The Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 entered an exciting new era when Stone Circle Music Events announced was as official sponsor and organiser. Backed by their Galway, Ireland office, the company continues to grow as a major force in event production in the South West of England.…
Joining them are the Kingston Group, bringing extensive industry experience within Wiltshire. Together the partnership will build on the success of 2025, and deliver an enhanced awards experience.
This year’s Wiltshire Music Award ceremony will feature upgraded audio-visual production, large screens, professional camera coverage, an experienced compère, and a headline star appearance. A new county-wide marketing campaign will ensure the entire region is engaged.
Committed to rotating locations, The Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 ceremony will be held at White Horse View Events Centre, beneath the iconic Westbury White Horse, hosting up to 400 guests seated at tables.
Nominations open on the 1st May, and close 1st June 2026, with the Awards Ceremony due to take place on Saturday 26th September 2026.
Seeking Volunteers
The Wiltshire Music Awards are seeking volunteers, and invite anyone who cares about local artists, live venues, grassroots music, and giving people a platform to shine, to contact them. Together we wish to deliver the county’s biggest celebration of live music and grassroots talent.
We would truly love to hear from you, whether you have experience in event planning or simply a passion and some time to give, your contribution could help make 2026 our most inclusive and inspiring year yet.
Please get in touch at: hello@wiltshiremusicevents.uk
Perform at the Wiltshire Music Awards Evening
We are now inviting talented artists from across Wiltshire to take the stage at our upcoming Awards Evening. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your music, celebrate the local scene, and perform in front of an engaged live audience.
If you perform anywhere in the county of Wiltshire and would like to be part of this special night, we’d love to hear from you.
To express your interest, please email: patrick@stonecirclemusicevents.uk
After much deliberation, Devizine is to pull out of any further organisation of the Wiltshire Music Awards…..
It has not been an easy decision, and I remain super-proud of what Ed and I achieved last year, getting this special occasion off the ground. The Wiltshire Music Awards takes complex organisation. Therefore, I feel I cannot commit to the workload involved this year effectively enough for what the event deserves whilst continuing to run Devizine too.
Obviously, I’m still dedicated to supporting and promoting the Wiltshire Music Awards through Devizine for this and subsequent years. I also still believe it’s a very worthy cause, highlighting what a fantastic live music scene we have in Wiltshire and rewarding those who continue to contribute to it.
Eddie Prestidge of Stone Circle Music Events said, “we want to publicly thank Darren for the time, effort, and genuine passion he has poured into the awards and into the wider Wiltshire music scene. The spirit of collaboration and encouragement he’s brought has helped shape what this event stands for; celebrating local talent, lifting one another up, and strengthening our creative community.”
Nominations for this year’s Wiltshire Music Awards will open on 1st May. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Eddie, who has been a pleasure and an inspiration to work with, as I am certain we will maintain the same good working relationship for the future awards and many other events. And to wish all the best for the future of the Wiltshire Music Awards.
Well, we did it! I sincerely hope you had a great night at the first Wiltshire Music Awards as we filled the Devizes Corn Exchange with a cross-section of people involved in the music scene of Wiltshire, musicians and fans. Positive feedback already, and a few teething issues, noted, which we must take onboard and learn from….
But for those who unfortunately couldn’t make it, I guess you are eager to hear the results. Let’s do this easy bit first! But before we do, I ask you, please, to take a few issues into consideration. Firstly, there was a monumental process to arrange, coordinate and launch during and also months prior to the ceremony. From the voting process and organisation of a panel of judges, to decorating the tables and corresponding all those trophies to each category.
So many volunteered their time to help with this, and we are extremely grateful to them. Overall, the management of the whole process and ceremony was carried out by Eddie Prestidge of Stone Circle Music Events. Eddie worked arduously on this project, and was dedicated to creating an extravagant event to be remembered. With the help of so many volunteers, myself included, stage tech and the staff of the Corn Exchange, I believe we achieved this to the best of our abilities, and a fantastic evening was had by most.
There should have been one more trophy, it should’ve been big, extra shiny, and presented to Eddie for his dedication and the tireless work he put into this. Exhausted, Eddie fell ill a few days before the ceremony, but strode through it the best that he could. The end result of this was that he was rushed into hospital a few hours prior to the conclusion of the ceremony. I have heard from him this morning, and he’s doing okay.
If you witnessed me on the sideline, rushing up and down the stairs like a headless chicken, it wasn’t my step aerobics workout, it was because I was honouring my part as co-host on stage but attempting to coordinate the floor as well, as best as possible, as Ed seriously needed to take a step back. Whilst the beginning therefore went to plan, as the evening progressed we stumbled on issues, but I ask you to please take this into consideration if you’re intending to criticise the evening on social media. I apologise for any breakdowns in communication, but the condition was out of our control and we strived through best we could.
Results
The results, then. Congratulations to everyone who bagged an award, commiserations to those who did not. To those unable to attend, we have trophies reserved for you and will arrange the best way to get them to you as soon as possible.
Best Venue. Sponsored by Pat Robertson of Trowbridge Motor Supplies ltd.
Runners Up: The Royal Oak, Pewsey. The Vic, Swindon.
Winner: The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.
Best DJ: Sponsored by Mark Anthony Burdge.
Runners Up: Maurice Menghini – DJ Mister M. Mark Lister of Fantasy Radio.
