Celebrating the Best in Independent Music from Around the World – 19th January 2023, The Bedford, Balham, London

Radio WIGWAM, the online radio station that champions ‘under the radar’ musicians, has announced the date and location for staging the latest edition of its annual awards. This event will celebrate the wealth of emerging talent that is currently out there.

Organised in association with JAMMA, the WIGWAM Awards takes place on the 19th January. The ceremony will be held at the Bedford (Balham, London) – an iconic venue that famously helped nurture the career of Amy Winehouse, as well as being a launch pad for the Clash, Paolo Nutini, Eddie Izzard, Sam Smith, Joe Lycett, KT Tunstall, Harry Hill and countless others. Nominees will be attending from the UK, continental Europe and even North America. A short video with more information is available here.

Taking charge of proceedings this year will be music industry heavyweight Tony Moore (a former member of Iron Maiden and the Cutting Crew, plus a BBC Radio DJ). He’ll be supported by the WIGWAM DJ team and sponsor representatives. There will also be live performances from Kaysha Louvain, Tempus Frayed, Third Lung, plus Martyn Peters & Ether.

In total, 15 awards will be given out at the event. These will cover an expansive range of different genres – from Indie-Pop through to Electro, and Alternative Rock through to Folk. There will also be Best Male, Best Female and Best Band categories for UK acts, accompanied by equivalents for International acts too. A full list of all the nominees can be accessed here.

“Every year, award ceremonies like the Brits wheel out the same predictable acts, all of whom have nothing particularly new to contribute,” states WIGWAM co-founder Christian John. “Frankly, we are just sick of it, and so is everyone else. With the WIGWAM Awards we are looking to focus on the many innovative and exciting bands and artists out there who are actually trying to bring something new to the music scene, but are struggling to get the attention they deserve.”

Fellow WIGWAM co-founder Mike Green adds; “Having started these awards several years ago, purely as online events, it is now great to finally be able to stage a live ceremony for all the people nominated.” “With its long-established reputation as a top-notch music venue, the Bedford provides a perfect location for our awards,” Green continues. “It’s going to be a great night for all those attending.”