State Champ Radio U.K.
Page: 13
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (via Columbia) is sowing the seeds for a second week atop the U.K. chart.
Based on midweek sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, “Flowers” is “storming” ahead of its rivals.
If it holds its ground, “Flowers” would become the U.S. pop star’s longest-reigning U.K. No. 1, and her only single to spend multiple weeks at the summit. Her previous leaders “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” both logged single stints at No. 1 back in 2013.
“Flowers” got away to a fast start around the globe, smashing Spotify’s one-week streaming record, and bowing at No. 1 in Australia.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In the U.K., “Flowers” leads an unchanged top 5 on the midweek chart, which is completed by singles from Raye, SZA, Taylor Swift, and Venbee & Goddard, respectively.
Meanwhile, hot Afrobeats artist Rema is eying a new peak position with “Calm Down” (Mavin), up 9-6 on the Official Chart Update, while Tiësto and Tate McRae’s “10:35” (up 17-14 via Atlantic/Ministry of Sound) and Cian Ducrot’s “I Will Be Waiting” (up 23-19) are on the climb.
The highest new entry on the forthcoming Official U.K. Singles Chart could belong to Headie One, with “Martin’s Sofa” (Relentless) on track for a No. 9 debut. If it stays put, “Martin’s Sofa” would give the London rapper and songwriter a fifth U.K. top 10 and 13th top 40 appearance.
The only other new arrival in the midweek top 40 belongs to Ed Sheeran, with “F64” (Atlantic), the Brit’s tribute to his friend Jamal Edwards, the late founder of SBTV, who died in Feb. 2022 from cardiac arrhythmia after taking recreational drugs, aged 31.
“F64” is on target for a No. 33 start, which would give Sheeran his 58th top 40 hit.
All will be revealed when the national weekly chart is published this Friday (Jan. 27).
The Reytons could ride all the way to No. 1 in the U.K. with What’s Rock And Roll? (via The Reytons), the British indie band’s third LP.
Formed in South Yorkshire, the Reytons take pole position on the midweek survey and, assuming the album continues to reach fans in the second half of the chart week, should set a new career-best performance.
The group previously cracked the top 40 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with May Seriously Harm You And Others Around (No. 27) and Kids Off The Estate (No. 11), both from 2021.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
It’s not the only rock album rolling to a top 5 berth. Black Star Riders are racing to No. 2 with Wrong Side Of Paradise (Earache), the band’s fifth studio album. Featuring several members of Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders bagged top 40 appearances with each of their previous four LPs: 2013’s All Hell Breaks Loose (No. 25), 2015’s The Killer Instinct (No. 13), 2017’s Heavy Fire (No. 6) and 2019’s Another State Of Grace (No. 14).
Meanwhile, 2021 Eurovision winners Måneskin are tracking for a first-ever U.K. top 10 album with Rush (Columbia). It’s new at No. 3 on the Official Chart Update.
The rockers — Damiano David, Victoria De Angelis, Ethan Torchio and Thomas Raggi — made history when, in June 2021, they landed two singles in the U.K. top 10 (“I Wanna Be Your Slave” and the cover “Beggin’”), becoming the first Italian act to do so. Måneskin previously impacted the Official U.K. Albums Chart with Teatro d’ira – Vol. I (No. 49), also from 2021.
Also eyeing a top 10 debut is Dublin outfit The Murder Capital, with Gigi’s Recovery (Human Season). It’s new at No. 7 on the chart blast. Meanwhile, recordings from electronic-leaning outfit Ladytron (Time’s Arrow at No. 17 via Cooking Vinyl), metal act Riverside (ID.Entity at No. 22 via Inside Out), Welsh artist and Velvet Underground founding member John Cale (Mercy at No. 37 via Double Six), and NYC rock band We Are Scientists (Lobes at No. 38 via 100 Percent Records) are set to make a splash.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday (Jan. 27).
All Quiet on the Western Front leads this year’s BAFTA nominations with 14 nods, which puts it in a tie with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) as the most-nominated non-English language film in BAFTA history.
The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All at Once are tied for second place in overall nominations this year with 10 nods.
All three of these films are nominated for best original score. Volker Bertelmann scored All Quiet on the Western Front; Carter Burwell scored The Banshees of Inisherin and Son Lux scored Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The other nominees for original score are Babylon (Justin Hurwitz) and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (Alexandre Desplat).
