Welcome to the inaugural Dead Good Music Awards ceremony! 2021 proved to be another great year for music. Whether that’s established favourites delivering the goods with their latest records, or discovering the best new talents around, it has been a fantastic year. It’s also been a great first year for the blog. We’ve had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful writers and artists and are ecstatic to continue that into 2022!
Now, time for the results… Thank you to everybody who took part in the nominations on Twitter. We hope you’re suited and booted, heck, suited and FRUITed to have a wonderful time. Grab a glass of Tropicana’s finest and enjoy.
BEST ALBUM: WOLF ALICE – BLUE WEEKEND
Wolf Alice’s album Blue Weekend has been voted Best Album of 2021. That’s very well-deserved! It’s a gem of music, if not to say a masterpiece.
Blue Weekend is an album full of confidence but also vulnerability. It invites us to go on a highly emotive journey through the depths of the soul. A blend of different music styles conducted by these talented musicians creates an infectious sound that gets under the skin. The lyrics go deep and reveal all the painful heartaches and struggles a human can possibly feel. It’s furious and loud, thoughtful and calm. You feel everything at once. It’s intense.
Wolf Alice have grown, and with Blue Weekend, they’ve put their music to the next level. The album is massive, and they really deserve our award for Best Album 2021!
(Words by Kath S)
BEST EP: IN EARNEST – REASONS TO STAY ALIVE
Having made a strong first impression during their debut year, in earnest managed to achieve an even bigger year last year that culminated in the excellent reasons to stay alive. The Southend trio brought serious creativity to their socials and delivered the goods with more releases that tore apart at the emotions and were finally able to take their sound live, including a headlining performance at Chinnery’s.
Reasons to stay alive envelops you in the trio’s concoction of folk and indie, that loops into an endless cycle of sheer sadness and utter vulnerability. It wears its emotions on its sleeves and had me bawling all over mine. It is a wonderful EP, and absolutely deserving of the Best EP of 2021 award.
(Words by Adam R)
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST: SISTER LUCY
Sister Lucy released a debut single titled ‘Dream’ at the beginning of September 2021 and we haven’t stopped listening to it since. The London based artist’s dreamy EP Big Girl Pants followed shortly after and it did not disappoint. Abi’s music tells a story of growing up with a grungy twist; the lyrics are both dark and catchy and her vocals are warm and captivating.
This artist has had a brilliant debut year and made a huge first impression, which is why she was winner of the best breakthrough act. We will all definitely be keeping an eye on Sister Lucy in 2022!
(Words by Emma E)
BEST LIVE ACT: FONTAINES D.C.
It came as no surprise that the winner of ‘Best Live Act 2021’ was Dublin hailing post-punk five-piece Fontaines D.C. They have been kicking up a storm since their debut album Dogrel in 2019, and last year they were on top of their game for their huge UK tour which delighted fans from Glasgow all the way to London.
If you attend one of their live shows, expect relentless energy; fast-paced thrashing guitars and banging drums topped with sharp spoken vocals and brilliant poetic lyricism come together and make for an exhilarating live experience. Slower tracks like ‘I Was Not Born’ and ‘I Don’t Belong’ give you a second to catch your breath from the mosh pits and flying pints. These lads are a force to be reckoned with; their authentic style, raw talent and drive has gained them a loyal ever-growing fanbase.
If you can see one live band in 2022 then make it Fontaines D.C. for an experience you’ll never forget.
(Words by Emma E)
BEST MUSIC BLOG: BLINDED BY THE FLOODLIGHTS
Although there are many brilliant blogs deserving of the tile, one stood out in 2021 and it was Blinded By The Floodlights! The site was launched by Matthew McLister during the pandemic in 2020 and it has continued to thrive over the course of 2021 with brilliant articles covering everything from indie to alternative, classic record reviews to gig reviews, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy. Based in Glasgow, the site features a nice blend of reviews and features and they also have a brilliant podcast! If you haven’t already, we’d highly recommend checking the site out for some quality writing.
(Words by Emma E)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO: SUNFLOWER THIEVES – SIRENS
It was always going to be close who won the best music video, but I’m glad it’s Sunflower Thieves. Not only is ‘sirens’ a beautiful track, but the video is a delight to view. No, it’s not crammed with digital FX or CGI Dinosaurs. It’s packed with wholesome footage of countrysides, friends, trees and of course Amy and Lily! It’s a perfect partner for the song, and it would calm you down even with the sound off. Their songs are stripped back – much like this video – and it’s wonderful!
(Words by Alex W)
BEST FRUIT: ORANGE
The orange. Some may say the simple orange, a standard supermarket trolley staple, but it’s quite clearly the mighty. The inspiration for our citrusy good blog, the key ingredient for a vitamin C infused breakfast drink, its talents go on…
(Words by Robyn H)