Winner: Paul Alexander of Solstice Sounds, This is How We Do It Entertainment.
Best Drummer.
Runners Up: Tom Gilkes. Callum Rawlings.
Winner: Jamie O’ Sullivan.
Best Bassist. Presented by Alex Morgan of Waldrop Salisbury Sounds.
Runners Up: Nick Gorman. Nick Beere.
Winner: Mark Turner.
Best Guitarist.
Runners Up: Alastair Sneddon. Nick Beere.
Winner: Jolyon Dixon.
Best Duo.
Runners Up: Jolyon Dixon & Rachel Sinnetta. The Sylvertones.
Winner: Matchbox Mutiny.
Best Covers Band. Sponsored by Simon Woolley of The Three Crowns, Devizes.
Runners Up: Pinky & The Slapcats. The Unpredictables.
Winner: The Brit-Pop Boys.
Best Original Band: Sponsored By Peggy-Sue Ford of Don’t Stop the Music on Swindon 105.5 Radio.
Runners Up: Nothing Rhymes With Orange. Burn The Midnight Oil.
Winner: Talk in Code.
Best Tribute Act.
Runners Up: Painted Bird. BC/DC.
Winner: Mick Jogger & The Stones Experience.
Best Female Artist.
Runners Up: Sammi Evans. Rosie Jay.
Winner: Ruby Darbyshire.
Best Male Artist. Presented by Lesley Scholes of Fantasy Radio.
Runners Up: Lucas Hardy. Vince Bell.
Winner: George Wilding.
Best Original Song.
Runners Up: I Don’t Give a Damn by Rosie Jay. Do I Really Have The Blues by JP Oldfield.
Winner: All In by Talk in Code.
Best Instrumentalist.
Runners Up: Ruby Darbyshire. Andrew Hurst.
Winner: Jolyon Dixon.
Rising Star New Comer.
Runners Up: Ruby Darbyshire. Rosie Jay.
Winner: JP Oldfield.
Best Vocalist.
Runners Up: Chris Stevens. Lucas Hardy.
Winner: Rachel Sinnetta.
There were four special awards given out on the evening which didn’t receive runner-up places as according to the information given to the hosts. If there was an oversight about this, we apologise.
Outstanding Contribution to The Wiltshire Music Scene was won by Colin Holton of Salisbury Live.
Outstanding Contribution to Music in the Community was won by Jo Baines Robbins.
A Special Award was given to Wiltshire Hop & Harmony, The Wotton Bassett Dementia Choir. The Second Special Award was presented to Brian Mundy of BMS Stage Tech.
A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Peter Lamb.
Ruby Darbyshire opened the evening with a bagpipe song and two others, as a surprise special guest.
We also had live performances from Nothing Rhymes With Orange, Burn The Midnight Oil, Lucas Hardy, Matchbox Mutiny, George Wilding, and The Britpop Boys. Due to technical issues, Jolyon Dixon and Rachel Sinnetta were unable to perform.
I would like to sincerely thank our panel of judges.
And, Ruby and Brian Darbyshire
The Britpop Boys
Burn The Midnight Oil
Matchbox Mutiny
Lucas Hardy
Jolyon Dixon & Rachel Sinnetta
George Wilding
Nothing Rhymes With Orange
Sponsors:
Val Bewley VB Arts Studios
Alex Organ Wardrop Salisbury Sounds
Colin Howton Salisbury Live
Pam Robertson – Trowbridge Motor Supplies
Simon Woolley – Three Crowns, Devizes
Peggy-Sue Ford – Swindon 105.5 Radio
Mark Jones & Lesley Scholes- Fantasy Radio
And a sponsor and our host DJ Mark Anothony and wife Sandra.
Thanks to Anya and Marc of Soupchick.
To Ian and all the staff at the Corn Exchange
To Brian Mundy and BMS Stage Tech.
To everyone who got behind this, I thank you.
Anthony & Jemma Brown for helping us set up.
Charlotte & Moray MacDonald for help on the front desk.
But massive thanks goes to Eddie Prestidge and Stone Circle Music Events
And finally, thank you for coming, supporting the local live music scene.
This afternoon sees the inaugural grand ceremony of Stone Circle Music Events’ Wiltshire Music Awards taking place at the Devizes Corn Exchange. It’s a sellout show celebrating our county’s music scene, with a lot of local acts performing between the announcements of the results of a public voting system. The legend who is Mr George Wilding kicked off proceedings with what was supposed to be a warm-up party last night at The Three Crowns…..
The temperature dropped and the rain came in, and if that didn’t make the term “warm-up party” seem a smidgen dubious, I’m not sure if anyone else attending the awards other than myself, Jolyon Dixon setting up the PA and George himself made it to the evening; best guess they’re saving themselves for the big day today! Nevertheless, it was a fair turnout and those who did come were treated to Geroge’s human jukebox show and came up trumps, singing and dancing the October chill away.
Equally ambiguous as the warm-up is the term “human jukebox” to describe Geroge’s show, for if a jukebox doesn’t have the song you want it cannot play it. George has a plethora of classics in his repertoire, the audience are encouraged to shout them out, and should they request something George hasn’t a handle on, he’ll attempt it anyway, play a riff of it, and declare he doesn’t know it in his droll way. He might try a medley of the parts he does know with other songs of the same artist, he might look to the audience to help with lyrics, and if all this fails it becomes part of his amusing and interactive show.
