The always-polarizing Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show presented by Epiphone has been announced for Wednesday, April 23 in Los Angeles, and they’ve got some pretty legitimate acts playing this time around. Guns N’ Roses will headline the sixth annual event, with Axl Rose (aka the band’s only original member) receiving the ‘Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement’ Award. Korn , Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, A Day to Remember, Zakk Wylde, The Pretty Reckless, and more will be announced. It should be noted that as female-centric as Revolver has been with their “Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock” issues and current tour, Jett will be the first-ever female to receive the “Golden God Award.”
As far as the nominees, nobody should be truly surprised by them by now. Revolver is a commercial entity that embraces the mainstream. Considering Korn’s last album, the dubstep-influenced The Path of Totality, won the album of the year in 2012, it’s no surprise to see The Paradigm Shift nominated. Five Finger Death Punch somehow managed to get both of their albums nominated as one, and other #1-debuting bands Avenged Sevenfold, Black Sabbath and Queens of the Stone Age were also nominated. The best vocalist award is notable in that none of them are particularly known for being fantastic vocalists. Instead, we’ll focus on the pleasant surprises: It’s awesome to see Periphery’s Matt Halpern nominated for best drummer. The Dillinger Escape Plan and Gojira are great suggestions for Best Live Band, and Deafheaven and Twelve Foot Ninja are both well-deserved nominees for Best New Band, even if they’ve both had albums out previously. And if Carcass doesn’t win Comeback of the Year, there is no (golden) god.
Tickets will go on sale for the Golden Gods Awards this Friday (28) at 10am ET, and can be purchased here.
Album of the Year
- Avenged Sevenfold, Hail to the King
- Black Sabbath, 13
- Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1 and 2
- Korn, The Paradigm Shift
- Queens of the Stone Age, …Like Clockwork
- Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies
Best Vocalist
- Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember)
- M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold)
- Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch)
- Papa Emeritus II (Ghost B.C.)
- Jonathan Davis (Korn)
- Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age)
Dimebag Darrell Best Guitarist(s)
- Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains)
- Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold)
- Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
- John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
- Zoltan Bathory & Jason Hook (Five Finger Death Punch)
- Munky & Head (Korn)
Paul Gray Best Bassist
- Johnny Christ (Avenged Sevenfold)
- Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
- Chris Kael (Five Finger Death Punch)
- Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill)
- Fieldy (Korn)
- Emma Anzai (Sick Puppies)
Best Drummer presented by Razor & Tie
- Arin Ilejay (Avenged Sevenfold)
- Brad Wilk (for his work with Black Sabbath)
- Vinnie Appice (Kill Devil Hill)
- Matt Halpern (Periphery)
- Chris Adler (for his work with Protest the Hero)
- Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs)
Best Live Band
- The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Gojira
- Lamb of God
- Mötley Crüe
- Slayer
- Rob Zombie
Song of the Year presented by Randall Amplifiers
- Alice in Chains, “Hollow”
- Avenged Sevenfold, “Hail to the King”
- Bring Me the Horizon, “Shadow Moses”
- Five Finger Death Punch, “Lift Me Up”
- Of Mice & Men, “You’re Not Alone”
- The Pretty Reckless, “Going to Hell”
Best Film & Video presented by Eagle Rock Entertainment
- Behemoth, “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel”
- Huntress, “Zenith”
- Lamb of God, As the Palaces Burn
- Metallica, Through the Never
- Motionless in White, “America”
- Pierce the Veil, This is a Wasteland
Best New Talent presented by Victory Records
- Deafheaven
- Heaven’s Basement
- Issues
- Scar the Martyr
- Twelve Foot Ninja
- ††† (Crosses)
Comeback of the Year
- Black Sabbath
- Carcass
- Deep Purple
- Nine Inch Nails
- Queens of the Stone Age
- Suicidal Tendencies
Most Metal Athlete
- Tony Alva (skateboarder)
- Grant Balfour (MLB)
- Josh Barnett (mixed martial artist, UFC)
- Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, NBA)
- Derek Garland (Metal Mulisha, motocross)
- Tuukka Rask (Boston Bruins, NHL)
Most Dedicated Fans
- A Day to Remember
- Avenged Sevenfold
- Five Finger Death Punch
- Of Mice & Men
- The Pretty Reckless
- Slayer