All five of these scores were among the 15 scores shortlisted for Oscars on Dec. 21. Oscar nominations will be announced on Tuesday Jan. 24.
Desplat is a three-time winner for original score at the BAFTA Awards — for The King’s Speech (2010), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and The Shape of Water (2017). Only two other composers have won three or more awards in this category in the history of the BAFTAs. John Williams leads with seven wins, followed by Ennio Morricone with six. Hurwitz won in this category at the BAFTAs six years ago for La La Land.
Bertelmann referenced All Quiet’s strong showing in a statement: “I am deeply honored to be nominated for a BAFTA, especially in connection with such a well-crafted and meaningful film. The collaboration with [director] Edward Berger gave me the freedom to work on a score without compromise. I am very thankful for that. Congrats to Edward, the producers and the entire team on their 14 nominations.”
In a statement, Son Lux, the composer of Everything Everywhere All at Once, said: “Our heads are spinning and our hearts are full. Thanks to BAFTA for this honor, to Daniels [directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert] for their boundless vision and trust, and to each and every member of the EEAAO [Everything Everywhere All at Once] family for inspiring us beyond words.”
The BAFTAs do not have a best original song category.
In other nominations of interest to the music community, Austin Butler was nominated for leading actor for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Elvis, and Brett Morgan’s David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream is up for documentary.
These are the first BAFTA nominations for Butler, Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brendan Fraser (The Whale) and Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once), among others.
Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical family drama The Fabelmans received just one BAFTA nomination, for original screenplay – on which Spielberg collaborated with Tony Kushner. Sarah Polley’s Women Talking was shut out entirely.
In the best director category, four of the six nominated directors are first-time nominees in that category: Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King); Todd Field (Tár), Kwan and Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front).
Actors Hayley Atwell and Toheeb Jimoh announced this year’s BAFTA nominations via a live broadcast from BAFTA’s London headquarters on Thursday (Jan. 19). This year’s awards will be presented at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, Feb. 19.
Here’s the complete list of BAFTA Award nominations.
Original score
All Quiet on the Western Front – Volker Bertelmann
Babylon – Justin Hurwitz
The Banshees of Inisherin – Carter Burwell
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Son Lux
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Alexandre Desplat
Best film
All Quiet on the Western Front – Malte Grunert
The Banshees Of Inisherin – Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin Mcdonagh
Elvis – Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Patrick Mccormick, Schuyler Weiss
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang
Tár – Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan
Leading actress
Cate Blanchett – Tár
Viola Davis – The Woman King
Danielle Deadwyler – Till
Ana De Armas – Blonde
Emma Thompson – Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Leading actor
Austin Butler – Elvis
Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser – The Whale
Daryl Mccormack – Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Paul Mescal – Aftersun
Bill Nighy – Living
Supporting actress
Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau – The Whale
Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin
Dolly De Leon – Triangle of Sadness
Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Carey Mulligan – She Said
Supporting actor
Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Eddie Redmayne – The Good Nurse
Albrecht Schuch – All Quiet on the Western Front
Micheal Ward – Empire of Light
Director
All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger
The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin Mcdonagh
Decision to Leave – Park Chan-wook
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Tár – Todd Field
The Woman King – Gina Prince-bythewood
Original screenplay
The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin Mcdonagh
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
The Fabelmans – Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg
Tár – Todd Field
Triangle of Sadness – Ruben Östlund
Adapted screenplay
All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell
Living – Kazuo Ishiguro
The Quiet Girl – Colm Bairéad
She Said – Rebecca Lenkiewicz
The Whale – Samuel D. Hunter
Film not in the English language
All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger, Malte Grunert
Argentina, 1985 – Santiago Mitre, Producer(S) Tbc
Corsage – Marie Kreutzer
Decision to Leave – Park Chan-wook, Ko Dae-seok
The Quiet Girl – Colm Bairéad, Cleona Ní Chrualaoí
Documentary
All That Breathes – Shaunak Sen, Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann
All The Beauty and the Bloodshed – Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons
