Slipknot and Viking death metallers Amon Amarth lead the way as shortlists for the Metal Hammer Golden Gods 2009 are announced.
Motorhead, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Lamb of God and up-and-coming Brit act Gallows also picked up nominations in the eight fan-voted categories at the influential awards. Now in their seventh year – the Metal Hammer Golden Gods will be hosted by the UK’s fastest growing music magazine, Metal Hammer, and take over London’s Indigo2 venue on Monday 15th June.
Hot on the heels of their successful fourth album “All Hope is Gone” , Slipknot are competing with Swedish act Amon Amarth in both the ‘Best International Band’ and ‘Shredder’ guitarist categories, whilst SlipKnot picked up a nomination for ‘Best Live Band’ and Amon Amarth in the ‘Breakthrough Artist’ category.
Two of the world’s biggest bands of the moment, Metallica and Iron Maiden both pick up nominations for ‘Best International Band’ and ‘Best UK Band’ respectively – with old-school heroes Motorhead and Saxon both acknowledged for ‘Best UK Band’ alongside relative newcomers Gallows and Guitar Hero favourites, Dragonforce.
The full nominations for the public voted awards at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods 2008 are as follows:
Best UK Band (Sponsored by Roadrunner)
1. Iron Maiden
2. The Answer
3. Dragonforce
4. Saxon
5. Gallows
6. Motorhead
Best Live Band (Sponsored by Rising Records)
1. Slipknot
2. Devildriver
3. Clutch
4. Deathstars
5. Skindred
6. Down
Best International Band (Sponsored by SPV / Steamhammer / Wacken Records)
1. Slipknot
2. Amon Amarth
3. Deathstars
4. Dimmu Borgir
5. Metallica
6. Lamb of God
Best New Band (Sponsored by BIMM)
1. Black Tide
2. Five Finger Death Punch
3. Sylosis
4. Malefice
5. Trigger The Bloodshed
6. Alestorm
Shredder(s)
1. Mick Thompson & Jim Root (Slipknot)
2. Olavi Mikkonen & Johan Söderberg (Amon Amarth)
3. Mark Morton & Willie Alder (Lamb of Good)
4. Eric Petersen & Alex Skolnick – Testament
5. Herman Li & Sam Totman (Dragonforce)
6. Mike Akerfeldt (Opeth)
Breakthrough Artist (Sponsored by Transcend Records)
1. All That Remains
2. Amon Amarth
3. Gojira
4. Bring Me The Horizon
5. Airbourne
6. Underoath
Best Underground Band (Sponsored by Metal Blade)
1. Architects
2. Annotations Of An Autopsy
3. Kylesa
4. Beneath The Massacre
5. Legion Of The Damned
6. Behemoth
Best Metal Label
1. Roadrunner
2. Metal Blade
3. Rising Records
4. Nuclear Blast
5. SPV / Steamhammer
6. Spinefarm
The Metal Hammer Golden Gods 2009 will also feature a further nine awards selected by the Metal Hammer editorial team – including ‘Best Album’, ‘Riff Lord’ and, of course, the revered ‘Golden God’ award.
For all the details of how to vote and where to get tickets see issue 191 of Metal Hammer magazine (on sale today) or visit the Metal Hammer website www.metalhammer.co.uk.
