When Were The First NME Awards Held?

The NME Awards presented annually by the popular music magazine New Musical Express (NME) have a long history spanning over five decades. The awards were first presented in 1953 after the NME had debuted the previous year in March. The NME Awards vis-à-vis the Brit Awards are known for their endorsement of the indie cause while the Brit Awards are seen to be more commercially oriented.

At present the awards are presented in 26 categories; The Best New Band, Best International Band, Best Solo Artist, Best Track, Best Album and Best British Band are some of the important categories among others. In 2006 the Arctic Monkeys became the first band to win the Best New Band as well as the Best British Band in the same year; the awards since 2005 have been sponsored by Shockwaves. Some unusual awards presented include Villain of the Year, Godlike Genius Award and Worst Haircut.