NORTHERN MUSIC AWARDS SET FOR RETURN IN 2025 WITH EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE FROM DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE
By Keira Knox
The Northern Music Awards are the only accolades created especially to honour musical talent in the North, and they were first presented in Manchester in 2024. The event will benefit Nordoff and Robbins, which offers vital music therapy to people with autism, dementia, learning disabilities, brain injuries, terminal diseases, mental health conditions, trauma, and bereavement. In 2024, Nordoff and Robbins’ main service area is the North of England, where 164 partner organisations and 55 music therapists will provide over 23,500 music therapy sessions, improving the lives of over 6,500 people.
The 2025 Northern Music Awards sponsored by Ticketmaster and Live Nation will be held at the Liverpool Olympia on Thursday 27th March.
In addition to an exclusive acoustic set by Stockport-based band Blossoms and proud Liverpudlian Ian Broudie taking to the stage with Lightning Seeds, this year’s event, which was created to recognise and celebrate the diversity of musical talent across the North of England, will see renowned poet and cultural icon Dr. John Cooper Clarke accept the highly regarded 2025 Northern Music Award while delivering a personal set of his distinctive style of poetry. The Zutons, another homegrown group of indie rockers, Luvcat, a fast-rising artist who is also on the shortlist for Newcomer of the Year, and Chiedu Oraka, a lyricist and prominent player in Northern rap, will also be performing.
The highly regarded English Teacher will be awarded the Album of the Year honour. The band created noise in 2024 after they won Newcomer of the Year at the first Northern Music Awards. Their album, ‘This Could Be Texas,’ is being praised by both fans and reviewers for its daring sound and avant-garde lyrics. Yungblud will receive this year’s Disruptor in Music award for his bold sound and innovative artistic vision. With his wild blend of rock, pop, and punk inspirations, Yungblud has amassed a global fan base. By utilising his platform to elevate marginalised voices and address issues of identity, mental health, and society, he has struck a deep chord with fans who view him as a spokesperson for their generation.
Tickets are available for purchase online, with prices starting at £40 + £1 venue restoration levy. A complimentary souvenir booklet, a gift from Flare Audio, and admission to an exclusive Northern Music Awards afterparty at BOXPARK Liverpool with a complimentary welcome drink are all included in the ticket price.
The Northern Music Awards honour the Northern venues that present up-and-coming artists and international superstars in addition to honouring the gifted musicians and artists from all throughout the North. The following venues will receive this year’s Seat Unique-sponsored Inspirational Venue of the Year honours, with a portion of the sponsorship price going to the Music Venue Trust.
The evening will also see the announcement of additional prizes, such as DJ of the Year, which will go to a successful Northern headliner and radio DJ, and Artist of the Year, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which will go to an artist who has had an outstanding 12 months of releases and performances. The Guide Liverpool’s readers have cast hundreds of votes for the Festival of the Year award, and the winner will also be announced that evening.
In order to ensure that every Northern city is represented, the Northern Music Awards, which are hosted by Chris Hawkins of BBC Radio 6 Music and include specially commissioned prizes created by contemporary British artist Thomas Wolski, are held in a different Northern city each year. Funds from the Northern Music Awards will be used to expand Nordoff and Robbins’ music therapy services in Liverpool and throughout the North of England. The organisation uses music as a creative health intervention to improve mental health and well-being, foster connections, and lessen social isolation in a variety of local communities.
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