The BandLab NME Awards 2022 have announced nominees in its Australia-specific categories as well as its all-new Asia-exclusive categories.

The Awards, sponsored by leading social music creation platform BandLab, will take place on March 2, 2022 at O2 Academy Brixton in London, marking the Awards’ grand return after a break this year due to the pandemic. Rina Sawayama, Griff and Sam Fender will stage stunning performances, while Halsey will make an appearance to collect their Innovation Award.

The NME Awards 2020 marked the debut of Australian categories: Best Album, Best Song, Best Solo Act, Best Band, Best New Artist and Best Festival. Five of these will return for the BandLab NME Awards 2022. The Awards will also debut corresponding Asian categories.

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Up for Best Australian Album are Alice Skye (‘I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good’), Amyl & The Sniffers (‘Comfort To Me’), Baker Boy (‘Gela’), Genesis Owusu (‘Smiling With No Teeth’) and Ngaiire (‘3’).

Nominated for Best Asian Album are Indonesian rapper BAP. (‘Momo’s Mysterious Skin’), Philippines seven-piece Ben&Ben (‘Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno’), Malaysian punk trio No Good (‘Punk Gong’), Singaporean indie rockers Subsonic Eye (‘Nature Of Things’) and Filipino singer-songwriter Zild Benitez (‘Huminga’).

Competing for Best Australian Song are Gang Of Youths with ‘The Man Himself’, a single from their upcoming album ‘Angel In Realtime’; Miiesha with ‘Damaged’, the lead single of her 2021 EP ‘Smoke’; King Stingray with their second ever single ‘Get Me Out’; The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s worldwide smash ‘Stay’; and Tkay Maidza and Baby Tate’s collaboration ‘Kim’, from Maidza’s EP ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3’.

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Nods for Best Asian Song go to ‘Lotus’, the breakout single by Malaysian rap crew FORCEPARKBOIS; ‘Honey Baby’, the latest single by Indonesian indie trio Grrrl Gang; ‘Yellow Fever’ by Thai pop artist Pyra, featuring Indonesia’s Ramengvrl and Japan’s Yayoi Daimon; ‘Omomo Punk’ by Indonesian rapper Warren Hue; and ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty’ by Singapore-born, London-based artist Yeule.

Up for Best Australian Band are Amyl & The Sniffers, The Goon Sax, Hiatus Kaiyote, King Stingray and Middle Kids.

Ben&Ben, No Good and Subsonic Eye are up for Best Asian Band, as are experimental duo Senyawa and indie pop-rockers Lomba Sihir, both hailing from Indonesia.

Meanwhile, nominated for Best Australian Solo Act are Baker Boy, Genesis Owusu, Jaguar Jonze, The Kid LAROI and Tkay Maidza.

Best Asian Solo Act nominees include Indonesian singer-songwriter Pamungkas, Pyra, Filipino singer-songwriter Reese Lansangan, Yeule and Zild Benitez.

And finally, receiving nods for Best New Australian Act are Budjerah, King Stingray, Ruby Fields, Sycco and Youngn Lipz. Competing for Best New Asian Act are Thailand’s Alec Orachi, Filipino-Japanese pop artist Ena Mori, Singaporean pop artist Shye, Malaysian band The Filters and Indonesian rapper Warren Hue.

Congratulations to all the Australian and Asian nominees – find the full list at a glance below.

The winners of the BandLab NME Awards 2022’s Australian and Asian categories will be announced January 10. Stay tuned to NME for more exciting updates on the Awards – and if you’re in London in March, get your tickets and join us at the wildest night in music.

Visit our awards page for everything about the BandLab NME Awards 2022, and get your tickets for the show in London at the O2 Academy Brixton here now.

The nominees for the Australian categories of the BandLab NME Awards 2022 are:

Best Australian Album
Alice Skye, ‘I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good’
Amyl & The Sniffers, ‘Comfort To Me’
Baker Boy, ‘Gela’
Genesis Owusu, ‘Smiling With No Teeth’
Ngaiire, ‘3’

Best Australian Song
Gang Of Youths, ‘The Man Himself’
Miiesha, ‘Damaged’
King Stingray, ‘Get Me Out’
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, ‘Stay’
Tkay Maidza & Baby Tate, ‘Kim’

Best Australian Band
Amyl & The Sniffers
The Goon Sax
Hiatus Kaiyote
King Stingray
Middle Kids

Best Australian Solo Act
Baker Boy
Genesis Owusu
Jaguar Jonze
The Kid LAROI
Tkay Maidza

Best New Australian Act
Budjerah
King Stingray
Ruby Fields
Sycco
Youngn Lipz

The nominees for the Asian categories of the BandLab NME Awards 2022 are:

Best Asian Album
BAP., ‘Momo’s Mysterious Skin’
Ben&Ben, ‘Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno’
No Good, ‘Punk Gong’
Subsonic Eye, ‘Nature Of Things’
Zild, ‘Huminga’

Best Asian Song
FORCEPARKBOIS, ‘Lotus’
Grrrl Gang, ‘Honey Baby’
Pyra, Ramengvrl & Yayoi Daimon, ‘Yellow Fever’
Warren Hue, ‘Omomo Punk’
Yeule, ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty’

Best Asian Band
Ben&Ben
Lomba Sihir
No Good
Senyawa
Subsonic Eye

Best Asian Solo Act
Pamungkas
Pyra
Reese Lansangan
Yeule
Zild

Best New Asian Act
Alec Orachi
Ena Mori
Shye
The Filters
Warren Hue