Overview
The UK Music Video Awards (UKMVAs) is the world's premier awards ceremony for music video creativity. Now in its 19th annual edition, the 2026 awards are open for submissions with a deadline of August 3, 2026. The ceremony takes place on November 4, 2026, at The Roundhouse in Camden Town, North London, marking the event's return to the legendary venue after five years.
The UKMVAs recognizes excellence in music video direction, production, cinematography, editing, and craft across 39 categories. The awards cover work from major label releases to independent artist videos, with dedicated categories for UK artists, international artists, and newcomer directors.
Music video remains one of the most commercially significant short film forms. Streaming platforms generate billions of views annually, and music video directors routinely transition to feature filmmaking. Directors including David Fincher, Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, and Jonas Akerlund all developed their visual styles in music video before moving to features.
Submission Details
Submissions for UKMVAs 2026 are open via the UKMVA website. Entries are submitted directly through the site, not through FilmFreeway.
Key dates for UKMVAs 2026:
- Submissions opened: June 10, 2026
- Final entry deadline: August 3, 2026 at midnight
- Awards ceremony: November 4, 2026 at The Roundhouse, London
Eligibility window:
- All submitted work must have been completed and delivered to the commissioning company or client between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026
- Any works entered into the 2025 awards cannot be entered again
Entry fees:
- GBP 120 per single video, film, individual, or company category entry
- GBP 80 per entry for the Best Low Budget Video or Visualiser category (lower fee reflects the sub-GBP 5,000 production budget requirement)
Entry rules:
- There is no limit to the number of videos and films you can enter, nor the number of categories you can enter them in
- A video can only be entered into one of the genre categories (pop, R&B/soul/jazz, dance/electronic, rock, alternative, hip hop/grime/rap)
- Entrants must select a sub-category: UK (for a UK artist or UK-based artist), International (for a non-UK artist), or Newcomer (a video made by a director whose first commissioned video was completed after January 1, 2023, and made for under GBP 20,000)
- Full category definitions and criteria are available in the UKMVA 2026 categories PDF
Key Sections
The UKMVAs 2026 presents 39 categories across four sections:Video and Film Categories (genre-based):
- Best Pop Video (UK / International / Newcomer)
- Best R&B / Soul / Jazz Video (UK / International / Newcomer)
- Best Dance / Electronic Video (UK / International / Newcomer)
- Best Rock Video (UK / International / Newcomer)
- Best Alternative Video (UK / International / Newcomer)
- Best Hip Hop / Grime / Rap Video (UK / International / Newcomer)
Additional Video Categories:
- Best Low Budget Video or Visualiser (productions under GBP 5,000)
- Best Live Video (live audio performance recordings)
- Best Special Visual Project (micro-form content, multi-track videos, extended recordings, video campaigns)
Craft and Technical Categories:
- Best Performance in a Video
- Best Casting in a Video
- Best Production Design in a Video
- Best Styling in a Video
- Best Choreography in a Video
- Best Cinematography in a Video (and Newcomer)
- Best Colour Grading in a Video (and Newcomer)
- Best Editing in a Video (and Newcomer)
- Best Visual Effects in a Video
- Best Animation in a Video
Individual and Company Categories:
- Best New Director
- Best Director
- Best Producer
- Best Executive Producer
- Best Agent (returning for 2026)
- Best Creative Commissioner
- Best Production Company
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Music Video Directors
The UKMVAs is the most direct pathway to creative credibility in music video that translates across to narrative film. Directors submit through their labels or production companies. The ceremony is attended by major labels (Universal, Sony, Warner), agencies, and production companies, making it a networking event as much as an awards ceremony.
The Newcomer categories deserve particular attention. A newcomer is defined as a director whose first commissioned music video was completed after January 1, 2023, and whose video was made for under GBP 20,000. The four Newcomer genre categories provide a dedicated competitive space for emerging directors, separate from established names.
For Production Companies and Commissioners
The Individual and Company categories recognize the business infrastructure behind music video production. Best Production Company, Best Producer, Best Executive Producer, and Best Creative Commissioner are all competitive categories. The return of Best Agent for 2026 reflects the growing professionalization of music video representation.
