What a year it’s been for the Nottingham music scene: from new venues opening to local talent gaining national exposure, 2024 proved that our city is one of the best in the country for breeding and platforming exceptional musical talent. With this in mind, we thought we’d celebrate with some end-of-year awards – championing the best local releases and gigs which took place in our city since the start of the year. Without further ado, here’s what stood out in the Notts music world in 2024…
Album of the Year 2024: The King of Misery by Daudi Matsiko
When it came to the LeftLion music team voting for their Album of the Year, there was only one clear winner – this stunning debut from British-Ugandan singer-songwriter, Daudi Matsiko. Delicate and achingly beautiful, Daudi’s tender debut is brimming with intricately arranged instrumentation, heartfelt odes to friendship and gut-punching tales of sorrow. The despair can make for a challenging listen at times, but the wealth of sonic rewards offered in return make it always worthwhile. With guest features from the likes of Divorce and Catmilk across the tracklist too, The King of Misery is an enormous triumph of Nottingham-produced music that demands to be heard.
Check out LeftLion's podcast with Daudi here.
EP of the Year 2024: Idiot by Bored Marsh
From lockdown hobby to one of Nottingham’s best bands. Local rock outfit Bored Marsh finally released their debut EP in 2024, and it fully lived up to the high expectations they have set over the last few years with their thrilling live performances. Filled with hypnotic, dark and spiralling guitar passages, as well as big, anthemic choruses, the Idiot EP delivers the band’s mission statement in typically epic fashion. From one of the year’s standout singles in Alright, OK! to live favourite Honest Day’s Work, it’s a fantastic first outing that highlights the band’s huge potential.
Honourable Mentions:
Maid Marian Way by LYVIA, Redemption Songs by JayaHadADream, Nothing Much To Say by Katie Keddie, Heartbreak Town by GIRLBAND!
Song of the Year 2024: My Drummer’s Girlfriend by ALT BLK ERA
A song so insanely catchy, 00s rock legends Wheatus flew to the UK just to work on a remixed version of it! 2024 was a massive year for local alt-rock sister duo Nyrobi and Chaya, from their MOBO award nominations to sending the crowd into a frenzy at Download Festival back in June. However, 2025 is shaping up to be even bigger, with their debut album Rave Immortal dropping in January ahead of a huge UK tour in the Spring. My Drummer’s Girlfriend was the track that kicked ALT BLK ERA’s momentum into a high gear, their debut album’s lead single that went viral on TikTok and brought the duo an even bigger audience. Endlessly infectious and masterfully produced, it’s a track we’ve had stuck in our heads ever since its release!
Honourable Mentions:
All My Freaks by Divorce, Inheritance by Lace Thief, Recreation by Catmilk, Red Sky by Kaliko
Best Large Gig 2024: Enter Shikari at Motorpoint Arena
There are several reasons why this performance from the genre-defying St. Albans outfit stands out as the best big gig to happen in Nottingham in 2024. Not only did Enter Shikari deliver a high-energy set filled wall-to-wall with their greatest hits and some seriously mind-blowing production, but they also laid down the gauntlet for other big acts while doing it. The tickets for their arena show started at a reasonable £35-£40, not overcharging their fans despite their arena show still boasting all the production bells and whistles you’d expect to see (lasers, giant LED screens, confetti, spark cannons – you name it!).
But most importantly, this ticket price also included a £1 donation to the Music Venue Trust – making them the first band to pilot the scheme that has now been picked up by musical heavyweights such as Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sam Fender. A band that always puts their words into decisive action, Enter Shikari proved it was possible to put on an epic and profitable arena show, while still giving their fans value and supporting grassroots venues. For setting the standard for other big name acts to follow, LeftLion salutes you!
Honourable Mentions:
Kneecap at Rock City, Wunderhorse at Rock City
Best Medium-Sized Gig 2024: SPRINTS at The Bodega
Irish post-punk rock band SPRINTS delivered a fiery and unforgettable set following the launch of their acclaimed debut album Letter to Self in January, and boy did they make the most of it. Choosing album-opener Ticking to start the set allowed them to introduce an excitement-inducing build. When the energy finally exploded, beer cups were sent flying and the first mosh pit formed in an instant. From there, the excitement never stopped mounting as the band blasted through album tracks and a few older numbers, too. It was powerful and rowdy, but never uncontrolled under lead vocalist Karla Chubb’s watchful eye. By the time the music ended and the lights came up, the crowd were awed - this was a neat, powerful and trend-setting performance (and it’s no surprise the band returned later in the year to step up a level and play Rescue Rooms).
Honourable Mentions:
Divorce residency at The Bodega, Deco at Rescue Rooms
Best Small Gig 2024: KYTES at The Chapel
A gig that was almost impossible to put into words, German indie-pop trio KYTES delivered a biblical performance at The Angel’s intimate loft venue, The Chapel. Having impressed during both their support slot for King No-One at Rescue Rooms and Y Not Festival earlier in the year, it seemed everyone had turned up to the venue off the back of word-of-mouth recommendations alone. What followed was a blistering, Saturday night party set, with the Munich-based trio sending the whole room into a joyous frenzy through their energetic performance and catalogue of feel-good anthems. None more so than Apricosa, which was played twice on the night, the second performance of which saw the band’s two guitarists enter the pit and join the crowd in sweat-dripped euphoria. A truly unforgettable night!
Honourable Mentions:
BigFatBig at JT Soar, Connexion Man at The Grove
Best Festival Performance 2024: Anthony Szmierek at Dot To Dot Festival
Nottingham was once again spoiled with epic festival performances in 2024, with Beat The Streets, Hockley Hustle and JT Soar Fest all delivering their fair share of memorable moments. However, the one that stood out is Mancunian dance-poet Anthony Szmierek’s early evening performance at Dot to Dot back in May. A real half-hour of power, Anthony showed just why there is such a buzz around him right now ahead of his full-length debut dropping in February. From an electric cover of Happy Mondays’ Step On which saw him crowd-surfing in the audience, to an emotionally charged, uplifting and laser-lit performance of standout single The Words to Auld Lang Syne, he had everyone in Rock City feeling like they were on Cloud 9.
Honourable Mentions:
Bored Marsh at Beat The Streets, Hhymn at Hockley Hustle
That was just a brief snapshot of all the incredible musical happenings from our city in 2024. Our website is packed with gig reviews for every month of the year, so have a look back to relive more memories.
One final shout out to all the artists, venues, promoters and staff who continue to make our local scene truly world class. Bring on 2025!
Take a look at our photo gallery of some of 2024’s best moments below.
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