Harry Styles has beaten Beyoncé, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, and more to clinch the coveted Album of the Year win at the 2023 GRAMMYs.
On what was a record-breaking night for the US Recording Academy and in the music world as a whole, Cheshire‘s finest Harry Styles claimed the somewhat shocking win for Album of the Year – which is largely-considered to be the biggest award of the night – at the 65th GRAMMY Awards, and he fought off some tough competition for the trophy.
Beyoncé, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, and Lizzo were just some of the heavy-hitting names that the local lad beat out to take home to beat the title.
The former One Direction member won for his 2022 smash-hit third solo album Harry’s House.
The 29-year-old called making the album the “greatest experience” of his life.
“I’ve been so, so inspired by every artist in this category with me at a lot of different times in my life,” Styles gushed as he accepted the award on stage alongside the album’s producers, “I think, like on nights like tonight, it’s obviously so important for us to remember that there is no such thing as best in music.”
Styles added: “This doesn’t happen to people like me very often and this is so, so nice.”
The coveted Album of the Year title isn’t the only award Styles took home from last night’s ceremony, as the the celebrated singer and actor also won Best Pop Vocal Album too.
Styles was just one of several Brits who won big last night.
Singing superstar Adele took home the Best Pop Solo Performance trophy to add to her ever-growing GRAMMYs collection, while previous multi-award winner Sam Smith took home the Best Pop Duo Performance for the song Unholy, alongside Kim Petras – who became the first transgender woman to win the award.
Isle of Wight indie rock duo Wet Leg took home both Best Alternative Album for their self-titled album and Best Alternative Music Performance for the smash-hit single Chaise Longue after their breakout year in 2022.
Ozzy Osbourne also clinched the win for Best Rock Album.
Harry Styles wins Album of the Year at the 2023 GRAMMYs / Credit: GRAMMYs (via Twitter)
Aside from Brits, Beyoncé became the most decorated GRAMMY award winner of all time after claiming multiple trophies, Kendrick Lamar also took home several, Taylor Swift won Best Music Video, and Lizzo, Steve Lacy, and Willie Nelson all won big, while jazz singer Samara Joy saw off competition to be crowned Best New Artist.
One of the most surprising wins of the night, though, came as for 73-year-old blues singer Bonnie Raitt beat the likes of Adele, Beyonce, Styles, Lizzo, and Taylor Swift to win the award for Song of the Year for her single Just Like That.
A new music showcase is taking place at a beautiful and historic Stockport venue
Danny Jones
A new live showcase is coming to Stockport town centre as part of a wider music, art and cultural celebration next month.
And by new, we mean the artists; if you went to the last edition, you’ll know it delivers some serious talent.
Teaming up with the likes of Manchester-based music magazine and promoters, The Rodeo, as well as ticketing platform Skiddle, Stockport is set to welcome the return of Mercury Climbing Festival.
This week-long celebration of music, art and culture around parts of the Greater Manchester borough’s historic old town, and there are some exciting names on board already.
As for Mercury Climbing 2025 itself, the multi-day festival spread across several locations boasts the best in native and Northern music, visual arts, and comedy.
Popping up across a total of eight different spaces, including the likes of the brand-new Stockroom, pubs, and headline music venue St Mary’s Church – quietly one of the coolest places we’ve ever seen a gig – you have plenty of reason to be excited about this one.
Speaking of St Mary’s, while artists such as local legends Badly Drawn Boy, Manc indie outfit The Covasettes and Riding The Low – fronted by actor Paddy Considine – are set to play the stunning ceremonial space, The Rodeo is also hosting its own dedicated stage at the church.
Highlighting emerging new talent on Saturday, 20 September, Manchester-based solo indie project Better Joy is set to headline, with Denver County Council (who featured on our Manc artists of the month round-up), Henry Webb-Jenkins, Katie & the Bad Sign, plus more to be announced in support.
The last time we saw a ‘Live at St Mary’s’ event, we can’t stress this enough: it was nothing short of an unforgettable experience.
You don’t get to enjoy a ‘religious’ gig experiences like this often…
Taking place from Friday, 19-26 September, the festival as a whole will transform Stockport’s historic Old Town into a vibrant cultural hub.
And it isn’t just music: there are local food and drink traders getting involved, artwork from the one and only Stanley Chow, as well as plenty of other entertainment.
Above all else, the event is not only steeped in SK and Greater Manchester’s rich heritage, but it’s a great way of supporting new art coming out of the region.
The Rodeo’s St Mary’s stage gets underway from 4pm and is scheduled to finish at 10:30pm, but the wider Mercury Climbing programme is an all-day festival that won’t end until late. You can grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester’s very own Jamie Hutchinson announces new stand-up tour dates
Danny Jones
Manchester comedian Jamie Hutchinson has just announced arguably his biggest domestic tour yet, and despite plenty of gigs around the North, he’s playing just one hometown headline slot.
So you’d best be quick about grabbing tickets.
The local stand-up has seen a huge rise in popularity over the last few years, not only thanks to his regular gigging on the live circuit, but numerous standout podcast performances and, in short, by being one of the most amusing comic storytellers around – at least as far as we’re concerned.
Now set to embark on an extensive run of UK shows early next year, Jamie Hutchinson is getting back on the road with his latest material very soon.
Taking his new hour, Can My Mate Come, He’s Sound (see, even his titles are low-key genuinely funny) on tour, the crown prince of Gorton, a.k.a. ‘Mash’ himself, is playing venues up and down the country, including plenty here in the North West.
After all, he can’t drive, so best keep the long train journeys to a minimum, eh?
To quote Broadway Baby, who shared their positive words only recently, their newest project promises a “brand-new hour of unfiltered mayhem, questionable logic and emotional chaos held together by takeaway boxes and blind optimism.”
If that isn’t a glowing review, then we don’t know what is..
The Hot Water’s Green Room host and regular Have A Word podcast favourite delighted his crowds and newcomers alike with his record-breaking Waterslide tour, which ran from 2023 all the way into last year, and now he’s looking to repeat that same success. As it happens, multiple dates have sold out already.
With more than 700 tickets sold within the first hour of presale alone, it’s no surprise that the likes of Chorley, Chester (already gone) and soon both of his Liverpool shows are soon to be sold out.
As for his Academy One show on Sunday, 24 May 2026 – which is just about the biggest Manc venue he’s played to date – we expect it won’t be long before that one books up too.
We can always hope he tacks on extra dates on the UK tour, but if you’re a Jamie Hutchinson fan, you’re still best just making sure you secure your seat while you can. Grab yours HERE.
Let’s just pray he makes it home in time for his appointment with ‘Dr Catford’…
He’s yet to record a live taping of a special, but this is the kind of charming nonsense you can expect.
Emily Sergeant -
6th February 2023 
