U2: U2faqs.com - Awards FAQ

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Awards FAQ

1. Grammys

1988: Album of the Year - The Joshua Tree; Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
1989: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group - "Desire"; Best Video Performance, Short Form - "Where the Streets Have No Name"
1992: Best Rock Group Performance - Achtung Baby
1994: Best Alternative Album - Zooropa
1995: Best Music Video, Long Form - "Zoo TV Live From Sydney"
2000: Nominated in Best Music Video, Long Form - "PopMart Live from Mexico City"
2001: "Beautiful Day" wins in three categories: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
2002: Record of the Year ("Walk On"), Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal ("Stuck In a Moment"), Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal ("Elevation"), and Best Rock Album (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
2005: Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, Best Rock Song (songwriters award), Best Short Form Music Video (all for "Vertigo")
2006: Album of the Year - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, Song of the Year ("Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own"), Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With vocal ("Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own"), Best Rock Song ("City of Blinding Lights")

2. Brit Awards

1983: Best Live Act
1988: Best International Group
1989: Best International Group
1990: Best International Group
1992: Best International Group
1998: Best International Group
2001: Best International Group; Outstanding Contribution to Music

3. MTV Awards

1985: Nominated: Best Group Video - Pride
1987: Nominated: Best Video, Best Group Video, Best Overall Performance, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Cinematography - "With or Without You"
Won: Viewer's Choice - "With or Without You"
1988: Nominated: Best Video, Best Group - "Where the Streets Have No Name," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"; Best Concept - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"; Best Stage Performance - "Where the Streets Have No Name,"
Won: Best Video From a Film - "When Love Comes to Town"
1992: Nominated: Best Group, Best Editing - "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
Won: Best Special Effects - "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
1994: Nominated: Best Video (MTV Europe) - "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"
1995: Won: Best Group (MTV Europe)
1997: Won: Best Live Act (MTV Europe)
1999: Won: Free Your Mind Award - Bono (MTV Europe)
2001: Won: Video Vanguard

4. Rolling Stone magazine

Rolling Stone magazine's Music Awards are given annually, based on a readers' poll and a critics' poll. The top five picks are usually listed for each category, but only U2's wins are listed here. If you want to see each U2 placing in the awards, check out the book U2: The Rolling Stone Files.

1985: Readers Picks - Band of the Year; Best Performance at Live Aid; Critics Picks - Band of the Year
1987: Readers Picks - Artist of the Year; Best Album - The Joshua Tree; Best Single - "With or Without You" ["Streets" and "Still Haven't Found..." came in 2nd & 3rd]; Best Band; Best Male Singer - Bono; Best Producer - Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno; Best Songwriter - Bono; Best Video - "Streets" ["With or Without You" was #2]; Best Album Cover - The Joshua Tree; Best Live Performance; Best Guitartist - The Edge; Best Bass Player - Adam Clayton; Best Drummer - Larry Mullen Jr.; Sexiest Male Rock Artist - Bono
Critics Picks - Artist of the Year; Best Band; Best Producer - Daniel Lanois; Best Guitarist - The Edge
1988: Readers Picks - Artist of the Year; Best Album - Rattle & Hum; Best Single - "Desire"; Best Band; Best Male Singer - Bono; Best Songwriter - Bono; Best Video - Desire; Best Album Cover - Rattle & Hum; Best Bass Player - Adam Clayton; Best Drummer - Larry Mullen Jr.
1991: Critics Picks -Comeback of the Year; Best Drummer - Larry Mullen Jr.;
1992: Readers Picks - Best Single - "One"; Best Band; Best Male Singer; Artist of the Year; Best Album - Achtung Baby; Best Songwriter - Bono; Best Album Cover - Achtung Baby; Sexiest Male Artist - Bono; Best Tour - ZooTV; Best Drummer - Larry Mullen Jr.; Comeback of the Year;
Critics Picks - Best Band [tied w/REM]; Best Tour - ZooTV; Worst Tour - ZooTV
2001: Readers Picks - Artist of the Year; Best Male Performer (Bono); Best Band; Best Album; Best Tour; Best Album Cover; Best Rock Artist; Best Online Fan Site
Critics Picks - Best Band; Best Male Performer (Bono); Best Tour
2004: Readers Picks - Best Single - "Vertigo"; Best Album: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb; Artist of the Year; Best Band; Best Video - "Vertigo"

5. Hot Press magazine

Ireland's Hot Press magazine announces results of their annual readers' poll every January, and also conducts an annual Irish Music Awards program of its own later in the year. Here's a list of the awards U2 has won in both awards. (Note: we are missing award information for much of the 80s and early 90s when it's safe to say U2 picked up a few awards.)

