Tis' the season jolly — for the return of the BandLab NME Awards this year!

On Wednesday (15/12), The 2022 BandLab NME Awards has announced the nominees for their new Asia-exclusive categories. While the awards ceremony will take place on 2 March at the O2 Academy Brixton in London, the winners for the new Asian categories will be revealed on 10 January 2022.

The #BandLabNMEAwards2022 returns to London’s O2 Academy Brixton in Marchhttps://t.co/TnKLtWWAIx

— NME Asia (@nmeasia) November 23, 2021

The awards show will be back after taking a break due to the pandemic, featuring performances by the likes of Rina Sawayama, Griff, and Sam Fender.

The NME Awards 2020 saw a stunning roster of performances by Beabadoobee, FKA Twigs, AJ Tracey, Yungblud, Slowthai, The 1975, and Mura Masa, and fans can anticipate another exciting set of performances for the coming ceremony. 

The #BandLabNMEAwards2022 introduce brand-new Asian categories – here are all the nominees up for prizes this year https://t.co/lYmbvtoY0j

— NME Asia (@nmeasia) December 15, 2021

The BandLab NME Awards 2022 also mark the debut of Asian categories — Best Asian Band, Best Asian Song, Best Asian Album, Best Asian Solo Act, and Best Asian Act.

Among Best Asian Album nominees are Filipino folk-pop act Ben&Ben with their sophomore album, Pebble House, Vol.1: Kuwaderno, Singaporean indie rockers Subsonic Eye with Nature of Things, Indonesian rapper BAP with Momo's Mysterious Skin, and Filipino singer-songwriter Zild Benitez for Huminga.

Warren Hue's 'omomo punk' collaboration with ATARASHI GAKKO! clinched a place in the Best Asian Song Category, along with Indonesian trio Grrrl Gang's 'Honey Baby', 'Yellow Fever' by Thai pop singer Pyra, featuring Ramengvrl and Yayoi Daimon. Malaysian hip-hop collective FORCEPARKBOIS also appears on the list with Lotus', which H1gher Music picked up and did a remix of earlier this month. 

For Best Asian Band, Singaporean indie band Subsonic Eye and Filipino band Ben&Ben appear once again, alongside Indonesian acts Senyawa and Lombia Sihir and Malaysian punk band No Good.

Best Asian Solo Acts nominees include Indonesian singer-songwriters Pyra and Pamungkas, Filipino multi-hyphenate Reese Lansangan, London-based Singaporean act Yeule, and IV of Spades frontman Zild Benitez. 

We’re very proud to announce that @enamorimusicis nominated for Best New Asian Act at the BandLab NME awards 2022!! 🏆

Thank you @NME @nmeasia for celebrating all these talented musicians!#BandLabNMEAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/krLu5ocwaQ

— Offshore Music (@offshoremusicph) December 15, 2021

Finally, Best Asian Act sees the return of Warren Hue, along with Filipino-Japanese act Ena Mori, and Singaporean breakout star Shye. Malaysian band The Filters and singer-songwriter Alec Orachi from Thailand round up the nominees.

Scan the full list of nominees for the Asian categories of the BandLab NME Awards 2022 below:

Best Asian Album
BAP., ‘Momo’s Mysterious Skin’
Ben&Ben, ‘Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno’
No Good, ‘Punk Gong’
Subsonic Eye, ‘Nature Of Things’
Zild, ‘Huminga’

Best Asian Song
FORCEPARKBOIS, ‘Lotus’
Grrrl Gang, ‘Honey Baby’
Pyra, Ramengvrl & Yayoi Daimon, ‘Yellow Fever’
Warren Hue, ‘Omomo Punk’
Yeule, ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty’

Best Asian Band
Ben&Ben
Lomba Sihir
No Good
Senyawa
Subsonic Eye

Best Asian Solo Act
Pamungkas
Pyra
Reese Lansangan
Yeule
Zild

Best New Asian Act
Alec Orachi
Ena Mori
Shye
The Filters
Warren Hue