Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
The Smash Hits Poll Winners Party was an awards ceremony which ran from 1988 to 2005. Each award winner was voted by readers of the Smash Hits magazine. It ended with the closure of the magazine in February 2006.
The event was initially produced by Harvey Goldsmith and Janet Street-Porter. Tim Byrne also worked on the show. Bryne now works alongside Simon Cowell.
The awards ceremony was shown on BBC1 from 1988 to 2000 then later on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2005. During 2004 and 2005 it was renamed to T4 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. Past presenters have included Phillip Schofield, Simon Mayo, Andi Peters, Toby Anstis, Lily Savage, Ant and Dec, Will Smith, Melanie Sykes, June Sarpong and Vernon Kay. Past group winners have included Bros, New Kids on the Block, Take That, Spice Girls, Boyzone, Westlife, Busted and Girls Aloud.
The event was notorious for the incident in 1991 involving Phillip Schofield and Carter USM, when the band's performance was cut short, causing them to trash up the stage. Following this, when Schofield made a remark about the band's behaviour, their guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter rugby tackled Schofield. The band was temporarily banned from performing on television, but its ticket sales for its tour soared.
The award itself was seen as a gimmicky object by many outside the magazines readership, including winners such as rock bands (who only ever won their own genre-based category "Best Rock", although Coldplay were once nominated for Best Band). It was an oversized fake gold disc bearing the magazine's logo, turned slightly by 45 degrees to the left placed in a black stand.
The ceremony was publicised by Anita Strymowicz for several years. The Smash Hits Poll Winners Party Party, a post-show bash gained almost as much coverage as the event itself with most of the artists and bands attending.
1988 awards
Phillip Schofield was the host.
1989 awards
Phillip Schofield was the host.
1990 awards
Phillip Schofield was the host.
1991 awards
Phillip Schofield was the host.
1992 awards
Simon Mayo and New Kids on the Block member Jordan Knight hosted the event.
1993 awards
Andi Peters was the host.
1994 awards
Will Smith was the host.
1995 awards
Andi Peters and Dani Behr were the hosts.
1996 awards
Ant & Dec and Lily Savage were the hosts.
1997 awards
Ant & Dec and Jayne Middlemiss were the hosts.
1998 awards
Melanie Sykes, Stephen Gately, Meat Loaf and Will Smith were the hosts.
1999 awards
Steps and veteran comedian Bob Monkhouse were the hosts.
2000 awards
The hosts for this year were Katy Hill, Louise Redknapp and Richard Blackwood.
2001 awards
Vernon Kay, Margherita Taylor, Emma Bunton, Ritchie Neville, Brough Scott and Derek Thompson were the hosts.
2002 awards
Vernon Kay hosted again but this time he was joined by June Sarpong and Kelly Osbourne who had to leave midway through the awards.
- Best Band On Planet Pop - Westlife
- Best UK Band - Blue
- Best International Act - Westlife
- Woolworths Best Newcomer On Planet Pop - Gareth Gates
- Best Live Act - Blue
- Best Male Solo - Gareth Gates
- Best Female Solo - Pink
- Best Dance Act - Lasgo
- Best Rock Act - The Calling
- Best R&B/Garage Act - So Solid Crew
- Woolworths Best Single - Liberty X: "Just a Little"
- Best Album - Sugababes: Angels with Dirty Faces
- Most Fanciable Male - Gareth Gates
- Most Fanciable Female - Holly Valance
- Party Mentalist of the Year - Brian McFadden
- Mouth Almighty of the Year - Jade Goody
- Top of Mop Award - Gareth Gates
- Flop Mop Award - Christina Aguilera
- Best Dressed Male in Pop - Darius
- Best Dressed Female in Pop - Liz McClarnon
- Worst Dressed Person in Pop - Christina Aguilera
- Top TV Programme of the Year - EastEnders
- Top Movie of the Year - Austin Powers in Goldmember
- Most Evil Man in Pop - Simon Cowell
- Most Hideous (The Most Minging Thing Ever) - Jade Goody
- Special Award: Smash Hits Cover of the Year - Westlife
- Top Pop Pair Award (for the perfect couple) - MC Harvey and Alesha Dixon
- Best Music Video - Will Young: Light My Fire
- Hall of Fame - Westlife
2003 awards
- Best band in the world ever - Busted
- Stars of the year - Busted
- Most fanciable male - Justin Timberlake
- Most fanciable female - Beyoncé
