Sam Fender and his band toast to NME, talk new music and guess star signs at the BandLab NME Awards 2022

Ed Sheeran has teased footage of him performing new music with J Balvin.The singer-songwriter posted a clip, which you can view below, and revealed that the pair have recorded two new songs together.“So I want to share something with you that I’ve been working on. I met @jbalvin in a gym in New York last year,” Sheeran wrote on Twitter. “It was just me and him very early in the morning.

Sam Fender brought ‘Seventeen Going Under’ to Nottingham last night (March 20) –  showcasing three tracks from the record for the first time.The North Shields singer-songwriter kicked off his UK tour at the Motorpoint Arena playing a series of tracks from his new record, including the title track, ‘Mantra’, ‘Get You Down’ and ‘Spit Of You’.He also showcased ‘The Dying Light’, ‘The Leveller’ and ‘Paradigms’ for the first time ever. You can view footage below.Elsewhere, Fender played a host of hits from his debut album ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ including the title track, ‘Will We Talk’ and ‘Play God’.Sam Fender performing The Leveller in Nottingham! pic.twitter.com/WBLMi8LUjn— sam fender files (@samfenderfiles) March 21, 2022Sam fender performing Paradigms last night in Nottingham! pic.twitter.com/RNua8FerFK— sam fender files (@samfenderfiles) March 21, 2022Sam Fender performing Mantra in Nottingham! pic.twitter.com/H1SidcOV33— sam fender files (@samfenderfiles) March 21, 2022Sam Fender performing Spit of You in Nottingham! pic.twitter.com/vX0M776ehU— sam fender files (@samfenderfiles) March 21, 2022Fender’s UK and European arena tour continues tonight (March 21) in Liverpool at the M&S Bank Arena, with two dates at London’s Wembley Arena set for early April.Following his run of arena dates, he will play his biggest show yet at Finsbury Park in London this summer.

Sam Fender has discussed how kids who bullied him at sixth form are now asking him to play their weddings, to which he has a very succinct reply.Speaking to Sunday Times Culture ahead of his new UK tour, which kicked off in Nottingham last night (March 20), Fender remembered his time at college in the wealthy town of Whitley Bay, and how he was treated differently due to his working-class background in North Shields.“There was a corner of the common room that they used to call peasants’ corner, and that’s where I used to sit,” he remembered. “But they’re all asking us to play their weddings now.

With a new season of “Outlander” having just launched, stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have been making the rounds promoting the show’s sixth season.

New Mexico’s government has allocated $40 million in funding for the establishment of a new film, TV and digital academy in Albuquerque dubbed the Next Generation Media Academy.

Mike Myers is back.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend has added more artists to the line-up for its 2022 edition.Appearing on the main stage at the Coventry event on Sunday, May 29 will be Lorde, George Ezra, Dermot Kennedy, Mabel, Becky Hill and Jax Jones.It’s also been revealed that Sam Fender, Easy Life, Fontaines D.C., Sigrid, KSI, Mimi Webb and Tom Grennan are set to play on the Future Sounds stage on the Saturday (May 28).The new names follow the news that the likes of Ed Sheeran, Yungblud Calvin Harris and AJ Tracey will perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2022.Confirming the latest additions today (March 16), Radio 1 said that “more huge names” for the festival are yet to be announced.

Radio 1 has announced the line-up for this year’s Big Weekend festival, which will take place in Coventry in May. Headlining the first physical edition of the event since 2019 – thanks to the pandemic – will be Mr Ed Sheeran himself.“I can’t wait to kick off festival season and perform in front of a live audience at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2022 in Coventry”, says Sheeran, covering all the facts as efficiently as possible.If you’re wondering what a less efficient version of that statement would look like, here’s Head Of Radio 1 Aled Haydn Jones: “We are kicking off the UK’s festival season in true Radio 1 style with an incredible line-up of acts already on the bill, and more exciting names to be revealed this week.

Sam Fender was the musical guest on last night’s (March 12) episode of Saturday Night Takeaway, continuing his love affair with local Geordie heroes Ant and Dec.Appearing as a surprise guest for the ‘End Of The Show Show’ segment of the pair’s ITV show, Fender performed his hit single ‘Seventeen Going Under’ before ending the show with a cover of Mark Knopfler‘s ‘Local Hero’, which has become an anthem in the North East.Along with footage of the ‘Seventeen Going Under’ performance, which saw Fender and his band performing in the dark before Ant and Dec comically plugged the lights in half way through, video has been shared of Dec cheering Fender’s drummer through a solo to end the ‘Local Hero’ rendition.Check out the videos below.Geordies taking over…..

