Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, is thrilled to announce the final set of music icons to win a prestigious O2 Silver Clef Award at the upcoming star-studded ceremony on Friday 30 June.
Trailblazer RAYE will receive Best Female, while rock renegades Nova Twins will take home the Innovation Award. Jazz singer songwriter sensation Gregory Porter will win Best Male and award-winning American singer songwriter Adam Lambert will pick up the International Award. UK music legends N-Dubz will be honoured with the Best Group Award.
The winning artists will join the previously announced award recipients including international superstar Stormzy, who will win the flagship O2 Silver Clef award, Wet Leg - New Music Award, Biffy Clyro - Best Live Act, Ayanna Witter-Johnson – Classical Award. Pop legend Neneh Cherry is given Outstanding Achievement and none other than Mark King of Level 42 will receive the esteemed Icon Award.
The artists will receive their awards in person at a glittering music industry lunch and ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane. The exclusive event – now in its 46th year – will raise vital funds for Nordoff and Robbins to support a wide range of children and adults. The charity’s trained music therapists help people to connect and communicate through music who otherwise are unable to, such as those with autism, dementia, learning difficulties, brain injuries, life-limiting illnesses, mental health challenges, grief and trauma.
The O2 Silver Clef Awards are held to pay tribute to the talent of the winning artists. Since 1976, the awards have raised £12 million for Nordoff and Robbins’ vital music therapy services and honoured some of the most legendary names in music. At a time when the need for music therapy is greater than it’s ever been in the UK, last year’s event raised over £750,000 for the charity, helping to transform the lives of thousands more people across the country.
Nordoff and Robbins works with children and adults at over 350 schools, hospitals, hospices and care homes, as well as providing sessions from its centres nationwide. Shaped by more than 60 years of practice, Nordoff and Robbins' trained music therapists transform lives by helping people to express themselves and find connection in society.
The O2 Silver Clef Awards are the biggest fundraising event of the year for Nordoff and Robbins, thanks to table sales, sponsorship and special auctions on the day. The annual lunch is one of the highlights of the music industry calendar, bringing together artists, celebrity supporters and influencers to raise critical funds for the charity.
At the glamorous 2023 ceremony, Edith Bowman will host for the fifth-year running, with Peter Andre returning to take his regular hosting spot on the blue carpet.
· London-born trailblazer RAYE will receive the Live Nation Best Female Award, celebrating her captivating style, which mixes everything from pop and hip-hop to dance and gospel. RAYE’s desire to ‘speak fearlessly and to challenge norms and be bold’ has resonated with audiences and critics alike, with her career to date racking up 27m monthly listeners on Spotify, a UK No.1 single with 'Escapism,', and a critically acclaimed No.2 debut album 'My 21st Century Blues'.
· Rock renegades Nova Twins will take home the Amazon Music Innovation Award. The band smashed into the UK’s music scene with a clash of ideas from the worlds of punk, rap, pop, rock and beyond. Lauded by critics, their most recent album Supernova breaks genre boundaries and showcases the many facets of the duo, while on stage they have become one of the scene's fiercest live acts.
· The AEG Presents Best Male Award will go to singer and songwriter sensation Gregory Porter following his phenomenal success in bringing contemporary jazz to the masses. The multiple Grammy Award winner has received huge critical acclaim. Gregory is one of the most streamed jazz artists of all time, with over 1.3 billion streams to date. Achieving international recognition, Gregory continues to perform to sold out venues around the world.
· Known for his dynamic vocals, award-winning American singer, songwriter and actor Adam Lambert will pick up the Raymond Weil International Award. After blowing everyone away on American Idol in 2018, Adam has released two albums which have been runaway successes, with his second album Trespassing becoming the first album to reach the number one spot in the US and Canada by an openly gay artist. He will be touring North America with Queen in Autumn 2023.
· ASM Global Best Group Award winners UK music legends N-Dubz are still taking the country’s music scene by storm more than a decade after first rising to fame. In 2022, the band embarked on a massive sold-out arena tour playing four sold out nights at London’s O2 Arena and solidifying their position as one of the UK’s biggest music acts. Recently signed to EMI Records, the band will release their new album this Summer.
RAYE said: "I’m excited to receive this incredible award for Best Female! I hope it encourages other artists to be fearless and persevere in their craft. I can't wait to attend the O2 Silver Clef Awards with my fellow artists and celebrate the fantastic work that Nordoff and Robbins does - using music to empower people across the country.”
Nova Twins said: “We're honoured to be receiving this innovation award! We have always embraced the parts of ourselves that were different, putting this into our music and we are just so happy that it speaks to people, hopefully encouraging a new generation to chase their own unique sound. This award is for everyone who’s tearing down boundaries and setting their own path. Massive love to Nordoff and Robbins for breaking barriers with their work, connecting people through the power of music.”
Gregory Porter said: “I’m so pleased to receive the award for Best Male and honoured to be recognised among such a diverse group of talented artists. These awards not only pay tribute to some incredible musicians that span a whole range of musical genres, but also affirm the power of music to touch hearts and inspire change. I look forward to using my voice to support Nordoff and Robbins to transform people’s lives through music therapy."
Adam Lambert said: "I'm filled with gratitude to have been chosen for the remarkable O2 Silver Clef International award. It’s a testament to the unwavering passion of my fans who’ve been by my side throughout my artistic journey – and a reminder of the transformative power of music to heal and uplift people. I'm so excited to be supporting Nordoff and Robbins, a charity that, through the universal language of music, creates such a positive impact on people’s lives."
N-Dubz said: “We're honoured to receive this amazing Best Group award. It’s a special moment for us as we’ve always believed in using our music to make a difference. Nordoff and Robbins’ work uses music to help people who really need it and spread a positive vibe. We’re looking forward to a great awards ceremony for an incredible cause.”
Gareth Griffiths, Director of Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, said: “We’re proud to continue supporting Nordoff and Robbins through our amazing 22-year partnership and we can’t wait to recognise such talented artists at this year’s O2 Silver Clef Awards. Special congratulations to Stormzy, an artist we have admired for many years.
It will be wonderful to help raise money for much needed music therapy, that supports some of the UK’s most isolated and vulnerable people to break through barriers with the power of music. See you on 30th June!”
Find out more about Nordoff and Robbins and how you can support at nordoff-robbins.org.uk.
