First in Italy: Måneskin win MTV award for Best Rock act

Rome: Måneskin has become the first Italian band to win the ‘Best Rock’ category at the MTV Europe Music Awards, an annual event which honours the best acts on the international and European music scene.

The Rome rockers, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Italy in May and recently opened a show for the Rolling Stones in Las Vegas, saw off competition from Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, Kings of Leon and The Killers.

“This year, in particular, we must be proud of our country for the results achieved not only by us, but by many sporting and cultural personalities”, said Måneskin frontman Damiano David.

He also made reference to the defeat of Italy’s anti-homophobia Zan bill: “Pity about civil rights, where we continue to lag behind and which for us would have been the most important victory”.

The lead singer, dressed in suspenders and fishnet stockings, was joined on stage by bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi and drummer Ethan Torchio as they performed their hit single Mammamia.

The group’s triumph in Hungary was hailed by Italy’s culture ministry as “a victory for all Italian music.”

The news marks the latest success for the band which came second in the Italian version of the talent show X Factor in 2017, before winning the Sanremo Music Festival 2021, Italy’s biggest song contest, earlier this year.

Known for a sound fusing punk-funk and glam rock, Måneskin formed in Rome five years ago and started off by busking on the streets of the Italian capital.