Far from a man with a guitar and a setlist who frowns at the idea of requests, does his shift and pulls out. George took no break, played overtime, and seemingly adored every minute. I gather this was his mainstay while working the cruise ships and imagine the cruisers delightedly returning each evening, but such voyages for George are on the backburner and while he doesn’t mind running a covers show, he’s otherwise in the studio with producer Jolyon Dixon building a catalogue of original tracks in which he is toying with the idea of releasing as an album.
But the Three Crowns love a covers show, and George delivered such in this interactive way there can be no arguing his brilliance to entertain and his skill as a musician. So, should an audience member request, as one did, The Eagles’ Hotel California and he ponders it’s a bit slow to fit with the pace of previous songs, he’ll up the tempo. An apt Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head opened the show, and George will set the ball rolling, but once the audience catch the drift, he’s never without a request, and will either attempt the most obscure or tell them in the most charming way that they’re really testing him!
As it was I requested The Ronnettes’ Be My Baby, aware the soulful doowop earworm was a personal favourite George used to regularly put in his set and put his own stamp on. He nodded in fond remembrance, and the regulars approved, dancing on the cobblestones. But I only asked for one, the rest left up to the modest crowd, really feeling they were part of something unique and special, because that’s George’s ability and that’s what has made him one of our fondest favourites on the circuit for many a moon. “Total ledge,” I understand is the gen z terminology!
I cannot tell you if he is to receive an award tonight, but I believe he deserves to; I will announce the winners here as soon as I recover tonight, for those who cannot make it! If you’ve not got a ticket for the awards, there’s a whole list of events happening on our event calendar; just look at it! Just look and see how many are music gigs, and realise the strength of our local music scene. That is what we celebrate tonight, and yeah, George will be singing a song, along with many others. I’m on curtain duty! See you there!
Less than a week to go until the first ever Stone Circle Music Events’ Wiltshire Music Awards at the Corn Exchange, Devizes. We’re not printing a programme of events, so here’s everything you need to know about the ceremony this coming weekend….exciting, isn’t it?!
Firstly, all tickets have now sold out, sorry! But if you’re coming or not, there will be a free warm up party on Friday 24th October at the Three Crowns Devizes, where we will be entertained by the incredible George Wilding. Everyone is welcome!
And now onto Awards Ceremony on Saturday 25th October 2025.
The doors open at 17:30pm. The bar will be open, and we have scrumptious tucker available from Soupchick. Chilli beef or vegan alternative with rice, with nachos, cheese, sour cream and guacamole toppings; £7:50 for a bowl, I’m in!
Please arrive as soon as possible so we can get everyone seated. There will be music in the hall. I’ve come over all Jive Bunny, and created a mega-mix of local music! I’ve tried to display the diversity and quality of the Wiltshire Music Scene and cram as many songs as I can into one hour; it’s been no easy task.
Being I accept you’ll all be chatting rather than listening, I’m kinda proud of my virtual DJ skills, so for prosperity I’ve leave the mix here so you can listen at your own risk!
Tracks are listed here; apologies if your song isn’t there, I tried to include as many as possible.
Jamie R Hawkins – Not Going Anywhere, Gaz Brookfield – Tale of Gunner Haines, Tamsin Quin – Home, Griffiths & Hollingsworth – Ocean, Andrew Hurst – Tower of Fallen Heroes, Timid Deer – Shallows, Kirsty Clinch – Stay With Us, Deadlight Dance – Samurai Sunset, Will Lawton & Ludwig Mack – Atlantic ‘O, M3G – Waiting, Phil Cooper – Bijou, Concrete Prairie – I Wish You Well, JP Oldfield – Magpie, Jol Rose – Make Some Hay, Thieves – I’m Coming Back, S’Go – King of The Fairies, Sarah C Ryan Band – Woman in White The Worried Men – Manacle Alley, Junkyard Dogs – Suzie Q, Deadlight Dance – Love Will Tear Us Apart, The First Book of English Magic – Richard Wileman, Barrelhouse – Mainline Voodoo, Aural Candy & Sienna Wileman – Mirrorball, Jon Amor – Peppercorn, Daisy Chapman – Waterloo Sunset, Canute’s Plastic Army – Hollow Children of Men, George Wilding – Dirty Dream Balloon, Ruby Darbyshire – Don’t Give Up Now, 41 Fords – Emily, Liddington Hill – Maid of Mayhem, Ursa Way – Chasing the Sun, Boot Hill All Stars – Night Bus, I See Orange – Doll Guts, The Belladonna Treatment – Bits of Elation, NervEndings – Democracy Manifest, Nothing Rhymes with Orange – Monday, Talk in Code – All In, Cephid – Terminus, Subject A – Paradise.
Now, the Awards Ceremony begins at 18:30…. on the dot!
Please make sure you are seated by 18:20. If this sounds all a bit like orders barked at you from your cub scout leader, there’s good reason: We’ve got a lot to squeeze in, and secondly, you don’t want to miss the opening of the show, believe me!!
We’re not revealing our very special guest opening the show, so don’t even try bribing me with booze! Then you’ll meet the hosts, DJ Mark Anthony and myself.