Fire of Love – Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, Ina Fichman
Moonage Daydream – Brett Morgan
Navalny – Daniel Roher, Diane Becker, Shane Boris, Melanie Miller, Odessa Rae
Animated film
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Guillermo Del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley
Marcel The Shell With Shoes On – Dean Fleisher Camp, Andrew Goldman, Elisabeth Holm, Caroline Kaplan, Paul Mezey
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish – Joel Crawford, Mark Swift
Turning Red – Domee Shi, Lindsey Collins
Casting
Aftersun – Lucy Pardee
All Quiet on the Western Front – Simone Bär
Elvis – Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamian
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Sarah Halley Finn
Triangle Of Sadness – Pauline Hansson
Cinematography
All Quiet on the Western Front – James Friend
The Batman – Greig Fraser
Elvis – Mandy Walker
Empire of Light – Roger Deakins
Top Gun: Maverick – Claudio Miranda
Editing
All Quiet on the Western Front – Sven Budelmann
The Banshees of Inisherin – Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
Elvis – Jonathan Redmond, Matt Villa
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Paul Rogers
Top Gun: Maverick – Eddie Hamilton
Production design
All Quiet on the Western Front – Christian M. Goldbeck, Ernestine Hipper
Babylon – Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino
The Batman – James Chinlund, Lee Sandales
Elvis – Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Bev Dunn
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Curt Enderle, Guy Davis
Costume design
All Quiet on the Western Front – Lisy Christl
Amsterdam – J.R. Hawbaker, Albert Wolsky
Babylon – Mary Zophres
Elvis – Catherine Martin
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – Jenny Beavan
Make up & hair
All Quiet on the Western Front – Heike Merker
The Batman – Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, Zoe Tahir
Elvis – Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, Louise Coulston, Shane Thomas
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical – Naomi Donne, Barrie Gower, Sharon Martin
The Whale – Anne Marie Bradley, Judy Chin, Adrien Morot
Sound
All Quiet on the Western Front – Lars Ginzsel, Frank Kruse, Viktor Prášil, Markus Stemler
Avatar: The Way of Water – Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Julian Howarth, Gary Summers, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
Elvis – Michael Keller, David Lee, Andy Nelson, Wayne Pashley
Tár – Deb Adair, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley, Steve Single, Roland Winke
Top Gun: Maverick – Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Mark Taylor, Mark Weingarten
Special visual effects
All Quiet on the Western Front – Markus Frank, Kamil Jafar, Viktor Müller, Frank Petzoid
Avatar: The Way of Water – Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon
The Batman – Russell Earl, Dan Lemmon, Anders Langlands, Dominic Tuohy
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Benjamin Brewer, Ethan Feldbau, Jonathan Kombrinck, Zak Stoltz
Top Gun: Maverick – Seth Hill, Scott R. Fisher, Bryan Litson, Ryan Tudhope
Outstanding British film
Aftersun – Charlotte Wells, Producer(S) Tbc
The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin Mcdonagh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin
Brian and Charles – Jim Archer, Rupert Majendie, David Earl, Chris Hayward
Empire of Light – Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande – Sophie Hyde, Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski, Katy Brand
Living – Oliver Hermanus, Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Kazuo Ishiguro
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical – Matthew Warchus, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn, Luke Kelly, Dennis Kelly
See How They Run – Tom George, Gina Carter, Damian Jones, Mark Chappell
The Swimmers – Sally El Hosaini, Producer(S) Tbc, Jack Thorne
The Wonder – Sebastián Lelio, Ed Guiney, Juliette Howell, Andrew Lowe, Tessa Ross, Alice Birch, Emma Donoghue
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Aftersun – Charlotte Wells (Writer/director)
Blue Jean – Georgia Oakley (Writer/director), Hélène Sifre (Producer)
Electric Malady – Marie Lidén (Director)
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande – Katy Brand (Writer)
Rebellion – Maia Kenworthy (Director)
British short animation
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy, Cara Speller, Hannah Minghella
Middle Watch – John Stevenson, Aiesha Penwarden, Giles Healy
Your Mountain Is Waiting – Hannah Jacobs, Zoe Muslim, Harriet Gillian
British short film
The Ballad of Olive Morris – Alex Kayode-kay
Bazigaga – Jo Ingabire Moys, Stephanie Charmail
Bus Girl – Jessica Henwick, Louise Palmkvist Hansen
A Drifting Up – Jacob Lee
An Irish Goodbye – Tom Berkeley, Ross White
EE rising star award (voted for by the public)
Aimee Lou Wood
Daryl Mccormack
Emma Mackey
Naomi Ackie
Sheila Atim
Raye had the feel-good chart story of 2023 with “Escapism,” a slow burner that finally climbed to No. 1 earlier in the month for the British singer’s first leader.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
With Lewis Capaldi’s “Pointless” pushing “Escapism” to No. 2 on the latest chart, published last Friday (Jan. 13), Raye is making another push for the summit.
