The second annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards will be held in L.A. this coming April. While it is being marketed as the only American Heavy Metal award show, Revolver Magazine isn’t doing anything particularly new. For the past couple of years, the U.K magazine Metal Hammer has been holding their own metal award show called the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards (what a creative name…oh wait).
It’s got less to do with Revolver ripping off Metal Hammer and a lot more to do with Future, the parent company of both magazines. But whereas the UK awards are prestigious and a must-attend for the metal elite, last year’s inaugural U.S. ceremony was derided by much of the industry for being poorly run, overly corporate, and not giving metal fans a chance to vote. Hopefully, they’ll iron out the kinks this time around. With that in mind, we decided to take a closer look at both shows’ 2010 nominations and performances to further see how the two compare and contrast with each other.
Comparisons:
– The U.K. version seems to feature many similar categories to Revolver’s. Both honor individual instrumental performances (i.e. best drummer and guitarist), best underground bands and best live band. The nominees aren’t exactly the same, but pretty much the same suspects.
– You get to chose the winners at both award shows online. You can vote on nominees for Metal Hammer’s award show here, and for Revolver’s here . However, Revolver didn’t start letting the public vote until this year, one of the big criticisms from last year. In fact, this is the first time they even have nominees to choose from. Guess Revolver is learning fast.
– Both shows will feature live performances during the ceremony, attempting to create a kick-ass concert then a boring award show. Revolver’s Golden Gods, which will take place on April 8 in L.A., will feature performances from Rob Zombie, Fear Factory, As I Lay Dying, and The Devil Wears Prada. The show will also feature special performances from comedian Brian Posehn’s all-star backing band and Slash, Lemmy Kilmister and Dave Grohl performing “Ace of Spades”. The U.K. version, which will be held on June 14 in the IndigO2 venue in South London, England, will feature performances from Hellyeah, Skindred, and a special debut from the super group The Damned Things (featuring members of Anthrax, Every Time I Die and Fall Out Boy).
– What’s an award show without hosts? Wrestler/Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho and Andrew W.K. will host the American Golden Gods, while glam metal parody band Steel Panther will host the U.K. version. Weird, Revolver’s show will take place in L.A., but the U.K. version is appearing a bit sleazier. Both will also be taped to be shown on television.Revolver Golden Gods Awards show will be shown on VH1 Classic on May 22, while the U.K. version will be on….well it isn’t going to be shown in the U.S. so does it really matter?
Contrasts:
– Apparently, one award for guitarists isn’t enough in the U.K. While Revolver is only honoring shredders with the Best Guitarist award, Metal Hammer has the awards “Riff Lord” and “Shredder”. One is honoring a more legendary guitarist while the later is honoring an up-and-coming guitar god…I guess. In addition, Revolver’s has an award for best vocalist, while Metal Hammer’s doesn’t.
– Guess the Brit metal fan cares more about nation pride, while us Americans care more about hot chicks and fighting. The U.K. Golden Gods has an award for “Best U.K. Band” and “Best International Band”. They also feature an award for “Best Event”, honoring festivals or groundbreaking happenings in their home country. Revolver, on the other hand, features such classy titles as the “Hottest Chicks Award” and the “Most Metal Athletes Award”. Because when you think of metal, you don’t think of music, right? The American Golden Gods though does bring the focus back to music with awards such as “Album of the Year”, which Metal Hammer doesn’t have this year.
– Looks like the U.K. prefers to acknowledge new acts while we’re all about being retro. The Metal Hammer Golden Gods have two awards honoring newer bands, including “Best New Band” and “Breakthrough Artist”. Revolver, on the other hand, prefers to honor bands back from the dead with the award “Don’t Call It A Comeback!” Nothing says metal like naming an award after a line in an LL Cool J song from the ‘90s. Why didn’t they just call the best album the “Bring the Noise” award and the best newcomer the “Ice Ice Baby” award?
– While most of the same bands are nominated for both shows, there are a few bands that each show overlooks that the other one honors. Machine Head is nominated twice (“Best Live Band” and “Best Drummer”) at Metal Hammer’s show yet not honored once at Revolver’s. On the other hand, Heaven and Hell is nominated for four Revolver Golden God Awards (“Best Guitarist”, “Best Vocalist”, “Album of the Year”, and “Don’t Call It A Come Back”), but has no nominations at the U.K. award show. I know Machine Head remains huge in the U.K., so no big surprise there. But Metal Hammer giving no love to their native Dio-Era Black Sabbath seems a bit weird. Another weird thing, apparently Steel Panther is worthy of two nominations at the Metal Hammer Golden God Awards, to which I say: Really? Look at both shows’ list of nominees to see other slight differences.
So in the end, the two metal award shows appear identical at first, with a few slight differences that separate them. Sure, the American version follows the U.K.s’ a little too closely, at least we finally have an award show that honors metal in this country. And compared to last year’s inaugural show, at least now the fans in this country get to actually be a part of the ceremony. So go and vote for the Revolver Golden God Awards (hell, go ahead and vote for Metal Hammer’s show as well, nothing prevents you from it), and let’s enjoy the fact that for one night, we can celebrate our love for metal with our fellow comrades.
