The Youth Music Awards have confirmed that the 2026 ceremony will take place in Liverpool, marking the first time the event has been held in the city.
The annual awards are the UK's largest celebration of grassroots music, recognising the next generation of artists while championing a more diverse and inclusive future for the British music industry.
After spending the past six years in London, the Youth Music Awards will head to Liverpool for the first time when the 2026 event takes place.
The decision reflects recent figures showing that 86 per cent of organisations supported by Youth Music are based outside London. It also highlights the growing need to strengthen support for emerging musicians and grassroots venues across the UK.
The move to the North West also comes as more than 33,500 young people remain on waiting lists for Youth Music programmes. Demand in northern England is currently 20 per cent higher than in the south, while around one third of projects funded by Youth Music are considering closing because of ongoing financial pressures.
The announcement follows a wider trend of major music awards moving beyond London. The MOBO Awards first left the capital in 2009 when the ceremony was staged in Glasgow, returning there again in 2011 before later visiting Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, and Manchester.
The BRIT Awards also left London for the first time in almost 50 years when the 2026 ceremony took place at Co Op Live in Manchester this February. The event is already set to return there next year. Meanwhile, the Mercury Prize was held in Newcastle for the first time in its history last year and is scheduled to return to the city again later this year.
This year's Youth Music Awards will take place on October 28, with more than 60 judges from across the music, media, and technology industries selecting the winners.
Among the artist judges are Myles Smith, BICEP, Snoochie Shy, ALT BLK ERA, Emily Makis, and lockdownT. Additional judges come from organisations including Apple, Meta, Sony Music, Spotify, Universal Music Group, and YouTube.
The move to Liverpool has also created 21 new paid job opportunities, giving young people practical experience behind the scenes of the event.
“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 Chief Executive Officer at Youth Music, also said the move reflects the organisation’s continued commitment to celebrating “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.”
The awards are open to recipients of the Youth Music NextGen Fund, as well as artists who have taken part in a Youth Music funded project at any point since January 2021. Nominees across all 11 categories will be announced later this year.
Sponsorship packages remain available, with further information available here.
In other Youth Music news, it was confirmed earlier this year that Sam Fender raised £50,000 through ticket sales from his ‘People Watching’ tour in support of the organisation.
The Newcastle singer received support early in his career through Generator, a North East programme funded by Youth Music. He has now given back to the charity, with his contribution matched through Youth Music’s Rescue The Roots campaign, a £2 million fundraising initiative designed to tackle the financial challenges facing grassroots youth music projects across the UK.
