Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes jumps on Coldplay’s table at NME Awards 2016 with Austin, Texas

The band were presented with the award by host Huw Stephens. Picking up the award, drummer Matthew Nicholls said: “We’re not one for making words. Thanks NME,” while Sykes giving the thumbs up.

Clearly saving his words for the performance, Sykes led the band through an energetic performance of ‘Happy Song’. At one point during the song he ventured out into the audience and clambered onto the table Godlike Genius recipients Coldplay were sitting at. Sykes kicked over glasses and bottles with Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland moving to avoid the spillage.

Speaking to NME after the incident, Coldplay’s Chris Martin said he had never heard of Bring Me The Horizon before but that “It was great, very rock n roll.”

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Speaking to NME after the incident, keyboardist Jordan Fish said: “I don’t think [Oli] was aiming for Coldplay. It was just whoever was nearest, it [just] happened to be Coldplay”.

Sykes himself explained: “I had no sound in my ears so I thought ‘Well, there might be sound out there.’ There weren’t sound out there so when I came back there was a table, which I got on. There wasn’t any sound on there, but it was a bit more energetic up there. It was in no way a protest against Coldplay.”

Speaking immediately after the event, Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks said Sykes’ stunt was to be expected. “Surely they [Coldplay] thought as part of their evening someone was going to do something,” he argued.

“If anyone can take it [it’s Coldplay],” Weeks added.

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Some at the event speculated Sykes’ actions were a pre-planned publicity stunt. Weeks’ bandmate Felix White said, “It’s impossible to get that angry in that short a space of time. Impossible. So when you watch it, you’ve got to think it’s a pre-conceived thing.”

Weeks didn’t condemn the singer though. Speaking after The Maccabees picked up the award for ‘Best British Band’, the frontman said, “I think it’s entirely right to make a point by getting on a table.”

Although he later admitted that “a tiny bit of everyone in the room was hoping the table fell weird and he had a stumble.”

Stay with us here at NME.COM/awards to get all the latest news, videos, photos and gossip from the ceremony, which will also see Coldplay receive the Godlike Genius Award and close the ceremony with a live performance.

Press

Voting for the NME Awards with Austin, Texas is now closed. Following thousands of votes from NME readers, The Libertines and Wolf Alice have six nominations in total, including nods in the categories of ‘Best British Band, ‘Best Live Band’ and ‘Best Track’.

A host of stars and musicians have already hit the red carpet, including Blur, Kylie Minogue, Yoko Ono, Charli XCX, Wolf Alice, Foals, Slaves, The Vaccines and The Libertines all in the building.

They join Katy B, Bring Me The Horizon, Ricky Wilson, The Maccabees and cast members from Game Of Thrones and This Is England who are also in attendance.

Foals opened the ceremony tonight at London’s O2 Academy Brixton with a live performance of ‘What Went Down’ from their 2015 album of the same name, which is also nominated for Best Album tonight.

In addition to Coldplay and Foals, The Maccabees and Rat Boy will also perform live this evening.