The year 2016 in music was amply defined by those who have left us. Predictably, our readers have paid with their votes a posthumous tribute to such iconic figures as David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Prince, whose recordings dominate the Rober Awards 2016 winners’ list.
Bowie’s Blackstar has swept the board, dominating in the six categories he was nominated for. His masterful swan song, a poignant and powerful artistic statement reflecting upon his sickness and own mortality, has deservedly won the accolades for album, song, best male artist of the year, etc. Meanwhile, Leonard Cohen was recognized as songwriter of the year, becoming the runner-up for best song and male artist. The early work with 94 East by Minneappolis’ purple royal reigned in the reissue of the year category.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds scooped the band of the year honour with Radiohead closely behind. Dorset’s finest PJ Harvey won in the best female and live artist of the year categories. The all-conquering return of A Tribe Called Quest earned them a couple of throphies, namely Best Hip-Hop act and comeback of the year. Frank Ocean won for best R&B artist. Biggest snub of the year sadly went to Beyoncé, who began as the favourite in the four categories she was up for, but surprisingly ended as runner-up in each one of them, prompting fears among the organisers of a potential #RobersSoWhite backlash.
Anohni‘s bold electronic metamorphosis was rewarded with the best pop artist trophy and US new band Whitney took the one for breakthrough artist. Promising Brits Goat Girl were chosen as Sound of 2017. Groundbreaking Swedish songwriter Jenny Hval took the cutting edge honour and the long awaited return of Aussies The Avalanches tied up with producer of the Year Kaytranada in the electronica category.
Some eclectic world flavours were added to the mix by Portuguese fado singer Ana Moura and J-Pop girl band BabyMetal. Kendrick Lamar, Sia and Portishead completed the list of winners.
Check the Rober Awards 2016 Music Poll winners in full:
BEST ALBUM
DAVID BOWIE (★ ) (50%, 99 Votes)
PJ HARVEY (The Hope Six Demolition Project) (17%, 33 Votes) NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (Skeleton Tree) (13%, 26 Votes)
SONG OF THE YEAR
DAVID BOWIE (Blackstar) (39%, 88 Votes)
LEONARD COHEN (You Wanted It Darker) (22%, 48 Votes) PJ HARVEY (The Wheel) (12%, 27 Votes)
BEST GROUP OR DUO:
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (44%, 59 Votes)
RADIOHEAD (43%, 58 Votes) A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (16%, 21 Votes)
BEST MALE ARTIST
DAVID BOWIE (54%, 98 Votes)
LEONARD COHEN (26%, 48 Votes) FRANK OCEAN (11%, 21 Votes)
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
PJ HARVEY (39%, 57 Votes)
BEYONCÉ (24%, 36 Votes) ANOHNI (17%, 25 Votes)
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
WHITNEY (31%, 17 Votes)
KAYTRANADA (30%, 16 Votes) KAMAIYAH (15%, 8 Votes)
BEST POP ARTIST
ANOHNI (31%, 29 Votes)
WEYES BLOOD (23%, 22 Votes) BON IVER (19%, 18 Votes)
BEST ROCK ARTIST
DAVID BOWIE (46%, 76 Votes)
PJ HARVEY (24%, 40 Votes) RADIOHEAD (17%, 28 Votes)
BEST SONGWRITER
LEONARD COHEN (57%, 75 Votes)
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (37%, 49 Votes) CASE/LANG/VEIRS (4%, 5 Votes)
BEST HIP HOP
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (39%, 31 Votes)
KANYE WEST (28%, 22 Votes) CHANCE THE RAPPER (13%, 10 Votes)
BEST ELECTRONICA
KAYTRANADA (26%, 16 Votes) THE AVALANCHES (26%, 16 Votes)
JAMES BLAKE (25%, 15 Votes)
BEST R&B ARTIST
FRANK OCEAN (35%, 33 Votes)
BEYONCÉ (27%, 25 Votes) SOLANGE (19%, 18 Votes)
CUTTING EDGE
JENNY HVAL (48%, 26 Votes)
ANNA MEREDITH (17%, 9 Votes) MOOR MOTHER (11%, 6 Votes)
BEST HISPANIC/IBERO-AMERICAN ARTIST
ANA MOURA (37%, 21 Votes)
MALANDRÓMEDA (23%, 13 Votes) HELADO NEGRO (18%, 10 Votes)
SOUND OF 2017
GOAT GIRL (27%, 11 Votes)
NONAME (22%, 9 Votes) PRIESTS (20%, 8 Votes)
BEST COMPILATION
DAVID BOWIE (Who Can I Be Now 1974-1976) (63%, 86 Votes)
KATE BUSH (Before The Dawn) (30%, 41 Votes) VARIOUS (Sharon Signs To Cherry Red: Independent Women 1979-1985) (4%, 5 Votes)
BEST REISSUE
94 EAST FEAT PRINCE (94 East) (34%, 30 Votes)
RAMONES (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (26%, 23 Votes) ANGELO BADALAMENTI (Twin Peaks OST) (22%, 19 Votes)
BEST LIVE ARTIST
PJ HARVEY (37%, 45 Votes)
RADIOHEAD (24%, 29 Votes) BEYONCÉ (16%, 19 Votes)
BEST EP
KENDRICK LAMAR (Untitled Unmastered.) (44%, 26 Votes)
SLEAFORD MODS (TCR) (29%, 17 Votes) VINCE STAPLES (Prima Donna) (14%, 8 Votes)
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (54%, 38 Votes)
THE AVALANCHES (16%, 11 Votes) KRISTIN HERSH (10%, 7 Votes) LAMBCHOP (10%, 7 Votes)
FLOORFILLER OF THE YEAR
SIA FEAT. SEAN PAUL (Cheap Thrills) (35%, 21 Votes)
YOUNG THUG & TRAVIS SCOTT FEAT. QUAVO (Pick Up The Phone) (28%, 17 Votes) KAYTRANADA (Lite Spots) (12%, 7 Votes)
BEST COVER VERSION
PORTISHEAD (S.O.S) (Original by ABBA) (36%, 29 Votes)
JEFF BUCKLEY (I Know It’s Over) (Original by The Smiths) (34%, 27 Votes) BONNIE PRINCE BILLY (The Cross) (Original By Prince) (18%, 14 Votes)
GUILTY PLEASURE
BABY METAL (Karate) (85%, 372 Votes)
ARIANA GRANDE (Into You) (6%, 25 Votes) CARLY RAE JEPSEN (Higher) (5%, 20 Votes)
BEST PROMO VIDEO
DAVID BOWIE (Lazarus) (59%, 90 Votes)
BEYONCÉ (Formation) (18%, 28 Votes) RADIOHEAD (Daydreaming) (12%, 18 Votes)
Listen to all the winners and nominees in our SPOTIFY PLAYLIST