Award-Winning Manic Street Preachers To Take On The U.S.

01/26/1999 4:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(1/26/99, 1 p.m. PST) - The Manic Street Preachers were the big winners in NME's annual awards, taking the honors for Best Band, Best Single, Best Album, and Best Video. The triumph follows the Manics award for Best Band In The World by another British publication, Q magazine, in October. In spite of the band's success in the U.K., the Manics initially could not find a label to release their latest album in the U.S. However, that will soon change. On March 23, Virgin Records will issue the band's award-winning album, This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours.

The band's first four albums were released in the U.S. on the Sony-affiliated Columbia and Epic Records with little fanfare. If This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours is anywhere near as successful in the U.S. as it has been in the U.K., it could be the album that finally breaks the Manics in the U.S.

Aside from naming the Manics Best Band and This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours Best Album, the readers of the U.K.-based NME chose the group's "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" as Best Single and Best Video.

The Manics, who formed in 1991, have had an interesting history. After establishing themselves as critical favorites in the U.K., the band was struck by tragedy when lyricist/ guitarist Richey James disappeared under mysterious circumstances in February 1995. Nearly four years later, the search for James (whose real name is Richey Edwards) continues today. In December, the BBC reported that the parents of the missing rocker flew to the Canary Islands after there were reports that he was seen on the island of Fuerteventura.

Other winners of this year's NME awards include Robbie Williams (Best Solo Artist), Fatboy Slim (Best Dance Act and Best Dance Record for "Rockafeller Skank"), Gomez (Best New Band), and Massive Attack (Godlike Genius Award For Services To Music).

In addition, Oasis's Liam Gallagher was named Dickhead Of The Year, while Natalie Imbruglia was voted Most Desirable Person.

Features on Fatboy Slim, Gomez, Massive Attack, and Natalie Imbruglia are available now on LAUNCH.com; a Manic Street Preachers feature is coming soon.

Got news tips, comments, or questions? Send them to newstips@mylaunch.com.