BBC Music Awards

The overall purpose of the BBC Music Awards was to celebrate the music progression and production of the year in focus. The show looked at artists from the United Kingdom for a majority of the awards and provided other categories for international artists as well. The BBC looked at what songs, albums, and artists had been successful in the year both nationally and globally. The award shows also celebrated how an artist performed in a live setting, such as a large concert or music festival, held throughout the year. The live event, broadcast across TV, radio and online, included an opportunity for several artists to showcase their talent as they performed on the stage in front of the live audience.

History

2014

The inaugural BBC Music Awards was held on 11 December 2014, broadcast live simultaneously across BBC One, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. It was held at London's Earl's Court and presented by BBC Radio's Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton.

Artists who performed during the first awards ceremony included One Direction, will.i.am from The Black Eyed Peas and The Voice UK, George Ezra, Take That, Labrinth, Ella Henderson and Catfish and the Bottlemen.

An average audience of 3.9 million watched the ceremony live on BBC One, with a peak audience of 4.7 million at 21:00 GMT.

2015

The second BBC Music Awards took place on 10 December 2015. In 2015, the award for Best Live Performance was introduced, given to an artist who delivered a "stand out live moment" on the BBC. It was held in Birmingham at the Genting Arena.

2016

The third BBC Music Awards was announced on 28 October, stating it would take place on 12 December. It took place in London at ExCeL London. Two new awards were introduced, the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Performance of the Year award and the BBC Radio 2 Album of the Year award.

2017

On 21 November 2017, the BBC announced that the fourth BBC Music Awards would be scaled-back with no awards ceremony held. The awards were included as part of The Year In Music 2017, a new studio-based BBC Two programme hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Clara Amfo on 8 December. The show covered the One Love Manchester benefit concert held earlier in the year following the terrorist attack during an Ariana Grande concert in May and featured a larger influence of music than the years prior with new performances and archive broadcasts from different events.

The winners were:

• Live Performance of the Year – Foo Fighters at Glastonbury Festival
  • Boy Better Know at Glastonbury Festival
  • Chic at Glastonbury Festival
  • Depeche Mode at Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
  • Katy Perry at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend
  • U2 at The Joshua Tree Tour 2017

• Album of the Year – Rag'n'Bone Man, Human
  • Calvin Harris, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1
  • Dua Lipa, Dua Lipa
  • Ed Sheeran, ÷
  • Stormzy, Gang Signs & Prayer
  • The xx, I See You

• Artist of the Year – Stormzy
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Harry Styles
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Lorde
  • Rag'n'Bone Man

• BBC Introducing Artist of the Year – Declan McKenna