--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was never in music to make it to award…" description: "\"I was never in music to make it to award shows.\" — Ben Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/ben-howard-4511_award_i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award_2336517.png" --- # I was never in music to make it to award shows. ![“I was never in music to make it to award shows.” quote by Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/ben-howard-4511_award_i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award_2336517.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/ben-howard-4511_award_i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award_2336517.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/ben-howard-4511_award_i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award_2336517.png) > “I was never in music to make it to award shows.” [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. States his music isn’t aimed at awards but at authentic expression. **In simple terms:** Music is for expression, not accolades. Key Takeaway Focus on artistic integrity. Themes art authenticity recognition Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance - career planning Key Concepts creative purpose industry pressure Questions to Reflect On - Why do you create music? - How do you measure success? A Different Perspective Industry may still value awards, creating tension. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Award](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/award/) [Award shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/award-shows/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make Award](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-award-5639561/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-make/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) ## Related quotes > [I don't like the energy at award shows. It's rehearsed and everybody is just focused on themselves and nobody wants to genuinely applaud for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/i-don-t-like-the-energy-at-award-shows-it-s-rehearsed-and-everybody/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [You watch award shows, and not only are you not nominated, but you're not a presenter and haven't been invited to any of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-bateman/you-watch-award-shows-and-not-only-are-you-not-nominated-but-you-re/) [Justine Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-bateman/) > [At first, when you go to premieres and award shows, you're thinking, 'How the hell am I here? All these people I've never met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/at-first-when-you-go-to-premieres-and-award-shows-you-re-thinking-how/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [Actually, nobody has ever given me an award, and also, it's not really important in my life. I go to these award shows for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-madhavan/actually-nobody-has-ever-given-me-an-award-and-also-it-s-not-really/) [R. Madhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-madhavan/) > [Award shows in general are just lame excuses to stroke the egos of millionaires, but the 'ESPY's' are an especially embarrassing example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-evans/award-shows-in-general-are-just-lame-excuses-to-stroke-the-egos-of/) [Sean Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-evans/) > [I always felt that I was never acknowledged for a lot of things - award shows, all of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginuwine/i-always-felt-that-i-was-never-acknowledged-for-a-lot-of-things-award/) [Ginuwine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginuwine/) > [Award shows are fun but completely arbitrary and absurd. And yet, I will watch every single one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/award-shows-are-fun-but-completely-arbitrary-and-absurd-and-yet-i/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [I do not know why anyone would host an awards show. No matter how unbelievably well you do at it, the only thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-do-not-know-why-anyone-would-host-an-awards-show-no-matter-how/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [When you get performance slots for award shows - that's a big deal for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/when-you-get-performance-slots-for-award-shows-that-s-a-big-deal-for/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [One of the most memorable live performances of my career took place on the 2002 American Music Awards show when I had to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-mcgraw/one-of-the-most-memorable-live-performances-of-my-career-took-place/) [Tim McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-mcgraw/) > [I didn't watch the Emmys because - well, for one, I have been to awards shows, and I understand how it works. For another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-fuller/i-didn-t-watch-the-emmys-because-well-for-one-i-have-been-to-awards/) [Kurt Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-fuller/) > [In my life right now, in my music, and just overall I feel like I'm winning. It doesn't matter what this person is saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandy-norwood/in-my-life-right-now-in-my-music-and-just-overall-i-feel-like-i-m/) [Brandy Norwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandy-norwood/) > [ \[I\] go to the Golden Globes, the Grammys, all the awards shows. Just stuff you would never get to do as a regular person… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-peterson/i-go-to-the-golden-globes-the-grammys-all-the-awards-shows-just-stuff/) [Cassandra Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-peterson/) > [When people start writing songs for award shows, there's a very limited palette you can use. You end up not sounding like you. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dirnt/when-people-start-writing-songs-for-award-shows-there-s-a-very/) [Mike Dirnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dirnt/) > [Award shows are really silly. I'm very happy for the people that win the awards, and I can say they're really silly, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/award-shows-are-really-silly-i-m-very-happy-for-the-people-that-win/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) ## More by Ben Howard > [I have a platinum-selling record but I can walk around fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-have-a-platinum-selling-record-but-i-can-walk-around-fine/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [I've always thought I crossed this really weird gap between the pop world and some slightly more left-field singer-songwriter music, but everyone's always comparing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-ve-always-thought-i-crossed-this-really-weird-gap-between-the-pop/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [The only thing you can worry about is pleasing yourself and that's probably more impossible than pleasing other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/the-only-thing-you-can-worry-about-is-pleasing-yourself-and-that-s/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [I got thrust a guitar by my mum as a little kid and always played it. I sort of fell in and out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-got-thrust-a-guitar-by-my-mum-as-a-little-kid-and-always-played-it/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [“Oh come in from the confines of your own mind my dear Because worry is all you'll find there it's clear And tomorrow