Sound of... | |
---|---|
Awarded for | Most promising new music talent |
Country | United Kingdom |
Presented by | BBC Radio 1 |
First awarded | 2003 |
Currently held by | The Last Dinner Party (2024) |
Website | bbc |
Television/radio coverage | |
Network | BBC |
Sound of... is an annual BBC poll of music critics and industry figures to find the most promising new music talent. It was first conducted by the BBC News website in 2003, and is now widely covered by the corporation's online, radio and TV outlets, as well as other media. A 10-strong longlist is published each December, with a ranked shortlist and annual winner announced the following January.
Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Other nominees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 [18] | Celeste | easy life | YUNGBLUD | Joy Crookes | Inhaler | Arlo Parks, beabadoobee, Georgia, Joesef, Squid |
2021 [19] | Pa Salieu | Holly Humberstone | BERWYN | Greentea Peng | Griff | Alfie Templeman, Bree Runway, Dutchavelli, girl in red, The Lathums |
2022 [20] | PinkPantheress | Wet Leg | Mimi Webb | Lola Young | Central Cee | Baby Queen, ENNY, Priya Ragu, Tems, Yard Act |
2023 [21] | FLO | Fred again.. | Nia Archives | Cat Burns | Gabriels | Asake, Biig Piig, DYLAN, piri & tommy, Rachel Chinouriri |
2024 [22] | The Last Dinner Party | Olivia Dean | Peggy Gou | Tyla | Elmiene | Ayra Starr, Caity Baser, CMAT, Kenya Grace, Sekou |
It has been commented upon that the Sound of... survey creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, because the BBC has a significant amount of control on who becomes a "breakthrough act". And by adding the nominated acts to their radio playlists, they are guaranteeing some level of fame.
Guardian critic Kitty Empire wrote in December 2007: "Many of us are editors commissioning, and journalists writing, our own ones-to-watch forecasts. In order not to look like idiots, we tend to tip acts with records coming out rather than some lad with a tin whistle we found on MySpace." [23]
The same issue was again raised in 2011, upon the publication of the longlist for the Sound of 2012. The Daily Telegraph's Joe Burgis wrote "the Sound of 2012 project faces criticism that it is too heavily weighted in favour of mainstream performers." [24]
The head of music at BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra response to the question was "The list will inspire debate for sure, but most importantly, it will lead to discovery of artists and musicians trying to stand out from the ever-expanding crowd, and that can only be a good thing". [24]
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