Awards
The UKMVAs presents 39 competitive categories plus two special honors:
- Video of the Year - the top prize, selected from all eligible entries
- Genre Awards - 18 categories across UK, International, and Newcomer sub-categories
- Craft and Technical Awards - 14 categories recognizing individual craft achievements
- Individual and Company Awards - 7 categories recognizing professional achievement
- Icon Award - special honor for extraordinary contribution to music video creativity
- Legend Award - special honor for lifetime achievement (inaugurated in 2025, presented posthumously to Diane Martel)
Festival History
The UK Music Video Awards were founded in 2008. The event has grown from a UK-focused ceremony into the primary global celebration of music video creativity, with categories for both UK and international artists and filmmakers.
The 2025 ceremony (18th annual) was held on October 30, 2025, at Magazine London. Key winners included A$AP Rocky's Tailor Swif (Video of the Year, 5 total awards), FKA twigs (4 awards including Best Pop Video UK for Eusexua), and Gabriel Moses (Best Director). The inaugural Legend Award was presented posthumously to director Diane Martel.
The 2026 edition (19th annual) introduces the expanded Best Low Budget Video or Visualiser category, now including visualisers for visual projects under GBP 10,000. The Best Agent category returns for the first time in five years. The ceremony moves to The Roundhouse on November 4, 2026.
Past Winners
The 2025 ceremony (18th annual) named Tailor Swif by A$AP Rocky as Video of the Year. Directors Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia won 5 total awards including Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video International, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. The video was filmed in Kyiv, Ukraine in December 2021, two months before the Russian invasion.
Best Director went to Gabriel Moses, recognized for work with Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, and Travis Scott. Best New Director was awarded to Luna Carmoon, who also won Best Rock/Alternative Video Newcomer for Fontaines D.C. In The Modern World.
FKA twigs received 9 nominations and won 4 awards, including Best Pop Video UK for Eusexua (directed by Jordan Hemingway). The Icon Award was presented to OK Go frontman Damian Kulash. The inaugural Legend Award honored director Diane Martel posthumously.
Notable Alumni Films
Music video directors who won UKMVAs have consistently transitioned to feature filmmaking. David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) built his visual style directing videos for Madonna and Aerosmith. Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) developed his techniques in videos for Bjork and The White Stripes.
Spike Jonze (Her, Being John Malkovich) and Jonas Akerlund (Spun, Lords of Chaos) both established their directing careers in music video before moving to features. The UKMVAs recognized these directors' music video work before their feature careers launched.
Gabriel Moses, the 2025 Best Director winner, has been positioned for feature transitions by his representation at object & animal. Luna Carmoon, the 2025 Best New Director, is developing projects following her UKMVA recognition. The awards function as an industry signal for which directors are ready for larger budgets.
Submission Tips
- Submit through the UKMVA website, not FilmFreeway. The festival uses its own entry system with specific category definitions available in the UKMVA 2026 categories PDF.
- Enter genre categories strategically. A video can only enter one genre category (pop, R&B/soul/jazz, dance/electronic, rock, alternative, hip hop/grime/rap). Choose the genre with the least competitive field.
- Newcomer entries require that your first commissioned video was completed after January 1, 2023, and the video was made for under GBP 20,000. Newcomer entries are automatically entered into the appropriate genre category.
- The Best Low Budget Video or Visualiser category (GBP 80 entry fee) covers productions under GBP 5,000 and visualisers under GBP 10,000. This category has lower entry fees and less competition from major label productions.
- Craft categories (cinematography, editing, color grading, visual effects, animation) are judged on technical execution, not the artist's profile. Strong craft work can win regardless of budget.
- The eligibility window runs August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026. Works entered in the 2025 awards cannot be re-entered.
Industry Reputation Notes
The UKMVAs is the primary global recognition event for music video creativity. The ceremony attracts major labels (Universal, Sony, Warner), production companies, agencies, and directors from over 30 countries. The 2025 ceremony at Magazine London presented more than 40 awards.
The awards function as both creative recognition and industry networking. Labels use UKMVA nominations to identify directors for future commissions. Production companies track craft category winners to recruit technical talent.
Compared to the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), the UKMVAs is more craft-focused and less popularity-driven. The VMAs prioritize viewer voting and celebrity spectacle. The UKMVAs judges directors, cinematographers, editors, and colorists on technical merit.
Compared to the Berlin Music Video Awards (BMVA), the UKMVAs is larger and more industry-connected. The BMVA is more European and independent-focused, with lower entry fees but less label attendance. The UKMVAs draws the global music video industry to London each November.
See Also
Use the Festival ROI Calculator to evaluate the entry fee and potential travel costs against the industry exposure of a UKMVA nomination. For short film production strategy, read Film Festival Strategy. For visual storytelling and cinematography, see Cinematography Guide. For audio and music production tools, see Audio and Music Tools.
