FKA twigs “Sad Day,” an entry from production companies FRIEND and Doomsday Entertainment, topped the 2021 Shark Music Video Awards, earning coveted Grand distinction as Best Music Video, multiple International Golds--Best Direction for Doomsday’s Hiro Murai of Doomsday Entertainment, Best Artist Performance for FKA twigs, and Best Writing/Idea/Concept--as well as International Production Company of the Year for FRIEND.

Beginning in a café late at night, this music video follows FKA twigs as she encounters an unidentified man and they start to sword-fight, breaking out of the café and into the streets. The visually unique video--for the pensive song “Sad Day” from FKA twigs album “MAGDALENE”--is based on the sensual movements of Wushu martial arts, which is used to depict the complex relationship between the two characters. MPC served as VFX house.

Also scoring two International Golds was Film Boldly for Jordan Klassen’s “Virtuous Circle.”

Best New Director was awarded to Brock Neal Roberts through Agile Films for Berwyn’s “Trap Phone.”

Irish Production Company of the Year was won by Motherland. 

For Best Irish Music Video, two awards were given to Motherland--for Kojaque & Luka Palm’s “Phoenix,” and Fontaines D.C.’s “A Hero’s Death.”

Led by jury president Vaughan Arnell, a mixture of music video commissioners and producers from Island Records, Rogue, HAMLET, FRIEND, Compulsory, Polydor Records and Black Dog Films awarded the iconic black shark trophies to the very best in music video.

Arnell said, “It was such an honor to be president of the Shark music video awards for 2021. Each year the creative bar gets set higher and higher, but this year it went to the max. The standard of art was beyond amazing. It was such a rush watching the films from the world I love so much. A world I feel so proud to be part of. I would like to say a big thank you to all judges who gave their time and expertise in creating the final supreme list. I found the whole experience so inspiring and can’t wait to see what next year creates.”

Best Editing International went to Stitch for Rolling Stones’ “Criss Cross” and to RiffRaff for Moses Boyd’s “Stranger than Fiction.” Best Editing Irish went to Motherland for Why-Axis’ “Bloodstain.”

Best International Animation was awarded to Passion Paris Production for S+C+A+R+R’s “The Rest of My Days” and Best Irish Animation to JAM Media for Christy Moore’s “The Voyage.”

Best International Cinematography was awarded to DUDE London for Califato ¾’s “Fandangô de Carmen Porter” and to Albert Hooi for Best Irish Cinematography for Kojaque & Luka Palm’s “Phoenix.”

Best International Color Grading was won by MPC for Arlo Parks’ “Caroline” and FRIEND for “Projector.”

Here’s a rundown of Grand and Gold (International and Irish) winners:

GRAND AWARD
INTERNATIONAL
Best Music Video
Sad Day
FXA Twigs
Young Turks
Entrant Co: Doomsday / FRIEND
United Kingdom

INTERNATIONAL GOLDS

Best Music Video
Virtuous Circle
Jordan Klassen
Nevado Music
Entrant Co: Film Boldly
Canada

Best Music video for low budget <10k
Mesmerize
Duck Sauce
Self Release
Entrant Co: Caviar
United Kingdom

Best Animation
The Rest of My Days
S+C+A+R+R
WAGRAM Music / Cinq 7
Entrant Co: Passion Paris Production
France

Best Artist Perfomance
Sad Day
FKA Twigs
Young Turks
Entrant Co: Doomsday / FRIEND
United Kingdom

Best Choreography
(Fukakoryoku)
VAUNDY
Stardust Music
Entrant Co: NAKAMA
Japan

Best Cinematography
Fandangô de Carmen Porter
Califato ¾
Breaking Bass Records
Entrant Co: DUDE
United Kingdom

Best Color Grading
Caroline
Arlo Parks
Transgressive Records
Entrant Co: MPC
United Kingdom

Best Color Grading
Projector
Music Video
Entrant Co: FRIEND
United Kingdom

Best Direction
Sad Day
FKA twigs
Young Turks
Entrant Co: Doomsday Entertainment
United States

Best Editing
Criss Cross
The Rolling Stones
Polydor
Entrant Co: Stitch
United Kingdom

Best Editing
Stranger Than Fiction
Moses Boyd
Sony
Entrant Co: Riff Raff Films
United Kingdom

Best New Director
Trap Phone
Berwyn
Columbia Records
Entrant Co: Agile Films
United Kingdom

Best Post Production SFX
6am (Ready To Write)
Beardyman ft. Joe Rogan
Sony Music, RCA
Entrant Co: Electric Theatre Collective
United Kingdom

Best Production Design
Projector
Music Video
Entrant Co: FRIEND
United Kingdom

Best Writing/Idea/Concept
Boycycle
Salvatore Ganacci
OWSLA
Entrant Co: Business Club Royale
Sweden

Best Writing/Idea/Concept
Sad Day
FKA twigs
Young Turks
Entrant Co: Doomsday Entertainment
United States
 

IRISH GOLDS

Best Music Video
A Hero’s Death
Fontaines D.C.
Partisan Records
Entrant Co: Motherland
Ireland

Best Music Video
Phoenix
Kojaque & Luka Palm
Softboy Records
Entrant Co: Motherland
Ireland

Best Music video for low budget <10k
Bloodstain
Why-Axis
Independent Artist
Entrant Co: Motherland
Ireland

Best Animation
The Voyage
Christy Moore
Entrant Co: JAM Media
Ireland

Best Cinematography
Phoenix
Kojaque & Luka Palm
Soft Boy Records
Entrant Co: Albert Hooi
Ireland

Best Editing
Bloodstain
Why-Axis
Independent Artist
Entrant Co: Motherland
Ireland