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NME editor wins an award?!

Hrmmm... NME _Ed_ wins for being a great editor...

Last night, Conor McNicolas, New Musical Express editor at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, picked up the award for editor of the year at the Periodical Publishers Association Editorial and Publishing Excellence Awards.

The judges said Conor beat off competition from people from Nuts and other such mags, because of his success in "overhauling a 51 year-old title to make it relevant to a new generation of music lovers.... The editor is so much a part of the product - he is on every page. His enthusiasm, knowledge, speed of reaction and drive have given an established title new life. Thanks to his innovations, NME is now thriving in a tough market and delivering week in, week out."

Is it? DiS certainly, intentionally, doesn't run like that, with writers given the freedom to be passionate and knowledgeable and creative about the music they love. This is a distinction which we don't always make clear. So now we have, just here.

Mister McNicolas has commented, _"I'm flabbergasted but tremendously pleased. This really is a victory for the whole team around NME. The judges mentioned NME's speed of response and that's something you can only achieve by everyone working together." _

So, take a deep breath, you ranty brethren, and think for a second. What you comment below may very well be read and taken seriously by those bods at IPC.

Photo 'borrowed' from NME.com

_DiScuss: If you were the Editor of a music magazine aimed at a mass market bunch of 17 year olds, what would you actually be doing? Hasn't the NME improved a little of late? Ain't he damned if he does and damned if he don't? Isn't what's worse about all of this, that the NME's party line resonates so strongly within TV, radio and lots of parts of the music industry ranging from A&R through store managers for HMV, etc... that it turns into hype that's so strong it's hard for people to see through? Wouldn't it be nice to give them some intelligent and sensible suggestions? Is DiS playing Devils Advocate? _

NME editor wins an award?!

I'll just refer everyone to NME.com winning the "Best Website" award at the NME awards.
This recent award won't attract any new readers, mearly set off a rant-rage.
Oh, and he's an ugly cunt too.

NME editor wins an award?!

Hahaha. What an ugly feller... Can I just ask, why is this classed under Kaiser Chiefs?

NME editor wins an award?!

haha, i didnt notice that bit at the top. dont like the dig at gy!be but hey.
the thing people forget is that the NME IS a mainstream magazine. when it says things like 'new music' (in the same vein as MTV2) it means music breaking into the mainstream.
i was also told by a former NME writer that they are basically told what to put, in relation to record label payoffs. i dunno if i believe her to the extent that she said, but i guess that would prove the popularity of some bands over infinitely better ones similar to them

NME editor wins an award?!

No need to add comments to this article. Just no need.

NME editor wins an award?!

I really want the NME to be good, because the market now is such that no new printed magazines, however good, get off the ground. (Although some of them that have died have admittedly been crap)

Unfortunately, NME isn't good. It's just embarrassing. The writing has gone down the pan.

If there was anything else, I'd read that instead but there isn't so I'm still one of the people that actually buys it. The only difference is that my flatmate and I take it in turns rather buying our own copy...

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

it was never mainstream until the britpop era. once upon a time it was challenging and helped discover great new music.... then oasis happened.

it's been like smash hits ever since and just keeps getting worse.... I HATE NME SOOOOO MUCH THESE DAYS!

NME editor wins an award?!

whenever hes on one of those 100 greatest musical somethingorothers he comes across as such a clueless twat.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

there are alternatives, this here site for starters.

In terms of printed magazines, try plan b, artrocker, comeswithasmile and loose lips sink ships.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

of course he's clueless, he works for the NME...!!!

noone with any musical knowledge/taste would work for it these days and be able to live with themselves.

NME editor wins an award?!

This is just so wrong.

Not only is NME crap content-wise, but Conor McNicolas is a shit journalist.

I am so disappointed by this I can't even put it into words.

NME is a national institution but I fear we're on the brink of losing it forever.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

disorder is good too. it should reasonably appeal to the people who buy nme because they want to know about new music, but they seem more passionate and honest about it. it's more fanziney, but just as accessible. and prettier to look at. just more satisfying overall.

the nme is frustrating because there is SO much exciting new stuff around right now, and they could be writing fervently and creatively about it all, and really making the most of it. but they aren't. even when they're spot on with the bands they document, their coverage is banal, depressing and repetitive; and more time is given to gossip and scenesters' photo opportunities than actual music writing. i'm not suggesting 4-page reviews of a gig; that isn't what the nme has ever been about as long as i've been reading it, at least. just... reviews that SAY something, interviews that tell us something new, features that aren't patronising. writing that reads like the writers enjoyed writing it.

