James Bay will perform at the “2015 mtvU Woodie Awards,” which airs live on MTV tonight, March 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT from the 2015 SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas with host Jack Antonoff of Bleachers.
Bay joins previously announced acts Fall Out Boy, Big Sean and Years & Years. Prior to the awards show, MTV will host an all-day music celebration, the “MTV Woodies Festival,” featuring performances from Action Bronson, Rae Sremmurd, MisterWives, Raury, Ty Dolla $ign, Clean Bandit with Jess Glynne and Robert DeLong.
Festival doors open at 3 p.m. CT on March 20 at 305 South Congress Avenue and performances will be live streamed on Woodies.MTV.com starting at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT. Additionally, mtvU announced that Ellar Coltrane of “Boyhood,” Rae Sremmurd, MisterWives and Hoodie Allen will serve as presenters at the “mtvU Woodie Awards.”
“The mtvU Woodie Awards is an industry institution and I’m honored to join their incredible lineup this year,” said James Bay.
“I’m happy for everyone that was nominated, I approach awards as if everybody is me and I am them, so no matter who wins I win because all is raur and RAUR is all,” said Raury, who is nominated for “Artist to Watch” Woodie in addition to performing at the “MTV Woodies Festival.”
Entrance into the “2015 mtvU Woodie Awards” and festival is free, with an online RSVP available at www.woodiestickets.com. An RSVP does not guarantee admission and entrance will be on a first come first served basis. Entrance is also subject to capacity, with SXSW badge holders receiving priority access.
James Bay is a singular modern talent; an old head on young shoulders, a damn good guitar player and an even better songwriter. A true soul singer, chasing “that goose bumps moment” by channeling artists such as Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen and James Blake, his music is intensely personal. His debut album, “Chaos and the Calm,” which was recorded in Nashville’s prestigious Blackbird Studios with Kings of Leon’s long-term collaborator and Tom Waits engineer Jacquire King, will be released on March 23, 2015.
Action Bronson is a purveyor of delicious unexpectedness. With his own revered cooking show on VICE’s MUNCHIES channel and his major label full-length debut “Mr. Wonderful” out March 24 via VICE/Atlantic it’s going to be a big year for Bronsolino.
One year since their debut EP featuring the explosively reactive title track “Reflections”, New York City’s own MisterWives flawlessly evolve their sound with a virtually seamless combination of indie rock, pop, soul, funk, dance, folk and live energy on their debut full length album “Our Own House,” which released on February 24.
From Tupelo, Mississippi, Rae Sremmurd, the duo comprised of real life brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi, took the music world by storm in 2014 with the platinum-selling singles “No Flex Zone” and “No Type,” their first two releases on Mike WiLL Made-It’s Ear Drummer Records imprint via Interscope Records. To start 2015, Rae Sremmurd released their highly anticipated first album, SremmLife, with a top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200 and have since had “Throw Some Mo,” featuring Nicki Minaj and Young Thug, emerge as their third consecutive single to break into the top 10 on urban radio.
Ushering in a new generation of consciousness after the 2014 release of his debut EP, “Indigo Child,” eighteen-year old Atlanta alternative folk/rap/soul and musical youth activist Raury steps into 2015 with many eyes & expectations set on him. The LoveRenaissance/Columbia Records recording artist will release his highly anticipated debut album this year.
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/producer Ty Dolla $ign made a splash last year after releasing the Gold-certified singles, “Paranoid (feat. B.o.B)” and “Or Nah (feat. Wiz Khalifa & The Weeknd),” off the “BEACH HOUSE EP.” His new single, “Drop That Kitty (feat. Charli XCX & Tinashe),” which was produced by hit-makers Stargate & Cashmere Cat, is already being dubbed the song of Summer 2015. As if all this weren’t enough, Ty has lent his vocals to tracks from artists ranging from Chris Brown, YG and Trey Songz, while most recently contributing his acclaimed production and writing skills to Chris Brown’s No. 1 hit, “Loyal (feat. Lil Wayne & Tyga)” and Kanye West’s “Only One (with Paul McCartney)” & Rihanna’s “FourFiveSeconds (with Kanye West and Paul McCartney).” Ty’s highly-anticipated debut album arrives late Spring 2015.
