Label volunteer, Leah Langley, provides a summary and her view of the GRM Daily Rated Awards that took place in September.
The GRM Daily Rated Awards took place last month for the first time since 2018, after Rapper Young Spray was stabbed backstage. The awards celebrate the UK’s rap and grime scene and this year they were hosted by Julie Adenuga (presenter) and Mo Gilligan (Comedian). The awards had to take place online due to the current pandemic, but that didn’t stop everyone coming together to celebrate some brilliant achievements. There were also performances from Dizzee Rascal, George The Poet, and Kano.
The GRM Awards are voted for by the public which can make winning them that little more meaningful as they are the people’s awards.
Best Video was won by AJ Tracey, Aitch and Tay Keith, for their collaboration on “Rain,” whilst Jae5 snagged the award for Producer of the Year. D-Block Europe won Male Artist of the Year after their release of three projects last year and multiple singles this year, and they also scooped up the award for Mixtape of the Year. Female Artist of the Year was won by Stefflon Don, whilst Kenny Allstar, the BBC Radio 1xtra DJ, won Radio DJ of the Year, breaking the four-year streak built by Charlie Sloth. Track of the Year was awarded to “I Dunno” by Tion Wayne, Dutchavelli and Stormzy after it has reached over 20 million YouTube views and 31 million Spotify streams since its release in late May. Breakthrough Artist of the Year was awarded to a musician who has been releasing music for a while, but an individual who has been dominating the music scene this year; Dutchavelli. The Personality of the Year award was won by Chunkz and the Album of the Year award was given to J Hus for his “Big Conspiracy” album which secured him his first UK Number 1 album earlier on in the year.
Perhaps the biggest award of the night was the Legacy Award which honours an artist who is seen as a legend within the music scene. This year’s recipient was Dizzee Rascal who has transformed the way in which the music is perceived and has racked up his fair share of awards over the years.
Despite the disappointment of the awards not being able to go ahead in person, fans and artists were quick to praise YouTube music and GRM for the way in which the show was hosted as it was smooth sailing from beginning to end and was still enjoyable to watch. It was the first awards show that I had seen done in this way, and I must say it made for interesting watching. I was worried about how the logistics of it would all work, but you couldn’t really tell that it wasn’t planned to be this way. I think all other award shows can certainly take note from the way this one was run to plan the running of any future ceremonies that have to take place in this way.
Header designed by Christos Leo Alamaniotis – Assistant Head of Design
Article Edited by Matthew Rousou – Label Music Editor