Stone Circle Wiltshire Music Awards Event Schedule
18:30: Opening Act (Nope Still not Telling!)
1. Best Music Venue
2. Best DJ
3. Best Covers Band
Live Performance: Britpop Boys
There’s a champagne supernova trip back to the nineties with The Britpop Boys,renowned for blasting those sing-a-long anthems across the county and beyond.
1. Best Drummer
2. Best Bassist
3. Best Guitarist
4. Best Duo
Live Performance – Match Box Mutiny
Ben Borrill and Pat Ward, aka Matchbox Mutiny, will be there, the lively Devizes-based duo who never fail to charm.
1. Best Original Band
2. Best Tribute Artist
Live Performance – Burn the Midnight Oil
Devizes own Burn The Midnight Oil will be playing. They’ve come so far in such a short space of time with their own brand of breezy blues-rock, and they’ve a new song to play us; we’re excited to see them perform.
1. Best Solo Female Artist
2. Best Solo Male Artist
Live Performance – George Wilding
Our lovable legend George Wilding is a name most of you should know, and he’s coming to play a few songs, of course he is!
1. Best Original Song
2. Rising Star Newcomer
3. Best Instrumental
4. Best Vocalist
Live Performance – Jolyon Dixon and Rachel Sinnetta
Then there’s Salisbury-based Joylon Dixon and Rachel Sinnetta – a duo who raised the roof off the Three Crowns recently, but I knew it was coming as Rachel’s supreme vocal range and Joylon’s professional accompanying will enthral all.
1. Outstanding Contribution to the Wiltshire Music Scene
2. Outstanding Contribution to Music in the Community
3. Special Awards (1)
Live Performance – Lucas Hardy
Award winning Lucas Hardy is coming too. Loved on the Salisbury circuit, Lucas will delight you, for what will be, I believe, his first time playing in Devizes; I could be wrong!
1. Special awards (2)
2. Lifetime Achievement Award
Live Performance: Nothing Rhymes with Orange
Devizes homegrown indie-rock phenomenon Nothing Rhymes With Orange will polish off the evening. They created a storm locally a few years ago as a teen sensation, the likes of which I claimed to be the “Beatlemania of Devizes!” Now studying together at Bristol Uni, their popularity has spread nationwide. Back home they have inspired a new generation to form bands, and we welcome them back delighted.
Image: Gail Foster
Evening closes around 11:30pm, when you have my permission to drag me down to the Exchange nightclub below and buy me a Bacardi Breezer!
I look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday, and I hope you all enjoy the evening.
I would like to thank our sponsors: Stone Circle Music Events. Trowbridge Motor Supplies. DJ Mark Anthony. VB Art Studios. The Three Crowns Devizes. Don’t Stop The Music Radio Show. Our guest announcers, Ian and the staff at the Corn Exchange, Devizes Books, and Fantasy Radio.
As the excitement continues to detonate to an exploding point for our very first Stone Circle Music Events Wiltshire Music Awards on 25th October, we are thrilled to announce that Fantasy Radio, Devizes’ own beloved local broadcaster, will be joining us on the night in a special media partnership role…..
Represented by Lesley Scholes and Mark Jones, Fantasy Radio will be interviewing winners and nominees throughout the evening, capturing the stories, emotions, and celebrations as they unfold. These exclusive interviews will be broadcast on Fantasy Radio after the event, giving listeners across the county a chance to share in the fantastic moment.
In addition, Fantasy Radio will proudly display promotional banners inside the Corn Exchange on the day of the event, further cementing their support of local music and community talent.
One of the event organisers Eddie Prestige, UK Director for Stone Circle Music Events expressed his delight at the collaboration. “We’re honoured to have Fantasy Radio involved in our inaugural awards. Their passion for local talent aligns perfectly with our mission to celebrate the incredible music scene here in Wiltshire. We’re especially grateful for Fantasy Radio’s offer to assist during the evening. It’s this spirit of community that makes the event so special.”
The Wiltshire Music Awards will take place on October 25th at the Corn Exchange, Devizes, bringing together musicians, industry supporters, and local media for an unforgettable night of recognition and entertainment. All tickets have now sold out, unfortunately, but the demand continues and excitement builds.
To add my own tuppence as one of the organisers, “it’s great to see Fantasy Radio onboard with this project, and I’m over the moon to watch the attention for this event blossom, from our early planning stages with Eddie and myself, to the point we’re at now, with a sold-out Corn Exchange, seven live acts performing for the evening, plus lots of surprises and guest appearances. I’m also delighted to say as well as the bar, Devizes-own Soupchick will be preparing a few delicious dishes for attendees to tuck into.”
Stay tuned to Fantasy Radio in the coming weeks for updates, and after the event to hear the exclusive interviews with Wiltshire’s rising stars! Obviously we will be reporting live from the scene too, as much as possible in-between hosting and presenting!
The Wiltshire Music Awards are delighted to confirm a new headline partnership with Stone Circle Music Events, who will sponsor the Awards for 2025 and into 2026.
As part of this agreement, the event will be rebranded as: Stone Circle Music Events – Wiltshire Music Awards.
This collaboration reflects Stone Circle Music Events’ ongoing commitment to supporting music in Wiltshire, and across the wider UK and Ireland. Their involvement will provide significant opportunities to raise the profile of the Awards, enhance the experience for participants, and strengthen engagement with the wider music community.
