UK Music Video Awards (UKMVA)

Overview

The UK Music Video Awards (UKMVA) is the UK's most important annual celebration of music video directing. Founded in 2006 and held annually in London, the awards showcase the best in British and international music video production and serve as the primary networking event for the UK music video industry.

Music video directing occupies a distinctive space between film and commercial production, and the UKMVA provides dedicated recognition for this form that is separate from the broader film industry. Directors like Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and many others began their careers directing music videos and used the form to develop the visual language they later brought to feature filmmaking.

The awards recognize directing, cinematography, art direction, visual effects, and performance across multiple music genres.

Key Sections

• Best Director -- music video direction awards by genre
• Best Cinematography -- camera work in music videos
• Best Art Direction -- production design and visual concept
• Best Visual Effects -- digital and practical effects in music videos
• Best Newcomer -- emerging music video director

What Filmmakers Should Know

UKMVA accepts submissions. For directors whose work includes music video, the awards provide dedicated industry recognition. The music video industry has historically been a pathway into commercial and feature directing, and UKMVA is the primary UK networking event for this community.

Major Awards

• Best Director -- across multiple genre categories
• Best Video of the Year -- overall winner
• Best Newcomer Director
• Best Cinematography

Festival History

UKMVA was founded in 2006 as the UK music video industry sought dedicated recognition alongside the broader creative industry awards.

See Also

For music video production, see Audio and Music Tools. For commercial directing, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies.