Youth Music Awards 2026: Liverpool Hosts Ceremony, Nominees Announced

The Youth Music Awards are relocating for their 2026 ceremony, moving from London to Liverpool for the first time since its inception in 2019.

The event will be held at St George's Hall on October 28th, aiming to highlight promising artists and community initiatives that are shaping the future of British music. The nominations for 2026 cover 11 categories, recognizing both on-stage and behind-the-scenes talent, as well as young leaders dedicated to making the UK music industry more inclusive.

A panel of over 60 judges from various sectors, including representatives from major companies like Apple, Meta, Sony Music, Spotify, Universal Music Group, and YouTube, will determine the winners. Esteemed artist judges include BRIT Award winner Myles Smith, DJ duo Bicep, rock band ALT BLK ERA, Faithless member Sister Bliss, and BBC Radio 1Xtra/BBC Introducing presenters Snoochie Shy and Jess Izsatt.

Several artists from Liverpool are among this year's nominees, including singer-songwriters Livvy K, Bethane, and Astles, as well as rapper KOJ, giving the host city a significant presence in the shortlist.

In the Rising Star (Artist) category, nominees include bilingual rapper Hulton, Livvy K, Marz Fay, Righteous Reck, and Roukaya B. The Lyricist award nominees are Astles, KOJ, M. Yesekaon, and Sunkissed Child, while the Music Video award features Dayzy, Hillarynx, and Simon A.

The move to Liverpool is expected to generate 23 paid opportunities for young people in the city and the wider North West region, covering roles such as photographers, PR assistants, content creators, and event runners. The Youth Music Awards Access Fund, supported by Sony Music, will also assist nominees with their travel expenses for the event.

Notably, three recent Mercury Prize winners have previously been supported by Youth Music-affiliated projects: Sam Fender (2025) received initial funding through Generator in Newcastle; English Teacher (2024) won the Youth Music Awards' Rising Star award in 2022; and Ezra Collective (2023) developed through London youth groups Tomorrow's Warriors and Kinetika Bloco.

Carol Reid, interim co-CEO at Youth Music, expressed her excitement: "We’re so excited to announce this year's Youth Music Awards nominees. It's an inspiring snapshot of what a more diverse and creative music industry could look like, if we support grassroots music. These are the future changemakers of our industry."

The full list of nominees is as follows:

Rising star award (industry)

Honey Keenan
Jed Wright
Rianne Lewis

Rising star award (artist)

Hulton
Livvy K
Marz Fay
Righteous Reck
Roukaya B

Lyricist award

Astles
KOJ
M. Yesekaon
Simon A
Sunkissed Child

Music video award

Dayzy
Hillarynx
IMVN
Simon A

Music producer award

Cherry Seraph
IMVN
Jelia
Melba

Original track award (group)

C4Truth & RHIA
Ronn & Zuko Rosemeid
TRACKS COLLECTIVE

Original track award (solo)

BEASTIE
Bethane
Hana
Shiloh
ONYINYÉ
YV Shells

Outstanding project

Blue Cabin, This is the Place (North East)
Carousel, The Rock House (South East)
Conscious Youth CIC, Elevation Music (Yorkshire & The Humber)
Jack Drum Arts, Growing Green Music (North East)
Jubacana, Music Futures (North West)