Youth Music,
the UK’s leading young people’s music charity,
has announced the nominees for the Youth Music Awards in association with Hal Leonard Europe, which will showcase the next generation of musical talent on Wednesday
18th October 2023
at Troxy, London.
Three of the nominated artists are part of Rap Club Productions C.I.C, a Croydon-based project that celebrates the vibrant potential of Black Youth Cultures and enables education
systems to authentically represent and support the young leaders within this.
Twin brothers, Boodz and TL, have attended the project since they were in their early teens and this year, both brothers have been nominated for the awards alongside their mentor
Benjamin Turner.
TL has been nominated for the Lyricist Award for his political and heartfelt song, Time Will Tell, which he wrote following the murder of his best friend after their GCSE exam. Boodz
made a name for himself by winning the 2022 Spit Game and, this year, is in the running for the Original Track Award (Solo).
Boodz and TL / Youth Music NextGen Community Event
Benjamin is a nominee for Inspirational Music Leader for his work supporting the young people at Rap Club Productions over many years, supporting them through Battle of the Bands
wins, performances at Disneyland Paris, Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena.
Competing with Boodz for Original Track Award (Solo) are fellow Londoners, Joe Winter and Yv Shells, recipients of Youth Music’s NextGen Fund for promising young artists. Joe’s music
is ethereal and unique, their voice and moves alike commanding attention, whereas Yv Shells’ music reflects on addictive relationships with a neo-soul and post-punk influenced sound. Yv Shells is also nominated for the Music Video Award, in which the winner is chosen by the public.
The awards represent a more diverse, inclusive and creative music industry, by platforming young people facing the biggest barriers to accessing music. Last year’s winners have achieved significant success since the awards, including Leeds band English Teacher, who won the Rising Star Award (Artist) and recently released a new single with Island Records and secured a slot at this year’s Glastonbury. In addition, artist, songwriter and producer
Sans Soucis, 2022 winner, has since gone on to sign a deal with Decca Records, and open
for Rina Sawayama.
Fleur East, singer-songwriter
and Hits Radio UK presenter, Amelia Dimoldenberg,
Chicken Shop Date star and youth services advocate and Joy Crookes,
singer and Brit nominated Rising Star,
were among the judges reviewing the awards. Categories include Original Track Award (Group),
Young Leader Award, Social Action Award, and Inspirational Music Leader Award, backed by sponsors including Spotify, TikTok and Ticketmaster.
Youth Music CEO, Matt Griffiths, says: “It’s so exciting to see the people and projects innovating within the grassroots music scene. Our judges were blown away by the level of talent
and inspirational stories amongst this year’s nominees. The Youth Music Awards continues to showcase what a more diverse future of music could look like, and we want the whole industry to
Take Note”.
Fleur East, singer-songwriter, Hits Radio UK presenter and Youth Music Awards judge, says: “Such
amazing talent in each of these categories, I thoroughly enjoyed discovering new talent and adding new artists to my playlist. It’s great to be part of a unique event which is clearly building a more diverse music industry of the future.”
Here are some of the other local nominees in the running:
Rising Star (Industry) Award
Rianna Lewis, NextGen fund recipient from London, is the definition of a self-starter, launching a music and networking event series, called RUN IT, that is now making waves in Europe.
Rianne is breaking through social and racial barriers to
launch her successful career, challenging its stereotypes as a male-dominated field with limited financial support and resources.
Social Action Award
The Amies Freedom Choirs has been nominated for the Social Action Award as a result of their work to support female survivors of human trafficking. Many members of the choir started
their journey at a point in life where they were struggling with confidence, self-worth, anxiety, and depression, and were facing challenges include housing, benefits, legal asylum processes, family, and health. The project gives these women a supportive space
to find joy, belonging and community through the collective act of making music.
This year’s Youth Music Awards invites the industry to ‘Take Note’ of how to promote diversity and inclusion in music, as music festivals and awards ceremonies continually
lack diversity. By equalising access for young people, we can strengthen the future of British music and help young people across the country make, learn, and earn through music.
The 2023 Youth Music Awards will take place at Troxy on Wednesday 18th
October, full details can be found at https://youthmusic.org.uk/awards.
