IDLES - Brutalism
Toddla T - Foreign Light
Jorja Smith - Project 11
Elder Island - Seeds In Sand
Best Electronic Act
Sponsored by Mood Media
Wide Awake
Elder Island
Catching Flies
Ellis
Kaido
Best Live Act
Sponsored by Live Nation
Stereo Honey
IDLES
Bang Bang Romeo
Sam Fender
Strange Bones
UMA Choice Award
Sponsored by UMA Music
Too Many T’s
The Kings Parade
Rina Sawayama
Kyan
Bang Bang Romeo
The Unsigned Music Awards 2018 tickets are on sale via Ticketmasterhere.