Benefits of this partnership include:
• Brand Visibility: Prominent placement of the Stone Circle Music Events name across all event materials, press releases, and social media campaigns.
• Audience Reach: Direct engagement with a diverse audience of musicians, industry professionals, and the public.
• Prestige & Influence: Recognition as the headline supporter of one of Wiltshire’s most anticipated music events.
• Networking Opportunities: Closer ties with event partners, sponsors, and stakeholders.
• Catalyst for Growth: The presence of a strong lead sponsor encouraging further sponsorship and increased scale for the Awards.
Eddie Prestige of Wiltshire Music Awards said, “we are thrilled to welcome Stone Circle Music Events as our headline sponsor. Their passion for supporting music and culture perfectly aligns with our mission to celebrate and elevate the incredible talent across Wiltshire. This partnership will allow us to grow the Awards and create an even more impactful event in 2025 and beyond.”
Darren Worrow of Wiltshire Music Awards added, “This is great news, and we hope it secures a future for the awards.”
Managing Director of Stone Circle Music Events, Patrick O’Sullivan said, “Stone Circle Music Events are proud to support the Wiltshire Music Awards as headline sponsor. Music is at the heart of what we do, and this partnership reflects our commitment to nurturing local talent and strengthening the live music community in Wiltshire, the UK, and Ireland. We are excited to be part of such a vibrant celebration of creativity.”
This partnership represents an exciting step forward for the Wiltshire Music Awards, helping to secure its long-term success and cement its place as a key celebration of musical talent in the region.
As a result of probably the most productive meeting yet, yesterday, about The Wiltshire Music Awards, we can now reveal the most amazing line-up of local music acts who will be performing between the announcements at our grand ceremony on Saturday 25th October at Devizes Corn Exchange, and a few other points we should mention too…..
Easy bit first for our glitzy and glamorous night, there will be professional sound and lighting provided by Brian Mundy and his team at BSM Stage Tech, and a bar, in which you won’t have to buy me a drink because I’m hosting and I don’t want to slur my words, word my slurs or anything along those silly lines!
It makes us all very proud to announce this wonderful lineup. Devizes own Burn The Midnight Oil will open the evening’s entertainment. They’ve come so far in such a short space of time with their own brand of breezy blues-rock, we’re excited to see them perform.
Our lovable legend George Wilding is a name most of you should know, and he’s coming to play a few songs, of course he is! Award winning Lucas Hardy is coming too. Loved on the Salisbury circuit, Lucas will delight you, for what will be, I believe, his first time playing in Devizes; I could be wrong!
Ben Borrill and Pat Ward, aka Matchbox Mutiny, will be there, the lively Devizes-based duo who never fail to charm. Then there’s Salisbury-based Joylon Dixon and Rachel Sinnetta – a duo who raised the roof off the Three Crowns recently, but I knew it was coming as Rachel’s supreme vocal range and Joylon’s professional accompanying will enthral all.
There’s a champagne supernova trip back to the nineties with The Britpop Boys,renowned for blasting those sing-a-long anthems across the county and beyond.
And here’s our last big secret exposed, Devizes homegrown indie-rock phenomenon Nothing Rhymes With Orange will polish off the evening. They created a storm locally a few years ago as a teen sensation, the likes of which I claimed to be the “Beatlemania of Devizes!” Now studying together at Bristol Uni, their popularity has spread nationwide. Back home they have inspired a new generation to form bands, and we welcome them back delighted.
Image: Gail Foster
Make no mistake, all these acts have had a tremendous year, and deserve to be nominated for awards, as are the many other names hiding in our golden envelopes too. Myself, DJ Mark Anthony and possibly a few guest names will be announcing the winners and runners-up, and these wonderful acts will perform just two or three songs each between the announcements; it’s going to be a show!
A show which, we hope, showcases, highlights and celebrates the wealth of musical talent we have here in Wiltshire, in a manner more celebratory than competitive. While many others and not just those performing have high chances of bagging a trophy, by no means is it exhaustive. There are so many others, producing music, promoting, hosting and creating amazing initiatives to fundraise and to teach, we know this, and I intend to highlight as many as I can at the ceremony, because the list is lengthy enough already to cram into one evening, making it comprehensive is a minefield!
The results of the awards was set by public votes and a panel of expert judges, which we genuinely believe to have been a fair system, causing it to be agonising for us to see the entire county trimmed to this much, but if everyone supports this we hope there will be subsequent years of Wiltshire Music Awards to follow. Years in which we will continuously review in order to improve on.
One point, whilst feedback has been overwhelmingly supportive, one niggly raised was tickets. We have to fund this one way or another. We are asking for sponsorships, many have helped and we thank them. In order to make this work, yes, we are asking everyone who wishes to attend, including those nominated, to buy a ticket, of which we have made as reasonably priced as possible. If you have been nominated for an award within our top ten, you are cordially invited to attend, but along with everyone else we do ask you to please purchase a ticket; there is no other expense asked of you other than this.
As much as we would love to see all the winners and runners-up in person, or a representative on your behalf, on the night to be presented with an award, if you cannot make it due to other commitments we understand, and your award will be given to you at a suitable date thereafter. Important point then: You DO NOT need to attend the ceremony to receive the award if you do not wish to, but please consider that we have to fund this, that we have worked hard on getting this off the ground, and would appreciate your support with it. Wiltshire Music Awards has been created by a genuine team dedicated to the local music scene. Allow me to get all Charles & Eddie on your ass at this conjunction, “would I lie to you, baby?!!”
