The 20 longlisted festivals for the Favourite Festival of the Year award at the inaugural Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards (NMAs) have been announced.
Some of the biggest music events from across the north of England have been selected, with The Manc’s audience completing the list this week.
Among those up for the title are huge names like Kendal Calling, Leeds Festival, Parklife, Creamfields North and Bluedot, plus smaller locally-loved festivals such as Highest Point and Moovin Festival.
After 19 festivals were selected by the NMA’s panel of music industry professionals judges, it was over to you to pick the 20th.
And we can now reveal that you’ve clubbed together to nominate Right to Roam festival in Bolton to complete the Festival of the Year Award shortlist.
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You can cast your vote below to choose the overall winner of the award.
The Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards will be the first of its kind to celebrate the northern music scene, and will take place on 30 November at Aviva Studios, the home of world-renowned Factory International.
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The performance-packed show, headlined by Special Recognition Award winner Melanie C, will kickstart a new chapter in celebrating diverse talent from the North of England, year after year. Tickets will be on sale soon – sign up for early bird access.
After the inaugural event, the awards will be hosted in a different northern city every year and will continue to recognise the breadth of musical talent across the north of England.
The Northern Music Awards have been created by the UK’s largest music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins, to raise awareness of their transformative work and fundraise for more music therapy provision throughout the region, including the opening of a new dedicated music therapy centre which will open next year, in Salford.
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Awards categories range from Newcomer of the Year to Artist of the Year, Band of the Year, DJ of the Year, Disruptor and the Northern Music Award.
A special Music and Culture for Wellbeing award will showcase outstanding and innovative creative arts provision in the North, that uses music and culture to support and connect with people that face health, wellbeing and socio-economic challenges.
We here at The Manc will be proud sponsors of the Favourite Festival of the Year category.
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston, head of brand partnerships at The Manc, said: “We at The Manc are incredibly excited and proud to be sponsoring the Favourite Festival award at the Northern Music Awards.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to really champion the awesome festivals we have across the North of England. We have always been proud supporters of Northern music talent and events and we are thrilled that Nordoff and Robbins are bringing these awards to Manchester in November.”
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Audio
Cruz Beckham and The Breakers live in Manchester – a torch passed from father to son?
Lonnie Bowes
Cruz Beckham graced the stage of The Deaf Institute in Manchester last night. Whether it’s your first time through the doors or you’ve been going for years, the venue carries an unmistakable energyand always will.
With a feel and set in its Victorian past, unmistakable Mancunian patina, the building leaves a mark on you – and on every grassroots artist who plays there.
The intimate upstairs room has long been a springboard for acts who go on to much bigger stages. History certainly likes to repeat itself, and perhaps this was a small sign of things to come for the youngest son of David and Victoria Beckham.
With his dad watching from the wings – fittingly in a number seven shirt synonymous with his years at Man United – Cruz stepped onto the stage with quiet confidence. For the next hour, he set his sights firmly on the crowd, eager to show exactly who he is as an artist beyond the famous surname.
Backed by a tight band that seemed to fit together like a glove, the set leaned into guitar-driven indie with an easy chemistry between players.
There were moments where the group locked into a groove, so naturally, it felt less like a new project and more like a band that had been touring together for years.
Cruz and co’s audience reflected the curiosity surrounding the night; inside the packed room was an eclectic mix of indie fans, university students, couples of all ages and a fair share of Beckham devotees – all keen to see whether the hype surrounding the young performer translated on stage.
The 21-year-old ran through his most popular (albeit limited number of) tracks thus far, including ‘Lick the Toad’, ‘Optics’, and ‘For Your Love’, each of which was met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
His songs showed off a good deal of melodic indie sensibility, with jangling guitars and hooks that landed well in the intimate setting of the venue.
While Cruz held the stage, there were emotional moments playing out just above him. Throughout the set, David Beckham could be spotted proudly filming and what appeared to be FaceTiming other family members to share the moment in real time. We’re not sure Brooklyn’s picking up at the minute…
Toward the end of the night, visibly moved, the former footballer appeared to wipe away a tear — a quiet but powerful reminder that beyond the celebrity and headlines, this was still a father watching his son manifest his own destiny.
For Cruz Beckham, the night wasn’t about stadium lights or global headlines: it was about proving himself in a room that has hosted literally countless emerging artists before him. If the energy inside Deaf Institute was anything to go by, this may well be one of those early chapters people look back on later.
Did any of you head to the venue as a fan or purely out of curiosity – and if so, what did you make of Cruz Beckham’s first proper Manc gig?
Grammy-winning hardcore band Turnstile perform ‘exceptional’ cover of a Stone Roses classic
Danny Jones
In a cover version we never knew we needed, multiple Grammy award-winning hardcore band Turnstile have taken social media timelines by storm with a cover of a true British rock classic by The Stone Roses.
Described as everything from “pretty damn brilliant” and “exceptional” by CLASH Magazine to “one of the best triplej covers ever”, it’s fair to say they smashed it with this one.
This one was always likely to go down well with us Mancs, but you never know how possessive people are going to be with iconic tunes treasured not just by regions but entire eras like this.
Without further ado, please enjoy Turnstile’s cover of ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ by The Stone Roses:
Lost track of how many times we’ve watched this now.
Truly excellent.
Not only did they manage to capture the ambient atmosphere of that legendary intro, but they managed to tow the thin paint-splattered line between simply trying to imitate the original and making it their own.
There’s something about frontman Brendan Yates’ vocals that suits this particular cover so very well right from the off.
We’re, of course, not saying that he sounds like Ian Brown in any way, but his range and top notes, in particular, seemed to fit almost perfectly.
Pair that with a contemporary rock band helping rejuvenate their particular guitar-driven genre, and those raw, driving D-beat-centric drums, and you’ve got a winning combo.
As you can see, the majority of the internet seems to agree with us…
.@TURNSTILEHC step into the @triplej studio to recover their take on The Stone Roses' debut album opener 'I Wanna Be Adored'.
The bulk of social media didn’t just hail the reimagining as one that did Brown, John Squire, Reni and the late, great Mani justice, but perhaps one of the greatest that the popular Australian radio station, YouTube channel and Spotify playlisters have seen in a long time.
In fact, in Audio North‘s humble opinion, we’d go so far as to say this is the best we’ve heard in the platform since their native Royel Otis’ delightful duo of The Cranberries and Sophie Ellis-Bextor covers.
Safe to say it’s been an incredible year for Turnstile, who mopped up all manner of accolades in 2025 and were even nominated for International Group at the BRITs here in Manchester this past weekend. They might not have won that one, but they get all the plaudits from us for their song selection alone.
What did you make of it? Better still, do you have a favourite triplej ‘Like a Version’? Actually, no – scrap that: is there a better cover of a Manc artist‘s track that you can think of?
Daisy Jackson -
15th August 2023 