- Best male solo artist - Gareth Gates
- Best female solo artist - Christina Aguilera
- Best dressed female - Rachel Stevens
- Best dressed male - Duncan James
- Comeback king/queen - Mark Owen
- Best urban act - Big Brovaz
- Best rock act - Good Charlotte
- Best international act - Westlife
- Best UK band - Busted
- Best dance act - DJ Sammy
- Hot new talent - Girls Aloud
- Best single - Gareth Gates (Sunshine)
- Best album - Busted (Busted)
- Best music video - Beyoncé (Crazy in Love)
- Best dancer - Justin Timberlake
- Top pop mop - Matt Willis
- Flop pop mop - Kelly Osbourne
- Best movie - Pirates of the Caribbean
- TV show of the year - Pop Idol
- Worst single - Fast Food Rockers (Fast Food Song)
2004 awards
- most fanciable male
- winner: Danny Jones
2005 awards
Hosts were Steve Jones and Miquita Oliver
- Smash Hits Stars Of The Year
- Winner: McFly
- Runners up: Gwen Stefani, Green Day, Girls Aloud, Rachel Stevens
- Best UK Band
- Winner: McFly
- Runners up: Coldplay, Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Kaiser Chiefs
- Best Solo Artist
- Winner: Lee Ryan
- Runners up: Kelly Clarkson, James Blunt, Rachel Stevens, Gwen Stefani
- Best Single
- Winner: McFly - All About You
- Runners up: James Blunt - You're Beautiful, Mario - Let Me Love You, Push the Button - Sugababes, Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
- Best Album
- Winner: McFly - Wonderland
- Runners up: Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business, Sugababes - Taller In More Ways, Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby, James Blunt - Back To Bedlam
- Best International Band
- Winner: Green Day
- Runners up: Westlife, Pussycat Dolls, Destiny's Child, Black Eyed Peas
- Best Rock Act
- Winner: Green Day
- Runners up: My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs
- Best Dance Act
- Winner: Uniting Nations
- Runners up: Basement Jaxx, Mylo, Crazy Frog, Bodyrockers
- Best R'n'B Act
- Winner: Akon
- Runners up: Usher, Pussycat Dolls, Ciara, Craig David
- Best Hip Hop Act
- Winner: Eminem
- Runners up: 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg
- Best Video
- Winner: Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha
- Runners up: Sugababes - Push The Button, Girls Aloud - Wake Me Up, Eminem - Ass Like That, Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
- Party Animal Of The Year
- Winner: Charlotte Church
- Runners up: Danny Jones, Anthony Hutton, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan
- Hot New Talent
- Winner: Son of Dork
- Runners up: Lucy Silvas, Ciara, Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna
- Favourite Ringtone
- Winner: Crazy Frog
- Runners up: McFly - All About You, McFly - I'll Be OK, Charlotte Church - Crazy Chick, Akon - Lonely
- Hottest Showbiz Couple
- Winner: Cheryl Tweedy and Ashley Cole
- Runners up: David and Victoria Beckham, Jordan and Peter Andre, Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
- Sh! Style Icon
- Winner: Gwen Stefani
- Runners up: Fergie, Nikki Sanderson, Nadine Coyle, Rachel Stevens
- Best TV Show
- Winner: EastEnders
- Runners up: The X Factor, The OC, Big Brother, Lost
- TV Star Of The Year
- Winner: The X Factor Judges - Simon/Louis/Sharon
- Runners up: Nigel Harman, Ant and Dec, Shane Ritchie, Adam Brody
- Best Movie
- Winner: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Runners up: Herbie: Fully Loaded, Madagascar, The Wedding Crashers, Dukes Of Hazzard
- Movie Star Of The Year
- Winner: Johnny Depp
- Runners up: Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Will Smith, Chad Michael Murray
- Best Sports Star
- Winner: David Beckham
- Runners up: Frank Lampard, Gavin Henson, Andrew Flintoff, Wayne Rooney
- Most Fanciable Female
- Winner: Rachel Stevens
- Runners up: Cheryl Tweedy, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson, Beyoncé
- Most Snoggable Male
- Winner: Danny Jones
- Runners up: Billy Joe, Orlando Bloom, Kenzie (rapper), Dougie Poynter
- Best Dressed Star
- Winner: Kylie Minogue
- Runners Up: Rachel Stevens, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Tweedy, Jessica Simpson
- Worst Dressed Star
- Winner: Britney Spears
- Runners up: Gwen Stefani, Kelly Osbourne, Paris Hilton, Jodie Marsh
- Best Newcomers Award
- Brother2brother
- Top Mop (Best Hair)
- Winner: Dougie Poynter
- Flop Mop (Worst Hair)
- Winner: Peter Andre