Whoa, back on the positives; thankfully I won’t be singing but the experts will, this is going to be cracking night, one for the history books, and I hope to see you there! Saturday 25th October at Devizes Corn Exchange, tickets HERE.
Results of the public vote have been put to our expert panel of seven judges in our inaugural Wiltshire Music Awards, and now the judges have decided. I bet you’re wondering who has won and who the runners-up are, aren’t you?
Well, I’m not going to tell you….yet! Ah, clickbait of ye gods; beat that Newsquest (who haven’t even bothered mentioning this crucial local extravaganza, I might add!) Truth is, I don’t know the results any more than you do, as I kindly requested to remain in the dark for the genuine element of surprise on the night, and it’s the night I want to remind you of!! Because, if you want to find out the winners you need to grab yourself a ticket to the presentation ceremony, the Awards Evening on Saturday 25th October at Devizes Corn Exchange; proper job!
There’s table tickets as groups, and single tickets available for our gurt lush Wiltshire Music Awards, the first of its kind. A night of music, celebration, and unforgettable moments. Bring your family, friends, and supporters! We’ve some top local acts confirmed, all performing a song or three, with intervals where I and special guests will be announcing the winners. There’s seventeen categories to get through, wine to drink and partying to be done in honour of all the amazing musical talent we’ve got hiding in our rural county; please, help us to achieve this.
Yeah, I hear you! An update on our inaugural Wiltshire Music Awards is overdue. So my partner on this monumental project and the guy doing all the work while I take the credit, Eddie Prestidge of Wiltshire Music Events, has taken off his shoes and socks and provided a top ten shortlist for each category….drum roll, and perhaps a generous spray of Febreze!
Excited? I know I am, but then I’m easily excitable. Firstly you should know by now, despite the umpteen “where can I vote” questions still fired online at us daily, that the voting has closed; closed, people; pay attention!
We are now in the process of collating those thoughtful public votes, and handing the top three winners of each and every category to an expert panel of judges either selected for their keen involvement in the Wiltshire music scene, sporting a purple goatie, or both.
We thank those who took the time to cast their votes. We had over 700 votes, proving the music scene of Wiltshire is vast and enjoyed by many, has more talented people than a night out with The Venga Boys, and there’s a few Swifties and generally silly people who didn’t get the memo that this is Wiltshire Music Awards and not the Pennsylvania one….unless you can find me a suitable connection between Wiltshire and Taylor Swift?!
Hey, look, let’s be honest, I’d be happy to hand her an award, perhaps in exchange for her phone number, but we have to keep things in perspective.
On our Facebook groupover the past week or so, Eddie has been listing the results, precisely as they were written in the boxes by the voters, so you can see, warts, spelling mistakes, and those spoiled ballots by a minority of silly sausages were included. We’re aware, due to stage names, variations, and the state of the education system, some names appear twice or more, and it’s been a task to collate them.
The thing is, and always was, that the voting boxes should be left blank rather than those annoying drop-down option thingies. While the combined minds of Ed and I is both something to behold, and a virtual encyclopedia of the Wiltshire music scene, we can’t pretend to know everyone, and therefore some of the choices made by you, the voters, we were unaware of. And that’s the beauty and ethos behind these awards, networking foremost. Making the scene competitive is the bottom of our priorities, Wiltshire Music Awards is about recognising and celebrating local talent, and showcasing it.
Personally I reckon anyone with the guts to get out there and entertain Wiltshire folk deserves a big shiny medal of bravery, and perhaps one of those right posh giant Toblerones! There’s a number of artists and bands missing that I’d personally liked to see up there, I guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
So, enough of my warbling, cue the Gregory Isaacs song, “Though she isn’t in my top ten, still she is on my chart, Sitting in the back bench still she’s a student of my class,” or not perhaps; political correctness! Here, anyway, is the Top Ten from each category; fill yer boots, no squabbling, and the very best of luck to everyone mentioned below….
Listings are alphabetical. Those eagle-eye Action Men might notice not all categories contain ten; where the final one or two contains multiple entries with the same amount of votes, they’ve been omitted.
Come and help us celebrate the winners and runners up with a star-studded lineup of music, announcements, perhaps even yours truly as host (a polished turd in a tuxedo,) and a special celebrity guest or three, by grabbing some tickets for the grand ceremony at Devizes Corn Exchange on Saturday 25th October.
