UK Music Video Awards (UKMVAs)

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. The ceremony is attended by major labels, agencies, production companies, and directors from around the world.

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. The UKMVAs is the primary global recognition event for this form.

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 (Pop/R&B/Soul/Jazz, Dance/Electronic, Rock/Alternative, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap) provide a dedicated competitive space for emerging directors, separate from established names. Newcomer entries are automatically entered into the appropriate award category based on genre selection.

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.

For Directors Transitioning to Features

The UKMVAs has a track record of recognizing directors who go on to feature filmmaking. The 2025 Best Director winner was Gabriel Moses, recognized for work including projects for Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, and Travis Scott. The 2025 Best New Director winner was Luna Carmoon, who also won Best Rock/Alternative Video Newcomer for Fontaines D.C.'s "In The Modern World."

The Icon Award, presented at the 2025 ceremony to OK Go frontman and director Damian Kulash, recognizes artists who have made extraordinary contributions to music video creativity over a sustained period.

Industry Value

The UKMVAs ceremony is the single largest annual gathering of the global music video industry. The 2025 ceremony at Magazine London presented more than 40 awards, with A$AP Rocky's "Tailor Swif" (directed by Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia) winning Video of the Year and five total awards. FKA twigs received nine nominations, the most of any artist. The 2025 ceremony was hosted by Ana Matronic for the third consecutive year.

The 2026 ceremony moves to The Roundhouse, a venue with significant history for the UKMVAs. The event returns to Camden Town, where ceremonies were previously held through 2021. The Roundhouse has a capacity of approximately 1,800, making the ceremony a large-scale industry event.

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 premier 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, the fourth consecutive year at that venue. Ana Matronic hosted for the third year running. 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, who passed away in September 2025. The inaugural Best Casting in a Video award was won by Selma Nicholls CDA for Bakar's "Lonyo!", and the inaugural Best Low Budget Video award was won by Rory Alexander Stewart for Squid's "Cro-Magnon Man."

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.

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.