Sam Fender and Griff were the big winners at the NME Awards, scooping two prizes each. The annual ceremony at London’s Brixton Academy was this year hosted by actress and comedian Daisy May Cooper and rapper-presenter Lady Leshurr.
North Shields rocker Fender, who opened the show with an impassioned performance, claimed the awards for best album by a UK artist and best album in the world for his critically acclaimed second effort Seventeen Going Under. When he took to the stage to collect his prize, he swore at the crowd and joked: “We didn’t even know we were nominated until two seconds ago.”
Griff, meanwhile, secured the NME Radar Award and told the audience: “I count it as a privilege that every day I get to do this.” She later returned to the stage alongside Norwegian singer Sigrid to collect the prize for best collaboration for their track Head On Fire.
