Reading & Leeds has been honoured at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 this evening (March 2) with the award for Best Festival In The UK Supported by White Claw.
R&L pipped fellow nominees All Points East, Green Man, TRNSMT and Wireless to the win.
A Reading & Leeds representative accepted the award from presenters Bob Vylan, who played the festival last year.
“Massive thank you – [it’s been a] bit of a crazy year. Huge thanks to the artists, the agents, the managers, the labels, the crew that helped deliver this festival, and a massive thanks to music fans as well,” the representative said.
Ahead of the victory, Bobby Vylan also took a jovial pop at London Mayor Sadiq Khan over the recent Tube strike. “Sadiq Khan is in the house, you know?” he told the crowd.
“Sadiq, you need to sort them trains out. Do you understand? You have to keep this city moving bro, because people need to get to work, you understand? Come on, we’ve gotta do better.”
After a year off due to the coronavirus pandemic, Reading & Leeds returned in 2021 with – for the first time ever – two main stages and six headliners: Stormzy, Disclosure, Post Malone, Biffy Clyro, Liam Gallagher and Catfish and The Bottlemen. Look back on the festivals with NME’s photos here.
Reading & Leeds will return in August 2022 with Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon, Halsey, Dave, Megan Thee Stallion, Rage Against The Machine and more on the bill. Oli Sykes from Bring Me – who are closing the show at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 – spoke to NME about topping the bill for the first time.
“We’re gonna go hard. We’ll make sure it’s insane,” he promised. “I’ve always said that we’d play it when we’ve earned it, and it’s finally come. We have the songs, we have the bangers, and we might not be a household name but I know that we can put on a show that’s festival-headline quality.”
The BandLab NME Awards 2022 is ongoing at the O2 Academy Brixton, which has kicked off with performances by Sam Fender, CHVRCHES and Robert Smith and BERWYN.
Check back for the latest news, interviews, winners and more from the BandLab NME Awards 2022.