BBC Music Awards scaled back

BBC Music Awards scaled back

The BBC Music Awards have been scaled back this year, the corporation has confirmed.

The event, screened live on BBC One, launched with some fanfare in 2014 as a rival to the BRIT Awards. The show at the ExCel Centre secured major artists last year, including John Legend, Lukas Graham, The 1975, Emeli Sande and Robbie Williams.

However, the last set of ratings were disappointing with just 2.7 million watching the show. The BBC's Bob Shennan had played down the BRITs comparisons, describing the established ceremony as "an industry event".

The awards will now be rolled into BBC Music Presents The Year In Music 2017, a one-hour special for BBC Two on December 8 hosted by Claudia Winkleman with guest presenter Clara Amfo.

While BBC Music is shrinking the awards, it has expanded its TV offering with Sounds Like Friday Night and its artist specials.

The BBC commented: “Amidst the BBC’s bumper autumn of music television, which has so far included Sam Smith at the BBC, Harry Styles at the BBC, the new six-part series Sounds Like Friday Night, plus the upcoming U2 at the BBC – all on BBC One - as well as five Radio 2 In Concerts being broadcast on BBC Red Button, the BBC Music Awards is being included as a part of a new star-studded music review of the year show and will be broadcast on 8 December on BBC Two.”

Produced by BBC Studios, contributors to the 2017 review show include Stormzy, Foo Fighters, Nile Rodgers, Rag'n'Bone Man, Liam Gallagher, Dua Lipa, Sampha, George Ezra, Blossoms, Nick Grimshaw, Mistajam and Jo Whiley.

The studio-based show will feature a performance by nominee Rag'n'Bone Man.

Within the show, the 2017 BBC Music Awards will be presented to this year’s winners. The BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year will be announced in the run-up to the broadcast.

Patrick Holland, Channel Controller, BBC Two said: “This promises to be a real treat on BBC Two, recognising and reviewing the very best acts from a great year in music through the BBC Awards.”

James Stirling, Editor, BBC Music added: “Music on BBC television has gone from strength to strength in 2017, with a record breaking 23 million viewers watching Glastonbury and the country coming together for the TV and radio simulcast of One Love Manchester, providing one of the most watched, and poignant, broadcast moments of 2017. This programme will revisit the music stories of the year, told by the musicians at the heart of them. ”

The categories for the BBC Music Awards are:

Artist Of The Year
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
Kendrick Lamar
Lorde
Rag'n'Bone Man
Stormzy

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

Live Performance of the Year
Boy Better Know - Glastonbury
Depeche Mode - Glasgow Barrowlands, 6 Music Festival
Foo Fighters - Glastonbury
Katy Perry - Radio 1's Big Weekend 2017
Chic feat. Nile Rodgers - Glastonbury
U2 - The Joshua Tree Tour 2017

 

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