The sixth annual awards honour the innovators shaping tomorrow’s scene, with English Teacher already recognised as this year’s Grassroots Heroes.

Since its launch, the Youth Music Awards has become a love letter to the UK’s grassroots music scene, a space to spotlight the people pushing culture forward from the ground up. Now in its sixth year, the ceremony returns with 43 nominees across 11 categories, celebrating the next generation shaping the future of music. 

 

This year’s ‘Grassroots Hero Award’, sponsored by Levi’s, goes to Leeds outfit English Teacher, recognising their commitment to uplifting overlooked and underfunded grassroots projects. It marks a full-circle moment for the band, who were first mentored via the Youth Music-funded Music:Leeds project in 2019, went on to win the ‘Rising Star Award (Artist’)’ in 2022, and hit a new milestone with their Mercury Prize nomination in 2024. “Youth Music were there for me at a time when I was struggling to find a way to keep pushing towards a career in music… I’m really grateful to them for being such an important part of my personal and the band’s evolution,” says frontwoman Lily Fontaine.

 

While English Teacher take home the only pre-announced award, the competition across the remaining categories is fierce. In the Inspirational Music Leader category, names like Rebecca Tunley of Soundabout stand out for championing learning-disabled young people, while Conscious Youth C.I.C are in the running for the ‘Outstanding Project Award’ thanks to their youth-led production house HD Sounds.

There’s fresh energy pulsing through the ‘Rising Star (Industry)’ nominees too, with Rightkeysonly – a Welsh EDM artist and accessibility advocate – lining up alongside Lucy Bridge and Usman Sheikh. Meanwhile, Sussex-based charity AudioActive, who’ve supported the likes of Rizzle Kicks, Rag’n’Bone Man and ArrDee, are up for the ‘Social Action Award’. 

 

‘The Lyricist Award’ sees fearless voices like Boudicca, JayaHadADreamand Rivkala go head-to-head, while the ‘Original Track’ categories showcase everything from the candlelit alt-folk of Garrett Laurie to the indie-folk textures of Hannah Paloma & James Jones, and the genre-bending chaos of Dia Day & Shogun Shato. And with the ‘Rising Star (Artist)’ shortlist stacked with future icons like Damsel Elysium, JayaHadADream and Leo Miyagee, the class of 2025 is looking seriously strong.

 

This year will also see the ‘Music Producer Award’ renamed in honour of Maxi Jazz, with Sister Bliss presenting the prize on the night. “Music changed our lives,” Bliss says, “and Maxi would absolutely support the belief that access to music education and mentorship is essential for our communities.” The ceremony will also spotlight Youth Music’s most ambitious fundraiser yet: Rescue the Roots. The campaign aims to raise £2 million to protect grassroots youth music projects from closure, with every pound donated matched up to £1 million.  

 

“Youth Music Awards are about recognising the people making real waves,” says Youth Music CEO Matt Griffiths. “With the arts continuing to suffer from funding cuts, we’re raising funds to ensure this quality of work can continue and support many more young people with their musical journeys.”

 

The 2025 Youth Music Awards, in association with Hal Leonard Europe, will take place at Troxy, London on Wednesday 15 October. The full list of nominees is available here.

Full list of nominees:

 

Inspirational Music Leader Award sponsored by The MU

  • Charlie Baxter (The Music Works)
  • Dan Tsu (Lyrix Organix)
  • Rebecca Tunley (Soundabout)

 

Outstanding Project Award sponsored by Rocksteady Music School

  • Circle of Light, Offshoots East Midlands CIC
  • Elevation Music, Conscious Youth C.I.C
  • Sea Garden, Magic Acorns
  • Soundabout Emerging Leaders, Soundabout
  • The Ambient Arcade, Soundplay

 

Rising Star Award (Industry) supported by People’s Postcode Lottery

  • Rightkeysonly (Sound Progression and Youth Music Wales)
  • Lucy Bridge (Youth Music Generator Fund)
  • Usman Sheikh (All Star Ents Ltd)

Social Action Award sponsored by Hal Leonard Europe 

  • Art Against Knives, THE LAB
  • AudioActive
  • Rhythm & Renewal, TiPP

 

Young Leader Award supported by Arts Council England

  • Eve Rose (Jack Drum Arts)
  • Miri Layzell (AudioActive)
  • Tom Rabbani (Brighter Sound)

 

Lyricist Award sponsored by PRS for Music

  • Boudicca (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • JayaHadADream (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Rivkala (First Notes, Youth Music Generator Fund)

 

Music Producer Award in memory of Maxi Jazz, presented by Sister Bliss

  • Afromerm (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • The Yard Woman (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Sweet Philly (Youth Music NextGen Fund)

 

Music Video Award supported by NOTION

  • EMiDORA – twenny one (happy birthday) (Offshoots East Midlands CIC)
  • Rivkala – Chess (Youth Music Generator Fund)
  • Saloni – Rani (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • simon a. – Taxidermy (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Kai Nero – Cook (The Spit Game)

 

Original Track Award (Group) sponsored by Marshall Amplification

  • Dia Day & Shogun Shato – Green Tea (Grounded Sounds, Raw Material Music & Media)
  • Hannah Paloma & James Jones – Long Train Rides (Youth Music NextGen Fund, Sound Progressions)
  • HULTON, TeeDemba, LivvyK & Richard Carter – Paper Chaser (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Nobody’s Secret – Wait Another Day (Young Sounds, Furthering Talent)
  • The 113 – Inside (Launchpad)
  • Zimmer Green – Hulton, Jamal, Georgia – Be Someone (Youth Music NextGen Fund)

 

Original Track Award (Solo) supported by DMS Vinyl

  • Coupdekat – M.I.A (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Garrett Laurie – Novak (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Mali Hâf – Esgusodion (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Leo Miyagee – Bills (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Saloni – Rani (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • simon a. – Fermi (Youth Music NextGen Fund)

 

Rising Star Award (Artist) supported by Pirate

  • Damsel Elysium (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • JayaHadADream (Youth Music NextGen Fund)
  • Leo Miyagee (Youth Music NextGen Fund)