Dua Lipa, Pa Salieu Among Winners At 2021 UK Music Video Awards
Dua Lipa, Pa Salieu, Joy Crookes, Little Simz, Celeste and Bicep were among the British artists who were honoured at the UK Music Video Awards 2021, held at The Roundhouse in London on 4 November.
Lipa, Salieu and Crookes claimed two awards apiece at this year’s UKMVAs – the awards show that celebrates the creativity that goes into the making of music videos and music film, both in the UK and beyond.
International artists whose videos took prizes at this year’s UK Music Video Awards include Lil Nas X, Normani, Megan Thee Stallion, Salvatore Ganacci, Biting Elbows and Duck Sauce.
The 14th annual running of the UK Music Video Awards saw the awards ceremony return to The Roundhouse for the first time in two years. With Covid protocols in place for an audience of over 800 music video-making professionals, the show was hosted for the first time by comedian Maisie Adam. Forty awards were handed out to directors, producers and other creatives who work behind the camera to create the music videos that millions enjoy every day on YouTube and elsewhere.
Ukranian director Tanu Muino became the first female to win the coveted Best Director award at the UKMVAs, for her work on hugely popular videos in the past year for Lil Nas X, Cardi B and Normani ft Cardi B – the latter also winning the award for Best R&B/Soul Video (International).
It was the video for Duck Sauce’s Mesmerize, directed by Keith Schofield, which took the big prize of the night. Created by Schofield during lockdown last year, employing basic animation and editing tools to realise his scurrilous vision of a celeb-filled nightclub, the video won Best Dance/Electronic Video (International), and then anointed as Video of the Year at the end of the show.
Among British winners, Dua Lipa’s video for Love Again, directed by Lope Serrano at CANADA, won Best Pop Video UK, while her longform concert film Studio 2054, directed by Liz Clare, won Best Music Film. Pa Salieu’s exceptional visual output over the past year was also recognised with two awards: the music video for My Family, featuring Backroad Gee, directed by Femi Ladi, won Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video UK, and his performance of Frontline for Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, directed by TAWBOX, won Best Live Video.
Joy Crookes’s video for Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, which celebrates Indian culture in London, won two craft awards on the night, for Best Wardrobe Styling and the UKMVAs’ inaugural Best Hair & Makeup award. Bicep’s video for Saku, featuring Clara La San, won the Best Visual Effects award, while Little Simz’s video for Introvert, won Best Editing in a Video.
Swedish/Bosnian dance producer Salvatore Ganacci won the inaugural Best Performance In A Video prize at the UKMVAs for his hilariously deadpan turn in the video for Step-Grandma, directed by his regular collaborator Vedran Rupic.
Celeste’s video for Tonight Tonight, directed by Noah Lee, won Best R&B Soul Video UK, while James Blake’s Say What You Will, directed by Bear Damon (and co-starring Finneas) won Best Alternative Video UK. Beabadoobee’s Last Day On Earth, directed by Arnaud Bresson, won Best Rock Video UK.
At the climax of the evening, Agile Films’s Precious Mahaga won the Best Producer award, and Sony Music video commissioner Kat Cattaneo won the Best Commissioner award – both for the first time.
There was also a special presentation of the UKMVAs’ Outstanding Achievement Award to Juliette Larthe for her longstanding contribution to UK music videos, as a producer, executive producer and co-founder of Prettybird, the UK and US-based production company. Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie presented the award to Larthe, and a filmed tribute and celebration of her career included messages from actress/director Samantha Morton, supermodel Naomi Campbell, photographer/director Nick Knight, and artists Gilbert & George.
Visit the UK Music Video Awards official website to see the full list of winners for 2021.