Music stars honoured at first 'Brit Awards of the North'

Louis Tomlinson, The Courteeners and Aitch were among the winners at the inaugural Northern Music Awards, which organisers hope will become the "Brits of the North".

The event, held in Manchester on Tuesday, was set up to celebrate talent from across the north of England.

Former One Direction star Tomlinson, hailing from Doncaster, was named artist of the year - beating fellow South Yorkshire singer Self Esteem and Newcastle's Sam Fender.

The Courteeners - whose 2008 debut album finally reached number one in 2023 after being reissued - won band of the year.

The Courteeners frontman Liam Fray said it was "really exciting to be part of a really special night for the north".

He said there was space for an awards ceremony championing acts from places like Manchester. "We do feel like we do things differently," he told the BBC.

"I know it’s a bit of a cliché. I think everybody, whatever region you're from, feels a bit 'us and them'.

"It's more of a celebration. I think that's on everybody's mind - should you have to do your own [awards]? But yeah, why not?"

The event was organised by music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins, which has staged the Silver Clef awards in London since 1976.

Mancunian rapper Aitch took the prize for music moment of the year for his performance at Glastonbury 2023, while his manager Michael Adex received the industry icon title at the age of just 27.

Veteran Manchester DJ Paulette, who was one of only two women to have had a monthly residency at the Hacienda nightclub, was named DJ of the year.

Melanie C, from near Liverpool, received a special recognition award, days after reuniting with the Spice Girls at Victoria Beckham's 50th birthday party.

Rochdale's Lisa Stansfield, known for hits like All Around the World and People Hold On in the 1980s and 90s, took the northern icon award.

"It's sort of scary," she said of the honour. "When people give you a title, it's like, do you have to live up to it? You sort of do."

Musicians from the north have "completely dominated the world" at times, from The Beatles onwards, she said.

"You can't keep us down and I think that's why we should be recognised. We are recognised, but I think we should be recognised as northerners."

Early in her career, she was often stereotyped because of her accent when she went to London, she said.

"Very often, if you opened you mouth and you sounded like me, everyone assumed that you were just a bit thick. And nobody thinks like that any more."

The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, who also received an honorary prize, said an event like the Northern Music Awards was "a long time coming".

Two newer indie bands were rewarded for recent success.

Rising Leeds stars English Teacher won newcomer of the year in the week their acclaimed debut album went into the top 10.

And The K's, from Earlestown in Merseyside, whose own debut LP went top 10 last week, were named breakthrough act of the year.

Meanwhile, The Reytons, who have sold their independently-released albums from pop-up shops in Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre, were given the award for disruptor of the year.

It was a good night for artists from Yorkshire, Manchester and Merseyside - but less so for the north-east, with Fender and rock band The Pale White the region's only nominated acts.

Nadra Shah, Nordoff and Robbins director of engagement and communications, hopes the Northern Music Awards will be held in a different city every year.

She said: "If I were to be really bold, I'd say I'd love for it to become like the Brits of the North - an established award show that attracts the highest talent, the biggest names, and in doing so raises a shedload of money for the organisation and enables us to continue doing what we do, which is delivering music therapy to people that need it most."

The charity is currently raising funds to open a dedicated music therapy centre in Salford.

The winners in full:

• Artist of the year - Louis Tomlinson

• Band of the year - The Courteeners

• DJ of the year - DJ Paulette

• Newcomer of the year - English Teacher

• Breakthrough act of the year - The K’s

• Music moment of the year - Aitch at Glastonbury

• Special recognition award - Melanie C

• Northern icon award - Lisa Stansfield

• Northern music award 2024 - Tim Burgess

• Disruptor award - The Reytons

• Festival of the year - Beat-Herder, Lancashire

• Inspirational venue of the year (under 500) - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

• Inspirational venue of the year (under 2,000) - Band on the Wall, Manchester

• Industry icon - Michael Adex, NQ

• Music and culture for wellbeing award - DanceSyndrome, Everybody Dance, Lancashire