Iron Maiden lead Kerrang! Awards nominations

Left to right, Iron Maiden's Janick Gers, Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith at last year's O2 Silver Clef Awards

Iron Maiden lead the Kerrang! Awards nominations with two nods as rock veterans Guns N' Roses and Metallica are also honoured.

The Leyton-formed heavy metal band, who have been together for 41 years, are up for best British band and best album for The Book Of Souls, their first offering in five years, at the ceremony at east London's Troxy on June 9.

Matching their two nominations are relative young guns and fellow best British band nominees Biffy Clyro and Asking Alexandria, plus US band All Time Low, who could take home best track or best international band.

Completing the nominations for best British band are Bring Me The Horizon and Enter Shikari, while Metallica will face down PVRIS, A Day To Remember and Fall Out Boy for the international equivalent.

Best event is perhaps the most diverse category of the night, led by the stage reunion of Slash, Axl Rose and Duff McKagan for the first time in 23 years at their Guns N' Roses Las Vegas shows.

The band go toe-to-toe with teen favourite 5 Seconds of Summer's Sounds Live Feels Live tour, Slipknot's explosive Alexandra Palace shows, Biffy Clyro's Edinburgh Hogmanay performance, and You Me At Six's benefit show for band The Ghost Inside after their horrific bus crash last year.

Festivities will be led by Justin Hawkins of The Darkness and Skindred's Benji Webb and, f or the first time, the ceremony will be combined with a live-gig kicked off by Asking Alexandria and special guests.

Kerrang! editor James McMahon called the nominations a "bloodbath", saying: "There's no category you look at and think, 'Yup, Guns N' Roses are going to walk away with that', and I think that's testament to just what a strong rock scene - globally, and closer to home - we exist within right now.

"It's going to be a bloodbath. Many brilliant bands are going to go home disappointed. I might start drinking now."

Tickets are on sale now at www.kerrangtickets.co.uk.