“Escapism,” featuring U.S. rapper 070 Shake, leads the U.K.’s First Look survey, which ranks the most popular singles after the first 48 hours in the chart cycle.
It’s not a done deal. Miley Cyrus is hot on her heels with “Flowers,” the Official Charts Company reports. It’s new at No. 2 on the chart blast.
The lead off to Cyrus’ eighth studio set Endless Summer Vacation, due out March 10, “Flowers” features production work from Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon.
Wherever it lands on the U.K. chart, “Flowers” should become her eighth U.K. Top 10 single, a list that she most recently added to in 2020 with Plastic Hearts tracks “Midnight Sky” (No. 5) and the Dua Lipa-assisted “Prisoner” (No. 8).
As Raye and Cyrus duke it out, Capaldi’s “Pointless” is out of the picture, certainly at this early stage. “Pointless, lifted from Capaldi’s forthcoming sophomore LP, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, is set to drop 1-11 on the weekly tally. Finally, “Creepin’” by producer Metro Boomin’ featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage is creeping up the chart, and could finally crack the top 10. It’s at No. 10 on the First Look tally.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday.
It’s still Taylor Swift time in the U.K., where Midnights (via EMI) enters a fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1.
Swift’s 10th and latest studio album extends its lead as her longest-reigning champion on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, and it’s the longest-running No. 1 in the U.K. since Harry Styles’ Harry’s House logged six weeks atop the survey.
The best-seller at the midweek point, Midnights leads an unchanged top five ahead of SZA’s SOS (via RCA/Top Dawg) and The Weeknd’s greatest hits collection The Highlights (Republic Records/XO), respectively, while Lewis Capaldi reenters the top 10 with former No. 1 Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (EMI).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Divinely Uninspired lifts 16-10 on the latest survey, published Jan. 13, ahead of the release of his sophomore LP, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent. The Scottish artist’s sophomore set is due in May and contains “Pointless,” the new No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
The week’s highest debut belongs to Gabrielle Aplin, whose fourth album Phosphorescent (Never Fade) starts at No. 15, for the British singer and songwriter’s third top 20 album. Aplin’s 2013 debut English Rain peaked at No. 2 and 2015’s Light Up The Dark hit No. 14.
As The 1975 kick off their tour of the U.K. and Ireland in support of their latest set Being Funny In A Foreign Language (Dirty Hit), the album leaps 31-19 on the national chart.
All five of the band’s studio albums have hit No. 1 in the U.K., including 2022’s Being Funny.
Last week, Matty Healy and Co. sent Swifties into a frenzy when TayTay joined the band at The O2 in London to perform “Anti-Hero on stage for the first time.
Finally, Detroit punk icon Iggy Pop bows at No. 33 with Every Loser (Atlantic), his 19th solo album. It’s Iggy’s fifth U.K. Top 40 title.
Taylor Swift’s Midnights (via EMI) is set to extend its reign in the U.K.
Based on midweek data published by the Official Charts Company, Swift’s tenth and latest studio album is on track for a fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1.
It’s already Swift’s longest-reigning album in the U.K., overtaking the three-week lead for 2020’s Folklore.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Meanwhile, SZA holds at No. 2 on the midweek chart with SOS (RCA/Top Dawg), while The Weeknd’s The Highlights (Republic Records/XO) should complete the podium.
The highest debut on the next chart would appear to be Gabrielle Aplin’s Phosphorescent (Never Fade), the English singer-songwriter’s fourth LP. Phosphorescent lights up the Official Chart Update at No. 4, and should give Aplin her first top 10 since English Rain, her debut album which peaked at No. 2 back in 2013.
Also on the brink of a top 10 finish is punk legend Iggy Pop, whose 19th album Every Loser (Atlantic) is on track for a No. 9 start. If it holds its course, Iggy’s LP would be just his second top 10 appearance as a solo artist, after 2016’s Post Pop Depression peaked at No. 5.
