If there’s one thing MTV’s Woodie Awards can almost guarantee their audience, it’s variety. The Woodie Awards, which recognize the best in music as voted by college students, made a splash at SXSW on Friday night. Aside from the award show’s two biggest performers — Big Sean and Fall Out Boy — there were also performances from British singer-songwriter James Bay and electronic pop trio Years & Years. If you weren’t able to make it to the Woodies, here’s a recap of some of the awards you might have missed.
Hall of Wood Inductee — Fall Out Boy
Back in 2004, the Woodies became the first award show to recognize Fall Out Boy. 11 years and five albums later, the award show marked another milestone in the band’s career, making them the first ever inductees of the Hall of Wood. In honor of their induction, the band performed a medley of hits spanning all of Fall Out Boy's career. The performance lent itself well to a heavy dose of nostalgia for both dedicated fans and casual performance attendees. After accepting the award, bass-player Pete Wentz thanked the award show for it’s continued support of emerging artists.
Woodie of the Year — Porter Robinson
Despite being nominated in the same category as the seemingly unstoppable Sam Smith, DJ Porter Robinson took home the Woodie of the Year. When the self-taught producer accepted his award last night, it reaffirmed what many people already knew — electronic music is on the rise. The 22 year-old DJ thanked Skrillex for providing a platform for artists like him and said he is confident electronic music has a beautiful future.
Artist to Watch Woodie — Years & Years
From Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s “Can’t Hold Us,” the Woodies have been the place where audiences can hear the coming year’s catchiest song first. If the trend continues, you should expect to hear the trio’s song, “King,” all summer. Before receiving their award, the band recreated their music video for “King” in spite of the rain.
Best Video Woodie — Childish Gambino, “Sober”
Rapper Childish Gambino faced strong competition — FKA Twigs for “Pendulum” and of course Beyoncé, a force to be reckoned with by virtue of her being Beyoncé, for “7/11.” Gambino beat both of them out, showing off his smooth dance moves in his music video. Though Gambino couldn’t make it to the show in person, he accepted the award by video, and said he couldn’t believe he had beat Beyoncé.
Co-Sign Woodie — Hoodie Allen feat. Ed Sheeran “All About It”
Rapper Hoodie Allen was recognized for his song with Ed Sheeran. Hoodie's rapping took a back seat in this song, especially compared to some of his other well-known tracks. “All About It” combined Sheeran’s fast-paced vocals with Hoodie’s signature catchy hooks. Though the rapper said a personal emergency kept him from being at the show, he thanked the award show for giving him his first award ever.
Best Cover — Taylor Swift “Riptide”
Swift’s cover of “Riptide” wasn’t particularly inventive, though it was enjoyable and comparable to Vance Joy’s own version.