Clean Bandit is a Grammy award winning quartet formed of brothers Jack (bass, keyboards) and Luke Patterson (drums), alongside Grace Chatto (cello) and Neil Amin-Smith (violin) – whom have shattered the record for the most one-week plays globally on Spotify as well as internationally on Shazam for their smash single “Rather Be” ft. Jess Glynne. And with the release of their debut album, “New Eyes,” on hand, deemed ‘Best Dance Album of 2014’ by iTunes as well, it’s all coming to beautiful fruition. Citing label mates Rudimental and tour partners Disclosure as inspiration, Clean Bandit are the newest part of an upsurge of British dance music that makes as much sense onstage and in the charts as in the clubs.
Raised in the suburbs of Seattle, Robert DeLong headed south to Los Angeles with a toolbox of Wii-motes, keyboards and drums to develop a one-man rock show unlike no other. He uses MIDI interfaces, a full drum set, drum pads, keyboards, laptops and game controllers, looping his music live to fuse electronic dance beats with striking melodies and lyrics with emotional heart. Robert DeLong has since become a mainstay in the festival and touring circuit with his one-man futuristic dance party. His incredible live show has brought him across the globe and back, playing major festivals and sold out tours, and he most recently released his Long Way Down EP, which features the Top 5 Alternative Rock hit “Long Way Down.” “Long Way Down” has received over 6.7 million streams on Spotify, where it is currently featured in their Today’s Top Hits playlist. Robert DeLong is currently working on his sophomore record for Glassnote Records, due out this summer.
The “mtvU Woodie Awards” promises to be an Unforgettable night of music and performances. The show was established in 2004 and has since propelled numerous recognized acts to the next level of their careers – including surging record sales, headlining tours and mainstream acclaim. Examples include: The Killers (Breaking Woodie ‘04), N.E.R.D. (Left Field Woodie ’04), Death Cab for Cutie (Best Video Woodie ’05), Fall Out Boy (Road Woodie ‘05), 30 Seconds to Mars (Best Video Woodie – Live Action ‘06) Muse (Performing Woodie ‘07), Lupe Fiasco (performed at Woodies ’07), Vampire Weekend (performed at ’08 Woodies), Kings of Leon (Woodie of the Year ‘09), Jack White (performed at ’09 Woodies with the Dead Weather), Rick Ross (performed at ’09 Woodies), Matt & Kim (Best Video Woodie ’09), Wiz Khalifa (Woodie of the Year ‘11), Odd Future (performed at ’11 Woodies), Sleigh Bells (performed at ’11 Woodies) MGK (Breaking Woodie ’12), Mac Miller (Woodie of Year and Performing Woodie ’12), Zedd (performed at ’13 Woodies), Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (Branching Out Woodie ’13) and Iggy Azalea with Charli XCX (performed at ’14 Woodies).
Official sponsors of the “MTV Woodies Festival” and “2015 mtvU Woodie Awards” include CLEAN & CLEAR®, ICE BREAKERS Mints, Pepsi®, Taco Bell® and U.S. Army.
Ryan Kroft, Amy Doyle, Gina Esposito and Jesse Ignatovic are the Executive Producers of the “2015 mtvU Woodie Awards,” with Andria Parides acting as supervising producer. Joe Buoye is the Executive in Charge of Production.
About mtvU
Broadcast to nearly 750 college campuses as well as via top cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches more than 8 million U.S. college students – making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S., as well as on cable systems from Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, Suddenlink Communications, AT&T u-Verse and nearly 70 others. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are: on-air, online and on the campus. mtvU airs music videos from emerging artists that can’t be seen anywhere else, news, student life features and initiatives that give college students the tools to advance positive social change. mtvU is always on campus, with hundreds of events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and a complete programming schedule, visit www.mtvU.com.
The above press release was issued by mtvU.