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Male Artist of the Year

I was busy thinking ’bout boys! Which male artist has played soundtrack to your 202?

About the award:

Highlighting the diversity of musical genres and the remarkable achievements of male artists, this award pays tribute to those whose contributions have resonated with audiences far and wide. From groundbreaking chart-toppers to innovative musicians pushing the boundaries of musical expression, the Male Artist of the Year award acknowledges the impact of these talented individuals on the ever-evolving world of music.

More than just a testament to musical prowess, this award recognizes the dedication, passion, and commitment exhibited by male artists who continually shape and redefine the industry.

The Nominees:

Noah Kahan

Kahan gained widespread recognition with his debut single, Young Blood, in 2017 – a track which opened the industry’s eyes and ears to this American singer-songwriter.

Stick Season, released in October of 2022 went on to become his mainstream commercial breakthrough and led to his nomination for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Featuring tracks including Northern Attitude, Homesick and the album’s title track, Stick Season, it achieved RIAA Gold status and BPI Silver status.

His recent tour has seen him reach new heights of fame, selling out venues across the world and landing heavily on Tik Tok’s influential For You Page.

Harry Styles

Harry Styles embarked on his musical journey as part of the British/Irish boy band One Direction in 2010. After five years together, they disbanded in 2015 to pursue solo careers, to which Styles rose even further towards the dizzying heights of fame. 

His first solo album, Harry Styles marked a turning point in his musical evolution and subsequent releases Fine Line and Harry’s House only advanced this. In 2022, Styles performed 15 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, New York. To mark the achievement, a permanent banner was raised in his honour inside the venue.

His final Love On Tour show in Reggio Emilia, Italy was thought to be attended by over 100,000 fans – the largest crowd Styles has performed to to-date.

Conan Gray

Conan Gray has quickly cemented himself as one of the freshest voices in music during his meteoric rise. The singer-songwriter from central Texas – known for writing his songs from his bedroom and for his unapologetic authenticity – has quickly become one fo the biggest emerging pop stars in the world.

Conan’s platinum breakout hits, Maniac and Heather, charted around the world and attracted unanimous applause of everyone from Sir Elton John to Taylor Swift. With oveer three billion glpbal stremas, he has been crowned “Best New Artist” by Billboard, touses by People’s “Ones to Watch” and has garnered international praise from Vogue, Teen Vote, Cosmopolitan, MTV and Clash.

Hozier

In September 2013, when Irish solo artist Andrew Hozier-Byrne released his debut single – a song called Take Me To Church – which he had mostly recorded in the attic of his parent’s house, little did he know about the hurricane-strength surge in public interest that would follow.

A billion streams later, Hozier’s music takes him all over the world. The last decade has brought both public and critical acclaim. Multi-platinum album sales, numer one records on both sides of the Atlantic, multiple awards including a Grammy nomination and countless sold-out shows around the world, led him to release Unreal Unearth earlier this year, an album which featured tracks inlcuding Eat Your Young, De Selby and Francesca.

Fred again…

London-based producer Fred Gibson, aka Fred again.., is responsible for numerous chart-topping pop and rap songs, working alongside the likes of Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and Stefflon Don. 

In 2020, he worked closely with Ed Sheeran on No. 6 Collaborations, for which he took home Producer of the Year at the Brit Awards. On the heels of his success, he released his first two full-length albums, 2021’s Actual Life (April 14 – December 17 2020) and Actual Life 2 (February 2 – October 15, 2021). 2022’s Actual Live 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022) was a major worldwide hit, peaking in the Top Five of the U.K. album chart. Fred again.. then released Secret Life, an ambient pop album with Brian Eno, in 2023.

Niall Horan

A near-lifelong songwriter who taught himself to play guitar as a kid in Ireland – and who cites attending an Eagles concert at age four as a pivotal moment in shaping his sensibilities – Niall Horan has sold over 80m records and toured the globe multiple times solo and as part of the iconic boyand, One Direction.

In 2017, he made his full-length solo debut with Flicker, a platinum-certified, chart-topping album. This was then followed in 2020 with Heartbreak Weather, which took the number one spot on Billboard’s Top Album Sales.

2023 has seen him launch a string of our dates for the year ahead, once again selling out multiple venues, as well as performing at several festival slots across the Europe and the US.

And the winner is…

Male Artist of the Year

Harry Styles

Harry Styles embarked on his musical journey as part of the British/Irish boy band One Direction in 2010. After five years together, they disbanded in 2015 to pursue solo careers, to which Styles rose even further towards the dizzying heights of fame. 

In 2023, Styles continued his string of Love On Tour shows across Europe and Australia, with his final show in Reggio Emilia, Italy, thought to have been attended by over 100,000 fans – the largest crowd Styles has performed to to-date.