NME editor wins an award?!

i think godspeed member has the best quote for the state of music journalism as it is now:

"most music journalism is an offence to the eye, an offence to the heart and an offence to the soul"

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

n i meant godspeed member efrim.

NME editor wins an award?!

haha. he 'beat off' his competition!!!

NME editor wins an award?!

his forehead is really shiny in that picture. and juliette lewis looks truly horrified to be standing next to him.

NME editor wins an award?!

Hey, I saw Terris live once and they were GOOD goddammit! :P

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

O so simple.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

The Evil that is NME now has a face, hmm? I personally don't have much of a gripe. Relative to our own premier music mag, Rolling Stone, it's still all things NME thinks it is. But I don't even visit the NME website anymore. Just not enough time in my day. Hell, I've had to cut my DiS time down to a mere 8 1/2 hours a day.

PS Juliette and the Licks make me feel a little testy...not like Michael Jackson feels a little testie, but testy. How many wanna be actresses are gonna put out bad records? The next thing you know Paris Hilton will be doing it....oops!

NME editor wins an award?!

The NME lost the plot once the Melody Maker went under.
Prior to that they had to be on top of their game otherwise the competition would have got there first.
After they swallowed up MM, all the NME has proved is that they are excellent at marketing but not so great at sales, as the lack of units attributed to the Strokes and the Vines has proved.
I have to say though, that I still read the NME on a regular basis, even if its to gloat when they start going on about "new" bands that I actually saw and wrote about them 9 months previous.

NME editor wins an award?!

The NME lost the plot once the Melody Maker went under.
Prior to that they had to be on top of their game otherwise the competition would have got there first.
After they swallowed up MM, all the NME has proved is that they are excellent at marketing but not so great at sales, as the lack of units attributed to the Strokes and the Vines has proved.
I have to say though, that I still read the NME on a regular basis, even if its to gloat when they start going on about "new" bands that I actually saw and wrote about them 9 months previous.

NME editor wins an award?!

yawn.....
more DiS NME bashing.
to be honest it's common knowledge that the NME is currently in a rut in terms of extensively covering interesting,let alone groundbreaking, music.
However, there is still plenty to relish in the NME. For example, this week's 'radar' section features Dungen -a pretty ace Swedish band who, without the aid of the NME, i would know nothing about.
Sure, there's plenty of trash. it's a given. but i'm sure most people would choose the NME's rampant overhyping of bands than, say, Pitchfork's lamentably negative attitude towards the vast majority of music on offer.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

my local evening newspaper has great gig listing, as does the guardian every saturday..... and what have we got to be envious of? we're just annoyed that someone has destroyed a once great paper and is being rewarded for it.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

Criticising NME is as pointless as criticising the charts - it's only as important as you let it be. It may once have been a bastion of unknown and interesting music, but the music industry has changed beyond recognition in recent years and NME has adapted to fill the gap in the market. If alternatives weren't available this would be a genuine problem. But because of websites such as this and others, plus the other, albeit less readily available, publications and fanzines mentioned above, anyone with a genuine interest in finding great music will have no trouble in finding decent publications that discuss and champion it. Seeing as we've all made it as far as this site, what need do we have to even care about the NME anymore? It's a training bra for indie kids, and we've grown out of it.

But in its defence, for all its laughable hyperbole at least some of the writers are still often be readable and amusing, and as nevertrustaneskimo just pointed out, it does still get it right sometimes. Comparisons to mags like Smash Hits are easy to make but for a magazine with such a mainstream appeal you have to admit it has at least a bit of verve.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

Correct me if I'm wrong (it's very possible that I am) but weren't both the NME and Melody Maker run by the same publishing company?

I'm pretty sure NME didn't buy them out Melody Maker but Melody Maker collapsed of it's own accord and then some of the journalists and sections were put into the NME.

