By Sarah Bargiela

Tonight nominations for the Q Awards 2018 in association with Absolute Radio were unveiled.

The Editor of Q Magazine, Ted Kessler, commented: “I love these shortlists and I love the Q readership even more for supplying them. We’ve thought for a while at Q that in a digital world where streaming music is so ubiquitous, the old barriers between musical genres are meaningless. All that matters is whether a song has power, or if an artist makes something to become lost within. These shortlists, where Janelle Monáe’s future-funk rubs shoulders with Goat Girl’s garage-punk in Best Track, or where Kendrick Lamar could just as easily be the Best Act In The World Today as Paul Weller, prove that. Unlike some music awards, artists are not nominated by their representatives, nor is there a fee to be paid upon entry. It’s decided by the readers and the writers of Q alone, and consequently these shortlists represent the very best of music now. I can’t wait for the winners to be revealed on 17 October at the Roundhouse.”

Full list of nominees for this year’s awards are as follows:

Q Breakthrough Act presented by Red Stripe
Amyl & The Sniffers
Goat Girl
Tom Grennan
The Magic Gang
IDLES
Bugzy Malone
Nakhane
Novelist
Nadine Shah
Jorja Smith
Rejjie Snow

Q Best Track presented by Firestone
Love It If We Made It – The 1975
This Is America – Childish Gambino
Girlfriend – Christine & The Queens
The Man – Goat Girl
Make Me Feel – Janelle Monae
Bells & Circles – Underworld & Iggy Pop

Q Best Album
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino – Arctic Monkeys
Hunter – Anna Calvi
Who Built The Moon? – Noel Gallagher
Joy As An Act Of Resistance – IDLES
Marauder – Interpol
I’m All Ears – Let’s Eat Grandma

Q Best Live Act presented by The Cavern Club
David Byrne
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Liam Gallagher
Stefflon Don
Taylor Swift
Wolf Alice

Q Best Solo Artist presented by Absolute Radio
Christine & The Queens
Drake
Noel Gallagher
Janelle Monae
Ed Sheeran
Sophie

Q Best Act In The World Today presented by Rocksteady Music School
The 1975
Arctic Monkeys
Florence & The Machine
Kendrick Lamar
St Vincent
Paul Weller

Q Best Festival/Event presented by Pretty Green Clothing
All Points East
British Summertime
Isle Of Wight Festival
Latitude Festival
RIZE Festival
Spotify Presents: Who We Be

The Q awards and gig will take place on Wednesday, 17 October at Camden’s Roundhouse.