Insperation:EmperorIhsahn: "This is a lot to take in. I'm in the middle of recording mt third solo album and just flew in this morning, so it's abit of a whirlwind. It's a great honour. I came here to collect the award so it;s only fair I keep it; I won't be sharing it with the other members of Emperor!"
Best New band:Five Finger Death PunchIvan Moody: "It sounds like a cliche but I'm almost speechless. We found out we'd won about 5 minutes before going up onstage. Dez from Devildriver presented us our award, I've known Dez for nine years. It meant a lot to recive it from someone like him."
Breakthough:
Amon AmarthJohan Hegg: "This has been building for a while, since we did the unholy alliance with Slayer last year. This is a great night. And it's only just begun. We're already on our second bottle of Jager. I'm thrilled to be here! I've had my photo taken with Nicko McBrain!"
Best International band:SlipknotCorey Taylor: "We couldn't have done it without all the fans over the world. We appreciate everything Metal Hammer has done for us and we look forward to seeing you again very soon. Thanks, everyone - this is a very nice award."
Best Live Band:Slipknot
Corey Taylor: "Two awards! Very cool. Thank you! Best live act... obviously that's something we pride ourselves in, so to win this is very special to us. Thank you to all the fans and Metal Hammer. Hopefully for the next 10 years we will continue not to let you down and to give you the best live act that we can. Thanks, Metal Hammer!"
Shredder:DragonforceSam: "It's our second time winning this award, but I can't take it home as I haven't got a bag. It'd end up in the river."
Herman: "I get 'em both!"
Sam: "I'm becoming more controlled in my old age so I'm having fun but not as drunk as our old standards."
Herman: "I disagree. San is plastered and deranged."
Riff Lord:Steve VaiSteve: "Everyone should learn the guitar - its sound resonates from within our soul to the core of our balls, I watched Saxon and Anvil tonight. I've done this for 30 years... had everything on a silver plater, but they are so dedicated. There's a lot of love in the room for them both."
Underground:BehemothNergal: "I'm especially happy because it was the readers that voted for us. winning doesn't make us less underground. Bring underground is a mentality. We are still hungry and dangerous!"
Best Album:Lamb of godChris Adler: "We are honoured, privileged humbled to recive the award for best album for wrath. We put a lot of work into it and it's very nice to be recognised. We won best live band a couple of years ago and we really cherish it. We're sorry that we can't be there tonight but we are in finland playing with Metallica and that's the kind of gig you just can't turn down. We'll see you very soon. Stay metal!"
Sprirt of Hammer:SaxonBiff Byford: "I thought we were only here to play; I had no idea we'd won an award as well. What a brilliant surprise! We're having a great time here. It's been great for Doug [Scaratt] and Paul [Quinn] who met Steve Vai and didn't grovel too much. With the guys from Machine Head and Amon Amatyj around, it's been like a reunion of old mates!"
Metal as F***:Anvil
Lips: "it's not about making it - it's about enjoying it. And this has been one of the greatest night of my life. We've still got some touring to do, including some dates with AC/DC - it'll be incredible!"
Best label:RoadrunnerRobb Flynn: "They've doing metal for a long time, man. Sepultura, Biohazard, Obituary - they are the reasons we wanted to sign to roadrunner. We ant to do one run of headlining dates, then it's time for a record. I've got tons of riffs"
Icon:Marilyn Manson
Via email, sent the nest day: "I am honoured that metal hammer and the fans again decided I should be some sort of icon so I accept that title appropriately and I wish I could be there to accept the award because I would if melted the award into shank. So I could shank the f*** out of every goddamn f***ing journalist in the entire continent of the united kingdom except for metal hammer because they understand enough to give me the award with which I would shank the rest of the people"
Event of the year:Download
Andy Copping: I've been booking Download for seven years and we're supposed to be in a recession but this year's event was sold out by 80.000 fans for all the three days - that's never happened before. I book it like a fan - I get the bands that would make me go out and buy a ticket. So this award is for the fans."
Legend:Deff LeppardJoe Elliott: "Thanks from the bottom of our hearts. It's very cute tihs dead sheep's skull with a knife though it. Sorry we can't be there - we're on our way to the States to start our US tour. Thanks on behalf of the whole band and especially to Steel Panther who are collecting this on our behalf. Have a great evening and death to all but metal! Or is it death to all butt-metal?"
Best UK band:Iron Maiden
Bruce Dickinson: "Winning this was a bit unexpected. I thought we were just coming along for a few drinks and a night out. It;s the metal Hammer awards; if they ask you to come, and you're around, you come. And not only did we win one award, we won two! I'm have a great time."
Golden God:Iron MaidenNicko McBrain: "Being a Golden God is better then being a Silver God, my dear boy. It's wonderful that out fans voted for us. I think our success is based upon a drummer who gets better and better looking as the years go by."
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Marilyn not turning up?As news news decended that Marilyn Manson wouldn't be turning up to accept his Icon award, a slew of rumors began circulate backstage:
He got burnt at the stakeHaving nipped to Hampton Court to check out Henery VIII's maze, Manson was mistaken for a witch and given the blazing bum-cheek treatment by enraged locals.
Corset deathDetermination to tighten his corset even more than usual, Manson dislodged one of his few remaining ribs, which shot upwards and pireced his drug-addled brain. RIP
Pterodactyl ambushExciting the tube station on his way to the O2 arena, Manson was intercepted by a low-flying pterodactyl and deposited in its nest nest at the top of Westminister Abbey.
Sleepy time trainAfter imbibing a few cans of shandy on his was to the Gods show, Manson fell asleep on the train and ended up in Bognor Regis.
Contact lens fiascoManson some new weirdo contact lenses for the awards, but dropped one in his hotel room and is still looking for it.
Fear of the beardLargly hairless, Manson has irrational fear of beards and refused to leave his hotel room when he heard that Amon Amarth's Johan Hegg would be attending the show.
Brian in the rainCaught in a freak shower, Manson's make-up started to run and was accosted by a group of metal fans who thought he was King Diamond. Offended, he legged it.
High-speed squirtNot a big eater, Manson risked a dubious half-pound cheeseburger while in a sizzled state at download and has been firing hot liquid turd into the toilet ever since.
Sail failNever knowingly upstaged, Manson hired his own boat to sail down the Thames, but is such a rubbish sailor that he lost control and was last seen drifting towards Belgium.