Dorset’s Original Music Awards to take place this Friday

On Friday 17 January, Poole Lighthouse will host the Original Music Awards, an annual red-carpet event set up to celebrate the county’s original grass-roots music artists, performers, promoters, venues and devotees.

Organised by the recording studio and record label Hangover Hill, nominees for the awards are decided by an independent judging panel of music reviewers, musicians, backstage crew, radio presenters, festival organisers, and more.

The Original Music Awards also feature a number of Special Awards for those whose music, and the circumstances in which it is made, call for wider recognition. This year, the Original Music Awards will honour the Dorset-born songwriter PJ Harvey, best known for her Mercury Prize-winning album ‘Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea’ released in 2000.

Announcing the award in October, the Original Music Awards Panel 2024 said: “We are recognising PJ Harvey with this award, not because of her notable successes, but because Dorset has always remained at the heart of her work. Whether it be using soundscapes of Dorset in her creations or writing poetry in the Dorset dialect, it’s very clear that she has always remained true to her roots.

“What we want to celebrate is the inspiration this brings to grass roots Dorset musicians, particularly the younger generation. That in this day and age of streaming music to the masses, as a songwriter and composer you should never be afraid to be experimental, to try new things and continue to discover where your voice and writing can take you.”