Cross-Atlantic Battles Emerge As Kerrang! Nominees Announced

Nominations for this year’s Kerrang! Awards were exclusively announced yesterday (Wednesday 8 August) at the Kerrang! Day Of Rock, which was held at Virgin Megastores (the Official Retail Partner for the Kerrang! Awards) on London’s Oxford Street.

The Kerrang! Awards are set to take place on Thursday 23 August at The Brewery and promise to deliver what most expect from the Kerrang! Awards – a night of rock ‘n’ roll excess and definitely a night to remember!

A staggering 387,667 votes were cast in total through Kerrang! magazine and Kerrang.com for the nominations shortlist – with over 60,000 of these done through the website.

The battle between the rave-metal of Enter Shikari and the grandeur rock of My Chemical Romance is well and truly on, with each band being nominated for a tremendous four awards. Having only burst onto the rock scene within the last 12 months and last year nominated for Best British Newcomer, to be up against the heavyweight of My Chemical Romance on equal terms is truly an achievement for St Alban’s finest.

The two acts are pitted directly against each other for two of the four trophies – Best Single (supported by Kerrang! Radio), for ‘Sorry, You’re Not A Winner’ (ES) and ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’ (MCR), and Best Album (sponsored by Virgin Megastores) for Take To The Skies (ES) and The Black Parade (MCR). Enter Shikari are also up for Best Live Band (sponsored by Sailor Jerry) and Best British Band (sponsored by Roadrunner Records). My Chemical Romance are also nominated for Best Video (supported by Kerrang! TV), and Best International Band (sponsored by Bravado).

Enter Shikari’s Rou - "Great to be nominated again, thanks to everyone that voted for us! Still shocked from being nominated last year really! Hopefully this time we wont have a show and can actually make the awards!"

My Chemical Romance added – “It’s been an amazing, crazy adventure being in this band for six years. The United Kingdom has always been a second home for us and you have all done more than make us feel welcome. And while nominations are flattering, and trophies are thrilling, our greatest award is the love and dedication we receive from all of you – and nothing sitting in a shelf can take the place of that. Thank you for making us the best we can be”

The Enter Shikari vs My Chemical Romance competition is indicative of the remarkably even – and exciting - split between UK and US acts up for Kerrang! Awards this year. Pipping the Brits slightly to the post are popular Chicago emo pin-ups Fall Out Boy, who have achieved three nominations – for Best Album (sponsored by Virgin Megastores), Best Video and Best International Band (sponsored by Bravado).

The majority of Awards nominations however for 2007 see the best of UK rock talent up against the American acts that have successfully crossed the Atlantic and into the hearts of Kerrang! fans. Funeral For a Friend, Lostprophets, Biffy Clyro and Muse take on Machine Head, Hellogoodbye and 30 Seconds To Mars, all with two nominations each.

Lostprophets will have to wait and see whether they repeat the success of last year’s Awards where they were the only band to win two trophies – once again they are up for Best British Band (sponsored by Roadrunner Records), against Muse, Enter Shikari, Biffy Clyro and Funeral For A Friend, and this year they’re in the race for Best Live Band (sponsored by Sailor Jerry) – the nominations for which include last year’s Best International Newcomer winner Aiden (as well as Angels and Airwaves, Muse and Enter Shikari).

Similarly, Fall Out Boy will be hoping their video for ‘This Ain’t A Scene’ wins them the K! trophy for Best Video, following last year’s victory in that category, and Muse will be banking on scooping the Best Live Band accolade once again.

The two Newcomer categories – British and International – never fail to spark fierce debate and discussion. Hardcore favourites of the moment Gallows and Wales’ catchiest rockers Kids in Glass Houses (who played today’s Kerrang! Day of Rock) are up for Best British Newcomer (sponsored by Myspace.com) against The Ghost of A Thousand, YouMeAt6 and Lost Alone.

Chicago pop-rockers Madina Lake take on Jared Leto’s emo venture 30 Seconds To Mars in the category of Best International Newcomer, alongside Job For a Cowboy, The Sleeping and Hellogooodbye.

“It’s been a pretty incredible year for our music and the record number of votes and nominations we’ve received for this year’s Kerrang! Awards proves that our readers are the most dedicated and passionate on the planet,” says Kerrang! Deputy Editor Daniel Lane.

“It’s also fantastic to see the number of British bands on the nominees list. And I guess the question on everyone's lips is: Can home-grown DIY rockers Enter Shikari defeat US emo heavy weights My Chemical Romance? We'll have to see on the night."
Recipients for the Icon, Hall of Fame, Hard Rock Hero and Classic Songwriter awards will be announced on the night.

The Kerrang! Awards 2007 takes place on Thursday 23 August at The Brewery, London EC1.