Honestly, it felt to us like a lot of people were talking about this show… but maybe they just weren’t tuning in to actually watch it?!

Sam Fender has announced an outdoor headline show in Yorkshire – find all the details below.The ‘Seventeen Going Under’ artist will perform at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Friday, May 27 as part of his 2022 tour, which kicks off in Nottingham later this month (March 20).Fender will play in front of an audience of 8,000 fans at the North Yorkshire seaside gig. Tickets go on general sale at 9am GMT this Friday (March 11) – you can purchase yours from here.Fans can also sign up to access a pre-sale, which will take place at 9am GMT this Wednesday (March 9).

Sam Fender to appear on her popular YouTube interview series Chicken Shop Date.The YouTuber and comedian was speaking to NME last night (March 2) on the red carpet at the BandLab NME Awards 2022, which took place at the O2 Academy Brixton in London.Prior to co-presenting the award for Best TV Actor, which went to This Way Up‘s Aisling Bea, with Munya Chawawa later on in the night, Dimoldenberg told NME that she was “a big fan” of Fender.“I really want to get him on my show Chicken Shop Date,” she said. “So I want to hang out with him and persuade him to go on a date with me.”Dimoldenberg added: “I feel like [the BandLab NME Awards] is the perfect place to spot new dates, so I’m super-excited.

Jehnny Beth has told NME what to expect of her upcoming new music, teasing that it’s both “fun” and “punk”.The Savages vocalist was speaking on the red carpet at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 at London’s O2 Academy Brixton last night (March 2), where she presented CHVRCHES and Robert Smith with the award for Best Song By A UK Artist.Discussing her plans for the rest of 2022 and beyond, Beth said: “I’ve been acting in a few movies in France, so that’s carrying on, and films are coming out.”She added: “And then I’ve done some new music, and that will come out pretty soon, I hope.”Asked what we can expect in terms of the stylistic direction of the new music, Beth said: “It’s fun, it’s punk, but electronic as well.”Beth’s last new music came in the summer of 2021 when she released a collaborative album with Primal Scream‘s Bobby Gillespie called ‘Utopian Ashes’.

Life Is Beautiful returned last year with headliners Tame Impala, Green Day and Billie Eilish.During the festival, Eilish used her time on stage to debut three tracks from her album ‘Happier Than Ever’ for the first time, and told the crowd it felt like “a dream I’ve had many, many times in the last year… I can’t tell you how excited I am to be with you guys and to see all of your beautiful faces.”You can see NME’s photos from the 2021 festival here.

Bring Me The Horizon closed the BandLab NME Awards 2022 tonight (March 2) with a storming six-song set which the band dedicated to the people of Ukraine.Taking to the O2 Academy Brixton stage for their ceremony-ending set, BMTH, who were proudly displaying the Ukrainian flag on their bass drum skin, launched into ‘Can You Feel My Heart’.They then played ‘Parasite Eve’ (where they were joined by two dancers in yellow hazmat suits), ‘Die4U’, ‘Mantra’ and ‘1×1’, which they performed with help from Nova Twins.Prior to their set-closing track ‘Throne’, BMTH frontman Oli Sykes paid tribute to the Ukrainian people following last week’s Russian invasion.“I guess it’s better being here in a room full of influential people: they need to use their voice every single day until this crisis is over,” he told the room.“If Kyiv does not survive, international peace will not survive,” he added, before the band tore into ‘Throne’.Earlier in the night, the Sheffield five-piece collected the award for Best Band From The UK Supported By Pizza Express. Elsewhere, the likes of Sam Fender, Lorde, Fontaines D.C.

Foals’ ‘Wake Me Up’ has won Best Music Video at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 this evening (March 2).‘Wake Me Up’ beat out music videos by Billie Eilish (‘Happier Than Ever’), Lil Nas X (‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’), Taylor Swift (‘All Too Well – The Short Film’) and Wet Leg (‘Chaise Longue’) for the win.“We just want to say thank you so much to this guy Dave East who directed it, everyone who danced in it and everyone who loves our band,” Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis said on the podium while collecting the award.“Thank you so much,” he added. “We keep on going, keep on going.”Watch the winning video, directed by Dave East, here:‘Wake Me Up’ was the first single from the British rock band’s upcoming seventh studio album ‘Life Is Yours’, which will be their first as a trio and is due for release June 17.

Little Simz has won Best Solo Act From The UK at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 this evening (March 2).The North London musician was up against Arlo Parks, Dave, Rina Sawayama and Sam Fender in the category. She accepted the award on the podium from Ghetts and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.“Can I just say – after the awful two years we had, you look beautiful tonight!” Khan said to the audience.