IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, TWISTED SISTER, Others Honored At 'Metal Hammer Golden Gods'

June 14, 2011

Two of metal music's biggest names, and horror's top aficionados, met at indigO2 in London, England as Rob Zombie was presented with the "Golden God" by Alice Cooper at last night's (Monday, June 13) Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards ceremony. Appropriately in front of 1,500 metal devotees in zombie costume, Rob Zombie was honored for his career, which has spanned 26 years of the most raucous rock music and the most terror-inducing films. JUDAS PRIEST walked away with a long-overdue accolade in the form of the "Icon" award, celebrating their status as one the most influential acts in Britain's metal heritage.

Elsewhere in the awards, the much-hyped combination of METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX (a.k.a. the "Big Four") coming together this July for the first time ever in the U.K. at Sonisphere, was chosen by the fans as the "Event Of The Year", while the globe-conquering IRON MAIDEN collected yet another gong at this year's Metal Hammer Golden Gods in the form of "Best UK Band".

TWISTED SISTER, having performed earlier in the evening at the awards ceremony to rapturous applause, returned to the stage to be presented with the "Inspiration" award, while AVENGED SEVENFOLD did their native USA proud by scoring this year's "Best International Band". An award that recognizes artists who encapsulates all things metal, the "Spirit Of Hammer" was this year handed to DIAMOND HEAD, an act that can easily lay claim to having paved the way for the generations of metal acts that followed, and still follow them. With their 14th album and the first to feature the original lineup since 1982, KILLING JOKE's "Absolute Dissent" ripped through the competition to be honored as this year's "Best Album".

The axe-wielding members of the metal community saw their fret-board mastery celebrated in style last night, firstly Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein of heavy metal super group DOWN were awarded the title of "Riff Lords." Also making his mark was FIREWIND and OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G., walking away with the "Dimebag Darrell Shredder" award. In a category that saw a number of the nominees facing tough times, BEHEMOTH's Nergal was the recipient of the "Metal As F*ck" award, a show of recognition of the vocalist's strength and courage in the face of adversity.

The full list of winners from the ninth annual Metal Hammer Golden Gods are as follows:

* Best New Band - THE DAMNED THINGS
* Metal As F*ck - Nergal (BEHEMOTH)
* Best Underground - PRIMORDIAL
* Dimebag Darrell Shredder(s) - Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE)
* Breakthrough Artist - SABATON
* Best UK Band - IRON MAIDEN
* Best Live Band - SKINDRED
* Inspiration Award - TWISTED SISTER
* Best International Band - AVENGED SEVENFOLD
* Best Album - "Absolute Dissent" by KILLING JOKE
* Event of the Year - "Big 4" coming together for first time ever in the U.K.
* Riff Lord(s) - Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein (DOWN)
* Spirit of Hammer - DIAMOND HEAD
* Icons - JUDAS PRIEST
* Golden God - Rob Zombie

Metal Hammer publisher Chris Ingham commented: "The worlds of metal and horror have always gone hand in hand, tonight they met face to face and it was an awesome sight. This weekend has been an extravaganza of heavy metal and we are honored to still be the true voice of the metal community in the U.K. and to end the weekend in style. Seeing metal legends and metal's new blood equally celebrated and awarded for their huge successes this year is something Metal Hammer are proud to make happen."

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