Skiddle champions emerging talent with Youth Music Awards sponsorship

The 2026 Youth Music Awards are fast approaching, taking place on Wednesday 28th October, and to show our commitment to supporting the next generation of rising stars, we’ll be sponsoring the Original Track Award (Solo).

Now in its seventh year, the ceremony heads outside of London for the first time, making the journey up to Liverpool to commandeer the historic St George’s Hall. The awards celebrate young people and projects helping to build a more diverse, inclusive and creative music industry, from artists and producers to young leaders and entrepreneurs.

The Original Track Award (Solo) recognises a track written and recorded by a solo artist from a Youth Music-funded project. All musical elements must be original, with cleared samples permitted. Previous winners include Sans Soucis and Coupedekat, and we’re excited to see who follows in their footsteps.

Across the other categories, the awards recognise talent both on stage and behind the scenes, celebrating artists, producers, young industry professionals and the projects supporting them. Previous winners include English Teacher, who received the Rising Star Award in 2022 before going on to win the Mercury Prize in 2024.

This year’s winners will be selected by more than 60 judges from across music, media and technology, with BICEP, Sister Bliss and Myles Smith among the names on the panel.

Skiddle’s Head of Partnerships, Duncan King, said:

“We’re proud to sponsor the Original Track Award (Solo), and we share Youth Music’s belief that emerging talent deserves the support and opportunities to succeed. That same belief drives our work at Skiddle, where we provide the necessary resources and guidance to help people across the events industry get started and to grow.”

For promoters and venues, supporting emerging artists is a vital part of keeping the live music scene thriving. We’re proud to play a part in recognising that talent and the projects helping it develop.

To find out more about this year’s ceremony, visit: youthmusic.org.uk/awards.