1979: U2 win five categories in readers' poll
1980: U2 win four categories in readers' poll - Best Group; Best Single - "11 O'Clock Tick Tock"; Best Male Singer - Bono; Best Album - Boy
1980: Best Album (Boy), Best Band, and Best Live Band at Hot Press Rock Awards
1981: U2 win seven categories in readers' poll
1982: U2 win four categories in readers' poll
1983: U2 wins six categories in readers' poll, including Best Album - War
1996: U2/Passengers wins six categories in readers' poll - Best Irish Group; Best Irish Single - "Miss Sarajevo"; BestIrish Live Act; Best Irish Songwriter - Bono; Best Irish Musician - Edge; Best Music Video - "Miss Sarajevo"
1996: Edge wins Rory Gallagher Rock Musician Award at Hot Press Rock Awards
1997: Larry wins Rory Gallagher Rock Musician Award at Hot Press Rock Awards
1998: U2 wins five categories in readers' poll - Best Irish Group; Best Irish Album - POP; Best Irish Live Act; Best Irish Songwriter - Bono; Best Album Sleeve - POP
1998: Best Band and Best Live Act at Hot Press Rock Awards
1999: U2 wins eight categories in readers' poll - Best Irish Group; Best Irish Male Singer - Bono; Best Irish Single - "Sweetest Thing"; Best Irish Album - Best of 1980-1990; Best Irish Live Act; Best Irish Album Sleeve - Best of 1980-1990; Best Irish Video - "Sweetest Thing"; Overall Best Polling Act
1999: Best Single - "Sweetest Thing" - at Hot Press Rock Awards
2000: Best Irish Group; Best Irish Male Singer - Bono; Best Album - All That You Can't Leave Behind; Best Songwriter - Bono
2001: Best Irish group; Best Live Act; Best Polling Act; "Love of the Year" - two Slane concerts; plus 4 other awards
2002: Best Irish Band, Best Live Act for last summer's Slane gig, and the Best Male Singer award for Bono.

6. Irish Music Awards

2001 - U2 wins Best Band and Best Rock Album (All That You Can't Leave Behind), and Bono wins Best Songwriter at Meteor Irish Music Awards
2002 - U2 wins Best Irish Pop/Rock Group, Best Irish Pop/Rock Male Singer (Bono), Best Irish Pop/Rock Single ("Walk On"), Best Irish Pop/Rock Album (All That You Can't Leave Behind), Best Irish Video ("Elevation"), Best Irish Live Artist, and Industry Award (Paul McGuinness)
2003 - U2 wins Best Group and Bono receives the Humanitarian Award

7. Other awards

1988 - U2 wins Sunday Independent/Irish Life Arts Award
1995 - "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" wins a Golden Globe for Best Original Song
1999 - U2 with Ash "Yes" concert wins "Gig of the Year" from Irish online 'zine Oh Yeah!
2000 - Bono wins "Man of the Year" Award at the NRJ Awards in France, for his work on behalf of Jubilee 2000
2000 - U2 is given the Freedom of Dublin after a unanimous vote in late 1999 by the Dublin City Council
2001 - U2 wins Best Rock Act and "God-like Geniuses" awards at NME/Carling "Brats" in London
2001 - U2 wins Best International Group at Italian Music Awards
2001 - Adam Clayton wins "Best Bassist - Male" at Gibson Guitar Awards
2001 - U2 wins Best Band and Best Rock Album (All That You Can't Leave Behind), and Bono wins Best Songwriter at Meteor Irish Music Awards
2001 - U2 wins Best Band at GQ Awards
2001 - U2 wins Top Rock Act at first ever Top of the Pops Awards
2001 - Bono is named "European of the Year" by European Voice magazine
2001 - U2 wins Best International Group and Best International Album (All That You Can't Leave Behind) at the Amigo Awards in Spain
2002 - U2 wins three awards at the 13th annual Pollstar Concert Industry awards: Major Tour of the Year, Most Creative Stage Production, and Personal Manager of the Year - Paul McGuinness (U2)
2002 - Bono is given the "Heart of Entertainment" award by the Entertainment Industry Foundation for his worldwide charitable work.
2002 - U2 wins "Best Concert by a Touring Band" at the Austin (TX) Music Awards
2002 - Joe O'Herlihy wins a Technical Excellence and Creativity Award for his position as Front of House Engineer for U2's Elevation tour.
2002 - Bono wins American Irish Historical Society gold medal for his work for worldwide humanitarian aid.
2003 - Bono recieves "Humanitarian Laureate Award" from the Simon Wiesenthanl Center.
2003 - Bono honored as 2003 Musicares Person of the Year for his accomplishments as a musician and a humanitarian.
2003 - U2 wins Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards.
2003 - Bono wins Humanitarian Award from the American Ireland Fund.
2003 - Bono is given the Chevalier of Legion of Honour by French President Jacques Chirac.
2003 - Bono receives a "European Heroes" award from TIME (magazine) Europe.
2003 - U2 wins the Outstanding Song Collection" award at the Novello Songwriting Awards in London.
2003 - "The Hands That Built America" wins the Best Original Song prize at the World Soundtrack Awards in Belgium.
2004 - Bono receives "Salute to Greatness" Award from the King Center in Atlanta.

8. How is it possible that songs from All That You Can't Leave Behind were nominated for Grammy Awards in three consecutive years -- 2001, 2002, and 2003?

The "Beautiful Day" single was released in September, 2000, within the eligibility period for the 2001 Grammy Awards. "Beautiful Day" was nominated, and won, three awards at the 2001 Grammys.

All That You Can't Leave Behind was released October 30/31, 2000, which was past the September 30th cut-off date to be eligible for the 2001 Grammy awards, but within the eligibility period for the 2002 Grammys. The album, and the singles released during that period, picked up eight nominations for the 2002 grammys, and eventualy won four awards.

U2 also picked up a nomination for 2003 with "Walk On," but it's the version included on the America: A Tribute to Heroes compilation which was released in December, 2001, and thus fit into the 2003 awards eligible time frame.[AS/M2]

9. Is U2 in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Yes. U2 was voted in in late 2004. The induction ceremony took place in March, 2005. Bruce Springsteen delivered the band's induction speech.

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