The Beyond the Grooves Awards: 2023
Forget the Brits, the Ivor Novellos and even the Grammy’s. This is the award everyone wants to win.
2023 has been quite the year for music, we’ve had some brilliant songs, some unexpected albums, huge reunions, massive concerts, and some truly special moments.
So let’s celebrate a great year with some awards. This year’s awards have 7 categories.
- Best British Male
- Best British Female
- Best British Group
- Best International Group
- Best Newcomer
- Song of the Year
- Album of the Year
So here goes…
Best British Female:
I really should have called this award, best British females, because I’ve included a group alongside too brilliant solo artists.
The Last Dinner Party, being that group. Much like Wet Leg last year, they have come from nowhere and made a huge impact. With some absolutely brilliant pieces of music. ‘Nothing Matters’ and ‘My Lady of Mercy’ being the two standout songs for me.
Then we’ve got two brilliant artists, a relative newcomer in Holly Humberstone, and a real British icon in Florence & the Machine. Holly released her second album, ‘Paint My Bedroom Black’ in 2023, her second record in two years and has gone from strength to strength. Becoming a real star and one of the countries brightest musicians.
Florence went from strength to strength in 2023, following the release of ‘Dance Fever’ in 2022. She went on to tour the world, reinforcing herself as one of the very best female musicians ever. Fingers crossed 2024 brings some more new music from Florence.
The winner is….
I’ve given it to The Last Dinner Party, a band who have done some big things in 2023, and a band I can see making a huge impact on 2024. With a debut album on the way. The sky really is the limit for this band!
Best British Male:
Just as the females had three nominees, we’ve got the same for the males.
The first of which being an unexpected one for me. Vessel, the masked front man of Sleep Token. Who this time last year, I’d only ever heard the name of. However upon the recommendation of a good friend, following the release of the bands latest album ‘Take Me Back to Eden’ I gave them a listen and was surprised and intrigued. His voice is unique, and his songwriting brilliant. The mystique around him adds to it. As I’ve said he’s masked and no one really knows who he is, or who the rest of Sleep Token are for that matter. A truly amazing front man and songwriter.
The next two are a bit more traditional for me, we’ve gone for Gerry Cinnamon and Sam Fender. Two solo artists who have had a huge couple of years.
Gerry in 2022 took his epic live show from arenas and made the jump to stadiums, including two sold out shows at Hampden Park. Which in 2023 was released as a live album, which finally gave fans what they all wanted. ‘Discoland’ on streaming platforms.
Sam Fender had a huge 2023, headlining Reading & Leeds, playing two sold out shows at St James Park. The geordie Springsteen had transcended. He wasn’t that little indie singer anymore, he was a real force to be reckoned with.
And the winner is…
After those St James Park gigs, it had to be Sam, what’s next for him and the band. A shot at headlining the Pyramid Stage. It has to be!
Best British Group:
We’ve got a few more nominees for this one
A total of eight nominees. Noel and his high flying birds, released a fourth album this year, arguably his best post Oasis effort yet. With nods to his youth in Manchester and anthemic choruses littered throughout. Sleep Token, released the genre defying ‘Take Me Back to Eden’ which blended metal, stadium rock, and even r&b to create a masterpiece! Arctic Monkeys made the jump to stadiums, and played the biggest shows of their career so far. On a huge world tour, taking ‘The Car’ and the rest of the back catalogue out on the road.
Young Fathers released, one of the years best records ‘Heavy Heavy’ a collection of beautiful genre mashing pop songs, that sounds like nothing else around at the moment. Courteeners reinforced themselves as a huge band, getting their first number one album. With a reissue of ‘St Jude’ along with a sell out show at Manchester's Heaton Park.
Blur celebrated 30 years of ‘Modern Life is Rubbish’ with a sold out world tour, two nights at Wembley stadium and the small matter of a new album ‘The Ballad of Darren’.
