Our Picks From the UKMVA 2026
What we loved from this year’s UK Music Video Awards
Still from Storm, directed by Romain Gavras
By Curation Hour
Music videos have always offered a space for artists and filmmakers to push beyond the music itself, building visual worlds that can be as distinctive, unruly and inventive as the sounds that inspire them. The nominations for the 19th edition of the UK Music Video Awards bring together a wide-ranging snapshot of the form, spanning pop, electronic music, hip-hop and experimental filmmaking, while recognising the creative talent working behind the scenes. Charli xcx leads this year’s nominations with nine nods across six videos, followed by Kneecap and GENER8ION, whose work reflects the breadth of visual approaches represented in this year’s shortlist.
The winners will be announced on 4 November at London’s Roundhouse, marking the awards’ return to the Camden venue for the first time since 2021. Ahead of the ceremony, we’ve selected a series of nominated videos that stood out to us, celebrating the directors, artists and creative teams continuing to expand what a music video can be.
Best Pop Video (UK)
Harry Styles — Aperture (dir. Aube Perrie)
Charli xcx — Camera (dir. Aidan Zamiri)
Best R&B / Soul / Jazz Video (UK)
Wesley Joseph ft. Jorja Smith — July (dir. Wesley Joseph)
Ezra Collective ft. Pa Salieu — Only Love (dir. Ebeneza Blanche)
Olivia Dean — So Easy (To Fall In Love) (dir. Jake Erland)
Best Dance / Electronic Video (UK)
Barry Can’t Swim — Dance Dance Dance! (dir. Dan French)
Fred again.., KETTAMA & Shady Nasty — Hardstyle 2 (dir. rubberband)
Bonobo — Me And You (dir. In/Out)
Best Rock Video (UK)
The Last Dinner Party — Count The Ways (dir. Grajper)
Wolf Alice — Just Two Girls (dir. Colin Solal Cardo)
Best Alternative Video (UK)
JJerome87 — Brush Me Like A Horse (dir. Alex Takács)
Novo Amor & Yvette Young — Monty (dir. Yvette Young & Ali Lacey)
Wet Leg — pokemon (dir. Elliott Arndt)
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video (UK)
AntsLive — Billie Holiday (dir. Billy King)
kwn — Risk it all (dir. Sophie Jones)
21 Savage ft. Young Nudy — Stepbrothers (dir. Gabriel Moses)
Best Pop Video (International)
ROSALÍA ft. Björk & Yves Tumor — Berghain (dir. Nicolas Méndez)
Theodora — Des Mythos (dir. Melchior Leroux)
Best R&B / Soul / Jazz Video (International)
Ibeyi — Offerings (dir. Corry Van Rhijn & Roman Pichon Herrera)
Best Dance / Electronic Video (International)
Purple Disco Machine — Disco Cherry (dir. Maxim Kelly)
Kneecap ft. Paul Hartnoll — Sayōnara (dir. Finn Keenan)
GENER8ION, starring Yung Lean — Storm (dir. Romain Gavras)
Best Rock Video (International)
Genesis Owusu — Stampede (dir. Genesis Owusu)
ATARASHII GAKKO! — TTTTOKYO (dir. Mackenzie Sheppard)
Best Alternative Video (International)
Phoebe Bridgers — Lost Boys (dir. Lance Oppenheim & Pablo Rochat)
Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video (International)
A$AP Rocky — Punk Rocky (dir. A$AP Rocky, Folkert Verdoorn & Simon Becks)
Best Rock / Alternative Video (Newcomer)
American Football — Bad Moons (dir. Alex Acy & Rémi Belleville)
Best Low Budget Video or Visualiser
Tamara Flores — Chingona (dir. Rupert Höller)
Makeshift Art Bar — Discipline (dir. Colin Peppard)
Best Live Video
RAYE — Nightingale Lane – Live from Abbey Road Studios (dir. Becky Garner)
The winners will be announced at the UK Music Video Awards ceremony on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at the Roundhouse, London. Stay tuned!