VOTING OPENS FOR THIS YEAR’S PROG AWARDS!

New categories announced at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards, plus your chance to pick the winners.

The Progressive Music Awards 2017 returns for the sixth year this autumn. The event will be held during the second week of September at the Underglobe in London, the exact date is still to be confirmed at time of writing. This year, the annual ceremony will include nine new categories all created with the aim of exploring prog’s growing impact in the world of music and culture over the last 12 months.

In the reader-voted categories, new categories include Video Of The Year, Album Cover Of The Year and Reissue Of The Year. The popular Band/Artist Of The Year category has now been divided into International Band/Artist and UK Band/Artist to reflect the popularity of progressive music around the world. Event Of The Year has been extended beyond live concerts and festivals with the aim of showcasing prog’s renewed popularity in popular culture. Included among this year’s nominees are

Yes’ induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the V&A’s popular Pink Floyd exhibition and the BBC’s tribute to satirical prog god, Brian Pern.

A number of previous award winners have returned to the list of nominees. Among them are Big Big

Train – can they match last year’s hat-trick of awards this year? They’re up for awards in three categories including Album Of The Year and

Album Cover Of The Year. Marillion are also up for another three categories – their popular Marillion

Weekends are up for voting in the

Event Of The Year category. They last won Live Event in 2015, but can they beat the tough competition to scoop it in 2017?

The Progressive Music Awards doesn’t just pay tribute to established acts. This year, the nominees in the reader voted categories have been carefully selected on reflect the diversity of music now being made by newer artists as well. This includes the popular Limelight Award which was specifically created to honour the up-and-coming bands and acts profiled in the magazine section of the same name. Ten new names are up for selection this year, including Ghost Community and

Kepler Ten.

Elsewhere, the new Unsung Hero and Industry VIP have been added to the magazine voted categories. Both pay tribute to those working behind the scenes who might not always get the credit they deserve. Meanwhile, the Chris Squire Virtuoso