Directors Ryan Staake and Oscar Hudson win big at UK Music Video Awards

The 2017 winners of the UK’s Music Video Awards (MVAs) have been announced, celebrating some of the finest directors, crews and commissions of the year. “More than ever, music video is the place where musicians collaborate with filmmakers to create astonishing works of creativity,” says the awards editorial director, David Knight. “The winners and nominees at the UK MVAs have demonstrated that with their exceptional work in the past year.”

The video that took home the most awards was Wyclef Jean by Young Thug directed by Ryan Staake, the infamous short where everything went wrong, but in turn created a music video that is so right. The video won, Music Video of the Year, Best Editing and Best International Urban Video at the awards ceremony hosted by Adam Buxton at London’s Roundhouse yesterday evening (26 November 2017).

Notable UK winners include Oscar Hudson, winning Best Director and Best Dance Video for his impressively complex video for Bonobo’s No Reason. Best Rock/Indie Video went to Royal Blood’s Lights Out directed by The Sacred Egg. New Rules by Dua Lipa directed by Henry Scholfield won Best Pop Video, Alt-J won Best Alternative Video for 3WW directed by Young Replicant, and Best Urban Video went to Hector Dockrill’s video for Patience by Ray BLK. Best Animation was won by Bristol-based duo Karni and Saul for Katie Melua’s Perfect World.

In the international categories, Chris Hopewell’s animated short for Father John Misty’s Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution won Best Rock/Indie Video, Want You Back directed by Jake Schreier for Haim took home Best Pop Video; and Territory by The Blaze won Best Dance Video and Best Styling, directed by John Alric and Guillaume Alric both members of the group; and Best Alternative Video was won by international collective of directors Canada for Up All Night by Beck.

Nick Roney’s hilarious and heartwarming video for I Wanna Prove To You by The Lemon Twigs won Best Rock/Indie Video newcomer. Further newcomers include director Kristof Brandl’s video for Like It Doesn’t Hurt by Charlotte Cardin in the pop category, and Matilda Finn won Best Dance Video for Obongjayar’s Endless. Matilda also took home Best New Director, which was awarded to Oscar Hudson last year.

Kendrick Lamar was one of the most nominated artists at this year’s MVA’s, and was awarded Artist of the Year. and this year’s icon award went to Jake Nava who has worked with everyone from Beyoncé to Britney. Other awards included The Vevo Must See prize which went to Sam Bailey’s video for Marika Hackman’s My Lover Cindy, an impressive win which beat, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Charlie XCX.

“Music videos are more creative than ever,” director David says, “more diverse and eclectic than ever, better than ever.”