If you saw Taylor Hawkins’ 17-year-old son crush the Foo Fighter‘s “My Hero” at September’s all-star tribute concert to his late father at Wembley Stadium (and a few weeks later at Kia Forum in Los Angeles), then you know the high schooler has some daunting drum skills.
Now Shane has some hardware to prove it. At January’s 2022 percussion-focused Drumeo Awards, Hawkins took home the Drum Performance of the Year honors. “The winner of this award put on a legendary, must-watch performance during 2022, either with a full band at an event or in a solo studio video,” read the description of the prize.
“16-year-old Shane Hawkins did just that, pouring his heart and soul into a live performance of ‘My Hero’ at a tribute concert dedicated to his late father and Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins. It touched millions of people and showed how much love, energy, and spirit can come out on the drum kit.”
The performances — which also included “I’ll Stick Around” at the L.A. show — touched hearts and blew minds across the globe thanks to Hawkins’ furious skills and the emotional resonance of watching the second-generation drummer channel the vibrancy and joy of his beloved dad; Taylor Hawkins, 50, was found dead in his hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia on the eve of the Foos’ planned headlining set at the Festival Estéreo Picnic.
In addition to veteran timekeepers Josh Freese, Omar Hakim and Travis Barker, the Foos were joined by a number of other drummers at the shows, including teen sensation Nandi Bushell and another amazing second generation skinsman, the Darkness’ Rufus Taylor. Introducing Shane at the London show, Foos singer/guitarist Dave Grohl said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone hit the drums as hard as this person … He’s a member of our family, and he needs to be here tonight with all of us.” A photo of Hawkins with Shane was shown on a big screen before the teen thrashed the kit for a moving “My Hero.”
Among the other winners at last month’s Drumeo’s (you can watch the whole thing here) were the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith (drummer of the year), Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg (drum recording of the year), Harry Styles live drummer Sarah Jones (pop drummer of the year), Terri Lyne Carrington (jazz drummer of the year), Fred Eltringham (country drummer of the year), Giulliana Merello (R&B/hip-hop drummer of the year), Nate Smith (soul/funk drummer of the year),Travis Barker (rock drummer of the year) and Genesis’ Phil Collins, who took home the prestigious lifetime achievement Buddy Rich Award.
Relive Shane Hawkins’ performance below.