Royal Blood had a year of highs and lows. With controversy at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, and a brilliant fourth album and intimate tour, they let the music do the talking in the end and rounded the year off well. The 1975 took to the road on their ‘At Their Very Best Tour’ playing the biggest shows to date, including a headline at Reading & Leeds and a huge Finsbury Park date.
And the winner is…
Britain’s best kept secret win the award, for an album that blew me away, and continues to blow me away. It’s an unbelievable record that was robbed of a Mercury Prize. An album that cannot be pigeon holed into one scene or genre. A brilliant piece of music! By a brilliant group. Britain’s Best Group.
Best International Group:
Just the three nominees for this award, but all three of them have had big years. For different reasons.
After the success of ‘Skinty Fia’ in 2022 Fontaines Dc took to the road in 2023 playing some huge shows, including shows in the states with Arctic Monkeys. Grian Chatten the bands front man even found time to release a solo album.
Haim celebrated ten years of ‘Days are Gone’ in 2023 with some massive shows, including a huge show in London at All Points East, as well as sold out shows across the globe.
Foo Fighters were back, for the first time since the loss of drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022. The band released ‘But Here We Are’ their most emotive and visceral record to date. Which saw the band come to terms with the loss of their drummer but also David Grohl try to come to terms with the loss of his mother. A Glastonbury show in June was another highlight for the band. Which saw them step foot in the UK for the first time since the tragic loss of Taylor.
The winner is…
After what they’ve been through over the last eighteen months. It could have only been Foo Fighters.
Best Newcomer:
Three more for this one.
The Last Dinner Party are nominated for their second award, it’s worth remembering that they are yet to release a debut album. All of this hype is coming from a handful of songs. 2024 will be huge for them.
Birmingham band The Clause have had a massive year, some huge support slots, playing on the main stages of festivals and finally the release of an EP, ‘Pop Culture’ with some indie classics on it. ‘Gabrielle’ being a real highlight.
The Royston Club, have had a massive year releasing a debut album ‘Shaking Hips & Crashing Cars’ one of the years best records. Full of brilliant songs from ‘52’ to the ‘The Deep End’ and let’s not forget ‘I’m a Liar’
And the winner is…
It had to be ‘The Royston Club’ their album is one of the years best, and may or may not have been nominated for album of the year. It’s a record full of brilliant songs, about being young, working class and all of the trials and tribulations that come with both. Live the band were busy too. Playing with some huge artists from Blossoms to Jamie Webster. 2024 will be a big one for the boys from Wrexham.
Song of the Year:
We are on to the big ones now, song of the year. We’ve had some huge bands and artists release songs this year. I narrowed it down to a list of 36 nominees!
We’ve had nominees from Noel Gallagher, Blur, Johnny Marr and even The Beatles, newcomers The Royston Club and The Last Dinner Party made the list, but who was the winner?
My most listened to song of 2023, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds with ‘Easy Now’ a slice of indie brilliance. With nods back to the great Oasis songs, it’s Noel and an acoustic guitar. A perfect return to form. After a couple of years of cosmic pop. Noel looked back with this song.
Album of the Year:
So this brings us to the end. The very last award and probably the most illustrious, album of the year. Which artist or band had the album that in my opinion was the best. Well we’ve got nine nominees.
We’ve got difficult second albums, genre bending masterpieces. Collaborative pieces of art. Underrated gems and massive surprises but which takes the crown of Beyond the Grooves album of the year. An award previously won by Stereophonics, Foals and Wolf Alice.
Well…
An album that came as a surprise to us all. Blur and The Ballad of Darren, was not something any of us could foresee 12 months ago. I suppose that’s what makes it great.
It was the band making an album for all of the right reasons. A real emotive affair, that showcases where Blur are now. Darren is much more than a name, it’s a representation of themselves. A final chapter, a curtain call perhaps. A brilliant album, definitely.
So that brings us to the end. Both of the awards and another year.
Thank you for all of your support, I love you all.
💜 Jack xx