2025 marks the second subsequent year that Nordoff & Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, will be holding their Northern Music Awards to celebrate breakthrough acts, chart-topping superstars and the people behind their scenes. Manchester’s Albert Hall served as the awards’ home last year: this time, they move to Liverpool Olympia, a theatre and indoor circus venue built in 1905 which now also hosts live music events. If the precedent set by last year’s event, and this year’s line-up of northern icons is anything to go by, then the Northern Music Awards seem set to be a night to remember once again.
The first wave of performance announcements for the night, which became public knowledge towards the end of January, included upcoming artists, local legends and exciting innovators from the areas surrounding Liverpool. Stockport heroes Blossoms are due to perform an acoustic set spanning their career, featuring highlights from their multiple chart-topping albums, including Gary, the latest addition to their impressive discography which marked their fourth number-one album upon its release in September 2024.
Joining Blossoms will be Chiedu Oraka, who has recently been making his name as a leading figure in northern rap music by blending traditional sounds of dancefloor-filling grime with impactful social poetry. Both Oraka and Luvcat, Liverpool’s most exciting upcoming artist who achieved a viral hit last autumn with ‘He’s My Man’, are nominated for the Newcomer of the Year award alongside Beth McCarthy, The KTNA, Pixey and Seb Lowe.
Receiving the Special Recognition award which honoured Melanie C last year, Liverpool legend Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds will take to the Olympia’s stage with his band to perform a selection of their classics. Speaking to Nordoff & Robbins, Broudie said that he is “excited to perform at the Liverpool Olympia and celebrate the immense talent that we continue to see thriving in the north”. The Lightning Seeds will also be joined by fellow Liverpudlian indie-rock legends The Zutons, with whom Broudie has worked with on production in the past.
The most prestigious award at the event, the eponymous Northern Music Award, will be given to cultural icon alternative Dr. John Cooper Clarke, who is also set to regale attendees with an intimate performance of his poetry. This was announced as part of Nordoff & Robbins’ second wave in February, which also saw last year’s Breakthrough Act and performers English Teacher honoured with the Album of the Year award for their stellar debut album This Could Be Texas.
In addition to the exciting artists attending and performing, the Northern Music Awards seeks to honour outstanding regional live music events, and have comprised a shortlist for their Festival of the Year award which includes Sheffield’s Tramlines and Liverpool’s Sound City, alongside Manchester’s own Neighbourhood and Parklife festivals. This award in particular will be determined by public vote via The Guide Liverpool, although the voting period closed earlier in February. This year’s Inspirational Venues of the Year award will honour Hebden Bridge’s The Trades Club, alongside Halifax’s Piece Hall which saw a performance from the aforementioned Lightning Seeds last summer.
This year’s Music and Culture for Wellbeing Award will honour an organisation, group or project that intertwines music, arts and culture into work combatting health, wellbeing and socio-economic issues. The shortlist includes Bridge Creative, Liverpool Philharmonic Music & Health Programme, Leeds-based Purple Patch Arts and Pyramid High Rise Music Group, Warren Records at The Warren Youth Project in Hull and Manchester’s own String of Hearts CIC. This award recognises an organisation working under a similar remit to that of Nordoff & Robbins themselves, who provide music therapy sessions in deprived areas.
With a total of sixteen awards, additional winners will be announced on the night, including Artist of the Year and DJ of the Year, won last year by Louis Tomlinson and DJ Paulette respectively. BBC 6 Music presenter Chris Hawkins will return as the host for 2025’s Northern Music Awards, which are due to take place on the 27th of March at Liverpool Olympia, with tickets offering a student discount available now. Funds raised from the Northern Music Awards will be put towards expanding Nordoff & Robbins’ music therapy provision.
