One of Manchester’s most iconic gig venues has been shortlisted in the prestigious Music Venue Week Awards.
The Northern Quarter’s Night & Day Cafe has had a tough of time of it this last year as it battles a Noise Abatement Notice, despite having been a fixture of the city centre’s music scene for over thirty years.
But through adversity comes strength. And apparently, a bit of good luck, because the venue has just been shortlisted for a big award – and is up against big names from across the UK.
The intimate venue on Oldham Street is hoping to cinch the title of Grassroots Venue 2023, going up against the likes of Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, The Windmill in Brixton, Leadmill in Sheffield and The Globe in Newcastle.
Night & Day. Credit: Supplied
Supported by the Music Venue Trust, the awards celebrate and recognise the achievements of the entire music industry across 25 different categories.
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The awards will champion the country’s best marketing teams, retailers, promoters, record labels, venues, radio shows, ticketing companies and more.
“We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Music Venue Week Grassroots Venue 2023 award. It’s an absolute honour for Night & Day to be recognised amongst some of the very best grassroots venues in the UK” says Ben Smithson of Night & Day Cafe.
Smithson continued: “The award comes at a time when live music and grassroots venues continue to face challenging times.
“In addition to this, Night & Day still remarkably has a Noise Abatement Notice served upon us. We’re currently working with Manchester City Council and hope that things will get sorted very soon.”
“It’s great to be recognised and for us to be shouting about the positive things that we do and have done for the past 31 years.
“We’re up against some amazing iconic venues so we’ll need every one of your votes please!”
The winner will be announced live on stage at the Music Week Awards ceremony, London in May. Voting is now open until the end of March at the Music Week Awards website here
Feature image – Supplied
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The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
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Georgina Pellant -
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