will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/oh-come-in-from-the-confines-of-your-own-mind-my-dear-because-worry/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [The U.K. is pretty good at being environmentally conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/the-u-k-is-pretty-good-at-being-environmentally-conscious/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [In England, it's usually cold. So surfing is more of an adventure where you're floating around in a big, dark, stormy sea rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/in-england-it-s-usually-cold-so-surfing-is-more-of-an-adventure-where/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [When you're playing guitar, it's the tiny little nuances that make the difference. For me, obviously, tunings is a huge one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/when-you-re-playing-guitar-it-s-the-tiny-little-nuances-that-make-the/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [Coming from the U.K., you realize how quiet England is, and as soon as you get to America, it's really big and brash and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/coming-from-the-u-k-you-realize-how-quiet-england-is-and-as-soon-as/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [“And the whole town just stood there crying, Looking at the darkness, For something wholesome and good”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/and-the-whole-town-just-stood-there-crying-looking-at-the-darkness/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [The world is a very noisy place and so I don't need to shout about things. There are so many people shouting and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/the-world-is-a-very-noisy-place-and-so-i-don-t-need-to-shout-about/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [We are taught these days that being famous is more important than actually doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/we-are-taught-these-days-that-being-famous-is-more-important-than/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [We'd get residencies in the local pubs. It was just an excuse to have a free tab at the bar, and then at some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/we-d-get-residencies-in-the-local-pubs-it-was-just-an-excuse-to-have/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [I met Xavier Rudd at a surf festival in England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-met-xavier-rudd-at-a-surf-festival-in-england/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [The music you play, it's never intended for other people, so it's quite amazing dealing with stuff now, because obviously any tracks I write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/the-music-you-play-it-s-never-intended-for-other-people-so-it-s-quite/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) [Explore all 110 Ben Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) ## More Award quotes > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [I love my role in 'Deshamuduru' but I did not get any award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali/i-love-my-role-in-deshamuduru-but-i-did-not-get-any-award/) [Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [Some of my contemporaries don't want to talk about the female problem because they feel like whenever they get a teaching position or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/du-yun/some-of-my-contemporaries-don-t-want-to-talk-about-the-female-problem/) [Du Yun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/du-yun/) > [I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-not-a-great-believer-in-awards-of-course-the-fact-that-i-ve-never/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Any award the NBA gives you, whether it's on the court or off the court, it's definitely an honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-thompson/any-award-the-nba-gives-you-whether-it-s-on-the-court-or-off-the/) [Tristan Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristan-thompson/) > [I look to a time when brotherhood needs no publicity; to a time when a brotherhood award would be as ridiculous as an award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-mich/i-look-to-a-time-when-brotherhood-needs-no-publicity-to-a-time-when-a/) [Daniel D. Mich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-mich/) > [I am not after any award. Love and affection of the audience is the biggest award for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukesh-tiwari/i-am-not-after-any-award-love-and-affection-of-the-audience-is-the/) [Mukesh Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukesh-tiwari/) > [I don't like the energy at award shows. It's rehearsed and everybody is just focused on themselves and nobody wants to genuinely applaud for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/i-don-t-like-the-energy-at-award-shows-it-s-rehearsed-and-everybody/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [You don't want to make awards the reason you're doing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/you-don-t-want-to-make-awards-the-reason-you-re-doing-things/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) > [Winning or not winning an award doesn't affect me. I just like to do my work in the best possible manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kk/winning-or-not-winning-an-award-doesn-t-affect-me-i-just-like-to-do/) [KK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kk/) > [I don't feel I have to acknowledge how I'm doing by an award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/i-don-t-feel-i-have-to-acknowledge-how-i-m-doing-by-an-award/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [I never thought I would get a National Award. For me, it was huge, and I got complacent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/i-never-thought-i-would-get-a-national-award-for-me-it-was-huge-and-i/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [You don't do a play to compete for an award. This was the argument I always had over the Oscars. I didn't win them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/you-don-t-do-a-play-to-compete-for-an-award-this-was-the-argument-i/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I was on MTV's 'Real World' at the time when 'Queer Eye' came out. I remember, the first time I won an award, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karamo-brown/i-was-on-mtv-s-real-world-at-the-time-when-queer-eye-came-out-i/) [Karamo Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karamo-brown/) [Browse all 647 Award quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/award/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was never in music to make it to award shows.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award-shows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Award" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award-shows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/ben-howard-4511_award_i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award_2336517.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/ben-howard-4511_award_i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award_2336517.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/ben-howard-4511_award_i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award_2336517.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was never in music to make it to award shows.” — Ben Howard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ben Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was never in music to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award-shows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/i-was-never-in-music-to-make-it-to-award-shows/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```