Obviously this was still fucking annoying 'cos Melody Maker was way better but I don't think it was actually NME's fault it collapsed, so much as the dearth of alternative music that sold any records at the time.

NME editor wins an award?!

How can you over see the running a large magazine like nme if your only 16?

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

This is very true. I think the NME is fine (if admittedly flawed) as a magazine as long as you don't use it as the only source of information for music. Ultimately it is a commercial product (especially given a lot of the music it covers is actually selling at the moment) and it's not surprising that it's going to be too mainstream for many DiS members.

Whilst in an ideal world, everybody would check out bands they've never heard of and look out new music, the truth is that a lot of people arent' aware of what's going on in music until they read it in mainstream music publications and, whilst the NME has it's faults, they have pushed some very good bands towards mainstream consciousness. True, they've also pedalled some pretty boring crap but I think the hits make the missess worthwhile.

Ultimately, I want the bands I like to get noticed by wider audiences; firstly, because I want them to be able to keep making albums and secondly because if something's good I want everybody to get to hear it. Whatever the NME's faults, I'm glad there is an alternative music mag that kids growing up in suburban backwaters (as I did) can read and find out about new music. Hopefully, they won't take it all as gospel and will develop their own ideas but at least it gives them a chance to to start.

NME editor wins an award?!

No, no, no, its not just 17 year kids who dont know better.

It's depressed and suicidal Business men as well who are all going through midlife crisis' and want to be down with the kids.

There's a lot of suicidal Business men in the UK.

NME editor wins an award?!

bring back melody maker.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

I remember when I started reading nme they used to do really long reviews, I struggled as a 14 year old to read the page long Ok Computer review. I dunno, aren't most of the bands people like on here (interpol, kaiser chiefs, bloc party) all the favourite bands in nme now?

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

Yeah, they were both IPC publications.

Melody Maker was really faltering and its target audience was pretty much the same as NME, so IPC did (from their point of view) the sensible thing and merged the two.

For a while they made out that MM was "incorporated" in NME, but these days...

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

hahaha... yaaaaaa...



GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD!

NME editor wins an award?!

Ok, look at it like this... The NME has fairly small circulation, and it talks about the bigger bands. If it concentrated on smaller bands would it sell as well? I think it does the best it can in a difficult sitation, and as long as you don't take it seriously it makes a fairly good read.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

I see Terris listed on yer banner as some kind of smirk. The worst thing NME ever did for that band was put them prematurely on the cover, before they had anything recorded. So of course they were going to disappoint. I totally fucking loved that band. Too much coverage too soon. Hell, they didn't even give them a chance to come up before the back lash started. Just glad i had the chance to catch them gigging for a couple of years before the rest of the UK and the mainstream press had come across them

NME editor wins an award?!

Dear NME editors:
your recent issue misuses "offstage" on the fucking cover.
Nice one.
Maybe if you weren't so interested in promoting yourselves over the basic needs of the publication this wouldn't happen as often as it does.
But I guess you won't win any awards then, would you?
P.S. please hire me.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

exactly my point - i'm not complaining about them writing about those bands - they've got widespread interest, they're relevant, of course they'll get written about... it's just that the writing itself is often so vapid.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

do you three work for NME then?

certainly sounds like it.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

Can't speak for the other two but not in my case.

I know a lot of people hate the NME and totally understand why. A lot of the bands that the NME creams over are either over-hyped or just not very good but they've still created a platform from which some really good acts reach a wider audience and, as such, sell enough albums to not get dropped.

The NME could be a damn sight better but I think life'd be a lot of harder for alternative acts without either it or an equivalent magazine of a similar stature.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

No, Ernie, I don't work for the NME. It makes my blood boil just to read it (which incidentally takes about three minutes cover to cover). But I'm not a knee-jerk reactionary indie snob who's unable to weigh things up objectively. We've already had the negative points of the NME in abundance on this board. It's nice to hear a balanced argument occasionally.

All this waging war on the NME is tedious and pointless. If you don't like the magazine just ignore it and maybe it will go away. All these predictable tirades against it just perpetuate its dominance over UK music journalism.

