Youth Music Awards 2026 Heads to Liverpool in Landmark Relocation

The Youth Music Awards will relocate to Liverpool for its 2026 ceremony, organizers have confirmed.

As the United Kingdom’s foremost grassroots music honours, the event champions emerging musical talent and fosters a more diverse and inclusive landscape for British artists.

After six consecutive years in London, the 2026 edition will mark the awards’ debut in Liverpool.

The relocation reflects data indicating that 86% of Youth Music’s funded organisations operate beyond the capital, underscoring the need to bolster emerging artists and grassroots venues nationwide.

The shift to the North West also coincides with 33,500 young people awaiting placement in Youth Music programmes—a waitlist that is 20% larger in the North than in the South—while a third of funded projects report potential closure amid financial strain.

The relocation follows a wider exodus of music awards from London. The MOBOs broke the capital’s monopoly in 2009 with a Glasgow event, returning there in 2011 before moving to Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Manchester.

The BRIT Awards likewise hosted their 2026 ceremony beyond London for the first time in nearly five decades, at Manchester’s Co-Op Live this February, and will return there in 2027. The Mercury Prize, meanwhile, was staged in Newcastle last year—its inaugural out-of-London edition—and is set to return there later this year.

This year’s Youth Music Awards will occur on October 28, with more than 60 judges drawn from music, media and technology sectors determining the recipients.

The judging panel features artists such as Myles Smith, BICEP, Snoochie Shy, ALT BLK ERA, Emily Makis and lockdownT, alongside representatives from Apple, Meta, Sony Music, Spotify, Universal Music Group and YouTube.

The Liverpool move has created 21 new paid positions, offering young people hands-on industry experience.

“As someone whose journey started in grassroots music, I know how important it is to have people who believe in you and opportunities that help you take the next step, which is why I’m proud to be a judge for the Youth Music Awards 2026,” said singer-songwriter Myles Smith. “Access to music shouldn’t depend on where you’re from, who you know or what you can afford. I’m excited to see the awards head to Liverpool this year – a reminder that talent exists everywhere. I can’t wait to see this year’s nominations.”

Carol Reid, Interim Co-CEO of Youth Music, noted that the Liverpool relocation aligns with the awards’ mission to honour “young people and projects, fighting every day to ensure music remains open to everyone, regardless of their background or postcode.”

“At a time when grassroots music projects across the country face significant challenges, it’s more important than ever to recognise the talent, creativity and determination that exists in grassroots communities across the UK,” Reid added.

“We’re delighted to bring the Awards to Liverpool this year and celebrate the people helping to shape a music industry that is more diverse, inclusive and representative.”

Eligibility extends to recipients of the Youth Music NextGen Fund and any artist involved in a Youth Music–funded project since January 2021. Nominees across all 11 categories will be revealed later this year.

In related news, earlier this year Sam Fender generated £50,000 for the charity through ticket sales on his ‘People Watching’ tour.

The Newcastle artist, who benefited early on from the North East’s Youth Music–funded Generator programme, has now repaid the support. His contribution was matched by Youth Music’s Rescue The Roots campaign—a £2 million effort addressing the funding crisis facing grassroots youth music projects nationwide.

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