Former The Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks’ could nab a solo top 40 appearance with The Gritterman (Blood), the original soundtrack to his debut book of the same name. It’s at No. 36 on the midweek chart. The Maccabees landed four top 40 albums, including a No. 1 for 2015’s Marks To Prove It.
The Gritterman, first published as an ebook in 2017, and the following year in paperback, is described as “a song for the unsung hero” and “a bittersweet story about stoicism, dignity and a man leaving behind the work that he loves,” with illustrations by Weeks.
Over on the midweek singles chart, Lewis Capaldi’s “Pointless” (Vertigo) leapfrogs Raye’s current leader, “Escapsim” (Human Re Sources), in what’s shaping as a tight race.
All will be revealed when the Official Charts are published late Friday.
Raye ascends the U.K. singles chart for the very first time with “Escapism,” while Taylor Swift snags another albums chart crown.
A teary Raye celebrated her spectacular result on social media. It’s a moment that carries extra significance for an artist who, in 2021, publicly cut ties with her major label after claiming she’d been shelved and overlooked for years.
Released through Human Re Sources, J. Erving’s distribution and artist services company, “Escapism” is one of several singles Raye has dropped in recent months ahead of her upcoming debut album My 21st Century Blues, alongside “Hard Out Here,” “Black Mascara” and “The Thrill Is Gone.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The most-streamed song for the latest chart U.K. chart week, with 5.6 million streams, “Escapism,” featuring U.S. rapper 070 Shake, is Raye’s tenth top 40 single, and first U.K. top 10 as lead artist.
Meanwhile, SZA lands her first solo top 10 in the U.K. (and third overall) with “Kill Bill” (up 32-4 via RCA/Top Dawg), while Bugzy Malone and TeeDee also earn their first spot in the top 10, as “Out of Nowhere” (BSomebody) lifts 38-9.
The Christmas music exodus is in full force, which powers a string of singles to new peaks on the latest chart, published Jan. 6. They include Lewis Capaldi’s “Pointless” (up 60-15 via Vertigo); Tiesto & Tate McRae’s “10:35” (up 80-18 via Atlantic/Ministry of Sound); Lady Gaga’s Born This Way-era recording “Bloody Mary (up 74-22 via Interscope); which is powered by a viral TikTok dance sensation inspired by Wednesday star Jenna Ortega; and Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis’s tear-jerker “How Do I Say Goodbye” (up 86-23 via Universal Music Australia).
Over on the national albums survey, Swift secures the first No. 1 for 2023 with Midnights.
By racking-up four non-consecutive weeks at the top, Midnights surpasses Swift’s 2020 effort folklore as her longest reigning LP in the U.K.
Brits love the U.S. pop star in 2023 just as much as they did in 2022. Midnights is one of five Swift studio albums in the top 40 — folklore (No. 22), 1989 (No. 24), Lover (No. 35) and Reputation (No. 40).
Harry Styles really did own the keys to 2022. The British pop singer’s third studio album Harry’s House was the biggest LP of the year in the U.K., according to new data published by the Official Charts Company.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The ex-One Direction singer leads the year-end albums survey with Harry’s House, which shifted north of 460,000 U.K. chart units over the year, including 160,000 sales (150,000 physical and 10,000 downloads), the OCC reports.
Harry’s House logged six non-consecutive weeks atop the Official U.K. Albums Chart in 2022, more than any other album, and the lead single from it, “As It Was,” tops the U.K.’s year-end singles survey.
Compatriot Ed Sheeran comes in at No. 2 on the year-end albums list with = (Equals), which snaffled upwards of 433,000 U.K. chart units during the calendar year. Sheeran has made a career habit of racking up big numbers. In November, the OCC announced all four of his solo studio albums — (Plus), x (Multiply), ÷ (Divide) and = (Equals) — had spent a total of at least a year inside the Official Albums Chart top 10.
Completing the 2022 podium is Taylor Swift’s Midnights, which, in less than three months, captured more than 417,000 U.K. chart sales, including 217,000 sales (206,000 physical copies and11,000 downloads). Midnights got away to a particularly explosive start. First-week U.K. chart sales exceeded 204,000, more than double her previous best, 2014’s 1989 (90,300 chart units).
