Awards Years:
- 1950s
- '60
- '61
- '62
- '63
- '64
- '65
- '66
- '67
- '68
- '69
- 1970s
- 1980s
- '90
- '93
- '94
- '95
- '96
- '00
- '01
- '02
- '03
- '04
- '05
- '06
- '07
The History Of The NME Awards
A no-holds-barred romp through six decades of rock 'n' roll excess.
1950
Rock’n’roll wasn’t really invented until about 1956 but, as usual, NME was on the case ahead of everyone else by hosting our first ever Awards ceremony at the Albert Hall in April 1953. Setting a precedent by being entirely voted for by the paper’s readers, the five Poll Winners, who all come from the jazz scene - Ted Heath (not the irstwhile sailor Prime Minister, but the celebrated big band leader), Johnny Dankworth, Ronnie Scott, Lita Roza and Dickie Valentine - play live sets and are presented with specially designed gilt metal crowns. Every year for the rest of the decade NME hosts a Poll Winners’ party but, with the arrival of the 1960s and the beat explosion, our bash is to really become the most important event in the pop music calendar.