Best Male Solo Artist
Vince Bell
Giles Halski
Lucas Hardy
Josh Kumra
JP Oldfield
John “Illingworth” Smith
George Wilding
Adam Woodhouse
Best Female Solo Artist
Harmony Asia
Ebony Bell
Chrissy Chapman
Sammi Evans
Ruby Darbyshire
Chloe Hepburn
Rosie Jay
Tamsin Quin
Rachel Sinnetta
Best Originals Band
All Ears Avow
Be Like Will
Burn The Midnight Oil
Dark Prophecy
Deadlight Dance
Cephid
The Jon Amor Trio
Nothing Rhymes With Orange
Talk in Code
Best Covers Band
Be Like Will
The Britpop Boys
Marty’s Fake Family
The Midnight Hour
No Alarms And No Devizes
Pinky & The Slapcats
Static Moves
The Unpredictables
Best Duo
Deadlight Dance
Fly Yeti Fly
Illingworth
Jolyon Dixon & Rachel Sinnetta
Lauren & Hardy
Matchbox Mutiny
Millers Daughter
Rackham
The Sylvertones
Best Rising Star/Newcomer
Sam Bishop
Burn The Midnight Oil
Cephid
Chole Hepburn
Sammi Evans
Fran Daisy
JP Oldfield
Koerie Willsdon
Rosie Jay
Best Tribute Artist/Band
The Bowie Show
BC/DC Breakcover
The Britpop Boys
50 ft Queenie
Mick Jogger & The Stones Experience
Just Elton
Painted Bird
Plastic Fantastic
Rebjorn
Best Music Venue
The Pump, Trowbridge
Qudos, Salisbury
The Royal Oak, Pewsey
Stallards, Trowbridge
The Southgate, Devizes
The Three Crowns, Devizes
The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon
The Victoria, Swindon
Best Original Song
The Bitter Mass – I’ll Wrap You
Burn The Midnight Oil – Lock Up
Butane Skies – Innocence
Gaz Brookfield – Hook Village Hall
Lucas Hardy – The Below
Rob Sadler – I Wrote a Country Song
Rosie Jay – I Don’t Give a Damn
Talk in Code – All In
The Vivas – Saint Swithens
Best Vocalist
Amber Coleman
Tom Corneill
Elijah Easton
Lucas Hardy
Chloe Jordan
Rachel Sinnetta
Chris Stevens
Tom Thornton
Best Guitarist
Jon Amor
Nick Beere
Joe Burke
Jolyon Dixon
Andy Hill
Howard Hughes
Jack Lowe
Innes Sibun
Alister Sneddon
Best Bassist
Mark Turner
Nick Gowman
Nick Beere
James Hinsley
Lucianne Worthy
Jerry Soffe
Ed Docherty
Richard Hunt
Thomas Noke
Best Drummer
Dean Creighton
Ed (Solar Bird)
Tom Gilkes
Andy Naish
Jamie O’Sullivan
Thor Porter
Callum Rawlings
Jane Truckle
Best Instrumentalist
Mike Barnett
Nick Beere
Jolyon Dixon
Claire Hopkins
Cailien Hunt
Andrew Hurst
Chris O’Leary
JP Oldfield
Sara Stagg
Wade (from Brakelight)
Best DJ
Paul Alexander
Mark Anthony
Chloe Grist
Guy Griffiths (DJ Bong)
Kevin – (Odstock Radio)
Mark Lister
Maurice Menghini
Andy Saunders
James Threlfall
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jon Amor
Nick Beere
Vince Bell
Jolyon Dixon
Colin Holton
Ruth Jones
Michael Johnson
Pete Lamb
Darren Simons
Talk in Code
Outstanding Contribution to the Wiltshire Music Scene
Jo Baines
Nick Beere
Colin Holton
Ian Hopkins
Tom Mallard
Solstice Sound Music Studio
Talk in Code
The Three Horseshoes
Darren Worrow
Outstanding Contribution to Music in the Community
Jo Baines
Robb Blake
Jemma Brown & Fulltone Orchestra
Saun Dobson & The Three Horseshoes
Ross Gooding
Colin Holton
The Royal Wottonn Bassett Dementia Choir
Talk in Code
West Wilts Radio
Darren Worrow
That’s all folks, save the most important part for you; come and help us celebrate the winners and runners up with a star-studded lineup of music, announcements, perhaps even yours truly as host (a polished turd in a tuxedo,) and a special celebrity guest or three, by grabbing some tickets for the grand ceremony at Devizes Corn Exchange on Saturday 25th October.
To make this as glitzy as we want it to be, you can help us also by sponsoring a category, more information about this and everything else to do with Wiltshire Music Awards, see HERE.
That’s right, lovers of local live music countywide, you have less than a week now to cast your votes for your favourite acts in our prestigious, one-of-a-kind Wiltshire Music Awards!
The closing date for voting is Tuesday the 10th June, so get your thinking caps on and VOTE HERE NOW.
Who’s tickled your fancy the most? Who’s brought tears to your eyes with their self-penned ballad? Who’s dragged you off your seat and commanded your feet to the dancefloor, like nobody’s watching?! Who’s provided that ideal space for you to shake a tailfeather? And who deserves to be recognised for their outstanding contribution to local live music in your honest opinion? We need to know, but don’t tell us here- keep it secret and cast your votes now!
We’ve already had way over seven hundred ballot papers sent into us, and I’ve not taken one sneaky peek yet, but I’m informed the results are close to call, so your vote might yet tip the balance.
So don’t procrastinate on me now, will you? Not for your favourite musicians’ finest hour. They need you; this is important, dammit!
And here’s an added special message to all musicians, bands and promoters, we love you all, so, please help us to help you, by sharing this news with your fans, as there’s nothing wrong with shameless self-promotion; order them to vote for you, offer them custard creams if they do, tell your mum you want her to vote for you, tell them all you wanna win a shiny medal for all you’ve done to entertain them. You deserve this, goddammit, everyone creating music around these backwaters does, but there’s only so many awards we can give out on the night – make sure one of them is yours, yay!