It’s hard to keep a good thing down. That’s certainly the case with ABBA and Queen’s barnstorming career retrospective albums. ABBA Gold became the first album in U.K. chart history to log 1,000 weeks on the chart, a feat it achieved in July 2021. It’s still going strong. Powered by the ABBA Voyage virtual residency in London, the LP appears at No. 10 on the year-end U.K. chart. Indeed, Gold improves 20-13 on the latest Official U.K. Albums Chart, doing so in its 1,078 week.
Queen’s 1981 release Greatest Hits reached the 1,000-week milestone on the U.K. chart in 2022, and it finished the year in 11th place on the year-end tally. Greatest Hits is the best-selling album in U.K. recorded music history, shifting more than seven million combined units.
Music streaming reached new heights in 2022, the BPI reports. Across digital and physical formats, the equivalent of 166 million albums were streamed or purchased during the year, up 4.3% on 2021.
Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2022
Harry’s House, Harry Styles
=, Ed Sheeran
Midnights, Taylor Swift
The Highlights, The Weeknd
Sour, Olivia Rodrigo
Curtain Call – The Hits, Eminem
Diamonds, Elton John
50 Years – Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac
Between Us, Little Mix
Gold – Greatest Hits, ABBA
The buzzy British R&B group FLO were named the winners of the Brit Awards’ Rising Star award on Thursday (Dec. 8). They are the first girl group to win in the category and the first group of any type to win since Florence + the Machine in 2009. Other previous winners of the award (formerly called Critics’ Choice) include Adele, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith and Celeste.
The news was revealed by Clara Amfo on her BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds show.
“From growing up watching the BRITs, to finding each other and forming FLO, releasing our first body of work in 2022 and winning a BRIT award in the same year!!,” the members of FLO exulted in a statement. “We are so shocked and grateful. We are the first group to win the BRITs Rising Star! We’ve just made history and couldn’t have done it without our wonderful fans and supportive families. It’s truly a dream come true. We feel so empowered creating the music we love and we hope others feel that too.”
The group – Renée, Jorja and Stella – released their debut single “Cardboard Box” just seven months ago. They have also released a debut EP, The Lead. George Griffiths of The Official U.K. Charts site says “they have quickly become the de facto heirs to the British girlband crown left vacant by Little Mix.”
FLO have was also nominated for best newcomer at the MOBO Awards (but lost to BRU-C). FLO have performed “Cardboard Box” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the U.K.’s Later…With Jools Holland.
The song ranked No. 85 on Billboard’s just-published 100 Best Songs of 2022: Staff List. Writing about the song, Glenn Rowley observed, “From the opening notes of their debut single, British trio FLO makes it clear they’re channeling the spirit — and chill-inducing harmonies — of late ‘90s/early ‘00s R&B. Taking inspiration in equal measures from the likes of 702, Blaque and Destiny’s Child, ‘Cardboard Box’ is something of a little sister to Beyoncé’s classic 2006 kiss-off ‘Irreplaceable.’ By the time the threesome finish kicking a cheating beau to the curb, they’ve proved they might just have the charisma and vocal chops to be crowned those girl groups’ latest heir apparents.”
Cat Burns and Nia Archives were also shortlisted for the Brits’ Rising Star award. The shortlist is selected by an invited panel of music editors and critics from the national press, online music editors, heads of music at major radio and music TV stations plus songwriters, producers and live bookers – those working with new rising talent on a regular basis.
The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard – as the show is formally known – will take place on Saturday Feb. 11, 2023, at The O2 arena in London. This marks the first time the show will be held on a Saturday. It will be broadcast live on ITV and ITVX.
Here’s a full list of BRIT Awards’ Critics’ Choice/Rising Star winners (with other nominees shown in parentheses):
2008: Adele (Duffy, Foals)
2009: Florence + The Machine (Little Boots, White Lies)
2010: Ellie Goulding (Delphic, Marina and the Diamonds)
2011: Jessie J (James Blake, The Vaccines)
2012: Emeli Sandé (Michael Kiwanuka, Maverick Sabre)
2013: Tom Odell (AlunaGeorge, Laura Mvula)
2014: Sam Smith (Ella Eyre, Chlöe Howl)
2015: James Bay (George The Poet, Years & Years)
2016: Jack Garratt (Izzy Bizu, Frances)
2017: Rag ’n’ Bone Man (Anne Marie, Dua Lipa)
2018: Jorja Smith (Stefflon Don, Mabel)
2019: Sam Fender (Lewis Capaldi, Mahalia)
2020: Celeste (Beabadoobee, Joy Crookes)
2021: Griff (Pa Salieu, Rina Sawayama)
2022: Holly Humberstone (Bree Runway, Lola Young)
2023: FLO (Cat Burns, Nia Archives)
Bose Ogulu received the award for manager of the year from her son and star client, Burna Boy, at the 2022 Artist & Manager Awards, which were presented at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top on Thursday (Nov. 17). The event, presented in association with beatBread, is organized by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and Music Managers Forum (MMF) and celebrates creative and commercial successes across the artist and management community.