And to all you people who gleefully kick the shit out of the NME on these boards as if it's some kind of evil indie tyrant - I'm suspicious of you all. Your desperate need to prove you're above such things shows you've missed the point entirely. If you really, genuinely think the NME is that bad then you're either blindly following a popular point of view without bothering to work it out for yourselves, or just so far up your own indie-ethos arses your Hoxton Fins are tickling your tonsils.

You'd all take a job there if they offered you one and you know it.

Jesus, I can't believe I got myself involved in this.

NME editor wins an award?!

he looks like zach braff in one of those house of mirrors. good on him - hes only young isn't he!

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

thats for the award, rather than being ugly.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

that look on her face - that's the look i get on my face when i have to listen to that awful single of hers.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

totally agree about the old NME, i'm so sad i occasionally buy old copies from ebay. it is partly nostalgia, but it's also a great read without any pie charts or diagrams.

the new style is so shit there's no need to buy it, you can read the whole thing in 2 mins in your newsagents.

words cannot express my anger at how rubbish the paper is these days! thankgod for DIS.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

yeh in the 60's it was, read some issues from the 80's and early 90's.

NME editor wins an award?!

UNCUT is the only music magazine anyone should ever read.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

"If you really, genuinely think the NME is that bad then you're either blindly following a popular point of view without bothering to work it out for yourselves, or just so far up your own indie-ethos arses your Hoxton Fins are tickling your tonsils."

Or not, how about bashing the nme because the standard of the journalism is awful. made worse by the fact that a few years ago it was far better.

And as for taking a job there, sure after all isnt it easier to change something from within?

NME editor wins an award?!

i prefer rock sound.
okay, only one album out of a hundred gets laess than 8 out of 10 but i think there is a great mix of mainstream and underground bands, and the CD usually has some good stuff on it

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

"You'd all take a job there if they offered you one and you know it. "

You don't know how wrong this is. The NME have had trouble recruiting people lately, ok every 15 year old indie fame seeker would work for them, but any talented journalist would avoid them like the plague.

Did anyone read the article in the Guardian yesterday? Sarah Dempster was slagging off her days at the paper. Mind you, she did confess to liking Phil Collins, so we can't really take her seriously.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

"anyone else who could string a sentence together without mentioning the Strokes"

It's funny you mention this as i have a theory that it is NME's editorial policy to actually do something along these lines. Read any review they do of some old, 'classic' band and you see they still manage to fit in a mention of the Libertines, Franz Ferdinand or whoever they are wanking over at the time of the review. They do it just about every time, it's like product placement. I read a review in there recently, i think it was GBV or Dinosaur Jr, a band that has no bearing on the current NME scene, and yet they still managed to fit in a mention of one of these bands. Totally cringe-inducing.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

But nme, unlike all the others you mention, has a history, thats why it survives.

And for a valid criticism of the nme, how about the fact that the journalism is crap?

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

fcuking scum and the lowest of life on earth, hmv management make politicials look like hardworking folk earning an honest wage, bah...

NME editor wins an award?!

why is he dressed like a Libertines fan? whoops, silly me..............

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

Holly Hernandez (sp?) is writing for Play Music.
I actually bought the NME for the first time in about two years yesterday, the one with the Killers on the front (although, God's honest truth, I didn't know who they were til I read the name).
I really struggled to find anything worthwhile, at all, within its shiny front n back pages. Short of a tiny mention of the Mike Patton/Bjork track for Warchild (which they pretty much dissed) and some mildly amusing letters about the whole Kasabian bottling incident, t'was utter cock. It really IS Heat Magazine, albeit for folk who also like a little pop'n'rock.
Crrrrrrrrrap.

NME editor wins an award?!

Terrorizer is the best music magazine.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

Oh right. I thought it was a drag queen standing next to him...

NME editor wins an award?!

He beat off the judges eh?

Good work.

NME editor wins an award?!

how can they say its relevant? i dont know anyone who likes or respects it, a lot of people know lose interest in things once nme promotes them to death. they dont even talk about music - even in reviews its just a load of self interested journo shit they enjoy spouting out to make themselves feel clever.

Re: NME editor wins an award?!

SEE YA!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

NME editor wins an award?!

he is a great Editor, he keeps NME turning over each year with it's endless record company-cover feature bribes, freebies and brown envelopes.

His face is as annoying as his views on Music. I wonder if he has any friends?

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