I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it, and I am officially about to lose control…and, guess what? I think I like it. At least, those are my inspirational words to motivate you into the groove.
A week into the voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards and things have been moving forward fast. We’ve had the best part of 500 voting forms already submitted and we’re busy spreading the news about these new awards…
The voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards went live on the 1st May, and if it was overshadowed by some other voting thing going on that day too, this far more important election is gradually gathering pace. And unlike the other elections, no one is jumping on anyone’s back, making up stories to derail other candidates!
Eddie Prestidge of Wiltshire Music Events UK and I have been busy promoting the concept, and we’re delighted and extremely grateful to everyone who has helped us with this. From visiting Castledown FM to meet Kev Lawrence and waffle on his drive-time show, and future such gigs like Peggy-Sue’s Don’t Stop the Music Show on Swindon 105.5, to features in Swindon Link and Salisbury Radio’s blog, and everyone who has shared our news on social media, word is getting around thanks to you all.
Of course individual musicians, bands and studios have taken to their social media platforms begging for their fans to vote for them, and, don’t worry, this is encouraged! It’s also our most treasured venues such as The Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon who are sharing our news. I believe this is all vital, to ensure we’re making it comprehensive and spanning across the entire county. If you can help us with this, please do get in touch.
Nominations will close on 10th June 2025, so we need your picks by then! It’s not easy, I know; Eddie messaged me a few hours into the voting process to say he hadn’t seen my submission yet, and I had to tell him I was still making my mind up!
There’s so many talented musicians around here, it is difficult to decide who’s name to put in those boxes. But, in this I feel is a point worth making about the Wiltshire Music Awards; we are doing this to promote, encourage and celebrate everyone creating music locally, from DJ and cover band to original artists and sound engineers. This isn’t intended to make our circuits competitive in any way, as we all enjoy the communal and friendly ethos of our local circuits, and vow to maintain this. The hard work they all do to entertain us is recognised and appreciated; while some of our many friends on the music scenes in Wiltshire might not pick up an award, it doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten them!
Eddie says, “these awards recognise the individuals and groups whose efforts make a real difference. If you know someone who deserves recognition, or want to showcase your group, now is your chance to give them the spotlight they deserve.”
We’ve just opened a Facebook group for the Awards you can join HERE. People have joined and are making connections there already, which is great and exactly what we want to achieve with this venture; it’s not the Oscars!
There’s loads of questions which have been fired at us over the week about how the awards work, despite many of them being answered on the FAQs pageof the website! Some others have come up, and we thank you for raising some valid points. One good one I had by Rich of Minety Music Festival, who asked if we could have a category for festivals. We pondered how we could do this as the categories have already been set, there’s 17 of them already, and feeding it into the venues category might not be fair on the smaller grassroots venues. So, we decided to add festivals as a category for next year, and make a list of festivals in Wiltshire for the judges’ perusal. I mention this to say, hey, we’re open to ideas and things we might have overlooked.
The most frequent question I’ve been asked is “can I vote for myself?!” To which the simple answer is a big fat YES! Why not? Show off your ego, you’ve earned it, go for it! The less frequent but similar question I’ve had is, surprisingly, “can I vote for you?!” The answer is, yeah (blush,) if you must!
We’ve been browsing trophies and medals from a catalogue by Avon Trophies like we’re kids drooling over the lingerie section! And over the next couple of weeks we will be sending invites for people to be judges. Choosing experienced people with dedication to promoting music in the county and trying to set one in each area, we have a list of possibles, but if you’re interested in this let me know this coming week. It is also vital that this event receives sponsorship in order for it to work as well as what’s in our minds. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor an individual award or the whole shebang!
The award ceremony will take place in Devizes at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday 25th October 2025, tickets are here. We hope it will continue annually, this all depends upon your input and support, which has so far been so encouraging I might even be moved wear a dickie-bow at the event, and that’s worth the ticket price alone! Please vote and share our news, thank you!
The voting process for the Wiltshire Music Awards goes live today; there might be some other voting thing going on too, but this is far more important!
In conjunction with Wiltshire Music Events UK, I’m delighted Devizine will be actively assisting to organise this new county-wide music awards. We’ve mentioned it a few times now, but today the moment has finally arrived for you to cast your votes. Nominations are open for the ceremony from 1st May 2025, and will close on 10th June 2025.
The award ceremony will take place in Devizes at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday 25th October 2025, tickets are here. We hope it will continue annually, this all depends upon your input. Please get voting, and we call upon everyone actively involved in music scenes across the county to get involved too.
Here’s some FAQs about the process, and other than to say I’m mega-excited about it all, and to please share this news far and wide, there’s not a lot else I can waffle on about it for now; everything relies on you all to help us find the talented in Wiltshire, so get voting!
Who can be nominated?
Anyone involved in music based in Wiltshire or primarily active within the county can be nominated. This includes solo artists, bands, DJs, instrumentalists, music promoters, and venues.
Can I nominate in more than one category?
Yes, you can submit nominations in multiple categories. However, each artist, band, group, DJ, or venue may only be nominated in one category overall, so please choose the most suitable one.
Who decides the winners?
A panel of music professionals from across Wiltshire will review the shortlisted entries and select one winner per category. The panel’s decision will be final.
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