With deep roots in the Lagos music scene, Ogulu has overseen Burna Boy’s rise to global stardom. Co-founding the pioneering Spaceship Collective in 2020, Ogulu has become a leading light in advocating for African artists to maintain greater control and ownership of their repertoire. Sheniece Charway, artist relations manager at YouTube Music, joined Burna Boy in presenting the award.
Becky Hill was named artist of the year. Hill had a top five hit on the Official U.K. Singles Chart in 2022 – “Crazy What Love Can Do,” a collab with David Guetta and Ella Henderson. She won a BRIT Award for best dance act in February. Her award was presented by her manager Alex Martin and tour manager Amanda Barker, alongside music legend Nile Rodgers and Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis.
Awards for Breakthrough Artist and Breakthrough Manager were also presented, with the former going to Beabadoobee and the latter to Callum Reece at One House for his success with the likes of Eliza Rose, Sherelle, cktrl and Mwanjé.
ABBA Voyage received the Innovation award. The album at the center of the project topped the Official U.K. Albums Chart and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It received a Grammy nomination for album of the year on Tuesday Nov. 15. ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus sent a video message to Svana Gisla, Ludvig Andersson and Baillie Walsh, the producers and director behind ABBA Voyage. They were presented with the award by Imogen Heap and Utopia Music’s Roberto Neri.
Lifetime achievement awards, dubbed Artists’ Artist and Managers’ Manager, went to songwriter and performer Tim Burgess and manager Martin Hall, respectively. Hall has managed Manic Street Preachers, The Script and Wet Leg, among others.
Burgess received his award from Brix Smith and PPL Chief Executive Peter Leathem. Hall’s award was preceded by video messages from Manic Street Preachers, The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue, Wet Leg and Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer, who said: “How many managers can say that 25 years ago they were taking a new band to No. 1 in the album charts, and here they are again, in 2022, managing a new band to No. 1 in the album chart. That longevity speaks volumes for you, Martin.”
Indeed, Manic Street Preachers’ This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours topped the Official U.K. Albums Chart in 1998. Wet Leg’s Wet Leg topped that same chart this year. Moreover, Wet Leg was nominated for four Grammy Awards, including best new artist, on Tuesday.
The ongoing challenges surrounding live music were raised in a joint opening address by the FAC’s CEO, David Martin, and Annabella Coldrick, chief executive of the MMF.
“There’s no point pulling any punches,” Martin said. “For the majority of artists, the past few years have been pretty hard. We’ve had Brexit, a pandemic, and now a cost-of-living crisis. It’s been tough to make a living from music, and it remains tough.”
“Without addressing these issues, the next generation will really struggle to break through – and that will have ramifications for every promoter, record label, music publisher and tech company here tonight,” Coldrick added.
The show also recognized the work of Music Declares Emergency as 2022’s Industry Champions for driving momentum towards more environmentally sustainable practices – particularly in live touring. Presented by Sam Lee, the award was accepted by co-founder Lewis Jamieson and director of creative strategy and artist spokesperson Fay Milton.
The ceremony was hosted by Doc Brown (aka Ben Bailey Smith) and featured live performances by London-based pop-punk artist GIRLI and rapper FelixThe1st.
Here’s the full list of winners at the 2022 Artist & Manager Awards in association with beatBread:
Artist of the Year: Becky Hill
Manager of the Year: Bose Ogulu
Artists’ Artist: Tim Burgess
Managers’ Manager: Martin Hall
Breakthrough Artist: Beabadoobee
Breakthrough Manager: Callum Reece
Team Achievement: Groundworks
Entrepreneur: Krept & Konan
Innovation: ABBA Voyage
Pioneer: Carl Cox
Writer/Producer Manager: Red Light Management
Industry Champion: Music Declares Emergency
