Golden Gods Marks Tenth Anniversary In Metal Hammer’s Silver Jubilee Year
15/06/12 Future Publishing’s flagship rock title Metal Hammer has celebrated metal’s own extended jubilee weekend, as its Golden Gods award show chalked up a decade of decadence on Monday night, in the year of the rock bible’s own 25th anniversary.
The riotous assembly at London’s indigO2 venue saw awards for giants including Rammstein, Saxon, Iron Maiden and Fear Factory, but it also marked a new high for a show that has established itself as a true focal point of the metal calendar.
A dark galaxy of metal stars attended the celebration in the wake of last weekend’s Download festival, and confirmed Metal Hammer’s own status as the unchallenged standard-bearer for the ever-thriving metal scene since its UK launch in 1986.
Voters this year were at a record high, up 23% year on year, with a 38% increase in sign-ups to Metal Hammer’s newsletter. Once the shortlisted bands activated their fans through social media to get behind their voting campaigns, the Golden Gods website was so deluged it crashed, not once but twice.
The evergreen old guard of metal was represented by Saxon, who crowned their 37th year by winning Best British Band, and by Iron Maiden, who claimed the Best Event gong for their Iron Maiden Conquer the UK (Again) tour. Anthrax closed the show and took home the Metal As F**k accolade, while comedian Bill Bailey was ritually welcomed into the church of metal with the Spirit Of Hammer award.
Alexander Milas, Editor of Metal Hammer says: “Metal Hammer and the Golden Gods are both celebrating significant birthdays at a time when the metal scene couldn’t be stronger. Our aim has always been to make Metal Hammer a bridge between the bands and the fans. Anyone who attended the Golden Gods will see that’s exactly what we are doing, after all these years.”
Chris Ingham, group publisher of Future’s music portfolio says: “Every year the Golden Gods styles itself as the one true metal awards, and every year it hammers home its point without the faintest fear of contradiction. A decade’s worth of shows of this standard is a fearsome achievement, especially as Metal Hammer celebrates its 25th year in print. Metal has the fiercest and most loyal fans of any music in the world and Metal Hammer is proud to be their bible.”
**ENDS**
For more information please contact Ben Pester, Communications Manager at ben.pester@futurenet.com or 0207 042 4035 and 07737 138 384
Editors Notes:
About Metal Hammer Magazine
Metal Hammer is the heavy metal bible. Based in the UK, published monthly, and distributed internationally, it is now in its 25th year of publication, and its coverage of the world of metal – from the cutting edge to the extreme – is unparalleled. With 300,000 Facebook followers, 100,000 Twitter followers, and its unprecedented coverage of the global metal scene – from India to Indonesia to South America – it truly is the world’s premiere metal magazine.