Bat for Lashes
British singer-songwriter, Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes, has rounded off a glittering 2007 by becoming the first British artist to be awarded the ASCAP Vanguard award for her album, Fur and Gold.
Khan’s American plaudit followed on the back of a shortlist nomination for the Mercury Prize, as well as a Video Star award nomination at this year’s MTV European Music Awards. Earlier in the year, she was selected to appear at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, and was awarded a grant by the PRS Foundation enabling her to attend.
The View
The Dundee four-piece released their debut album, Hats Off To The Buskers, back in January 2007. It entered the charts at number one the following week and has since gone platinum, earning the band a Mercury Prize nomination along the way and a nomination for the first Xfm New Music Award.
The Hoosiers
After seeing their debut album, The Trick To Life, go straight to number one in October of this year, the Hoosiers roll looks set to continue well into 2008. They’ve been asked to perform at the BRIT awards in February 2008 and are being tipped to pick up an award there (British Breakthrough Act).
The Feeling
Sussex five piece, The Feeling, were honoured as Songwriters of the Year at the 2007 PRS sponsored Ivor Novello awards. They were also nominated for Best Single (for Fill My Little World) at this year’s BRIT awards, and were hand picked by Princes William and Harry to play at the Concert For Diana at Wembley Stadium during the summer.
Xenomania
Miranda Cooper and Brian Higgins, the songwriting duo also known as Xenomania, had a rosy 2007 working with artists such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Alesha Dixon, as well as producing songs for the Sugababes album, Change. They wrote and produced the new Girls Aloud album and are currently working with slightly more unusual suspects, Franz Ferdinand.
The Klaxons
The Klaxons were this year’s award darlings, picking up a whole host of trophies. Their debut album, Myths Of The Near Future, won this year’s Mercury Music prize. Other honours included: Best New International Act at the MTV Latin American VMA’s; Best New Act at the Q Awards; nominated in Best UK & Ireland Act and Best New Sound of Europe at this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards and winning the Vodafone Live Music Award for the XFM Live Breakthrough Act.
Paul Leonard-Morgan
BAFTA winner and Ivor Novello award nominee, Paul was recently honoured by the US Olympic Committee, having been commissioned to compose the new musical anthem for the US Olympic Team.
Martin Phipps
A busy year for Phipps who was awarded an Ivor Novello Award (Best Original TV Music) for his score to Elizabeth - The Virgin Queen. He also recently wrote the score to Persuasion, the ITV adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, and The Allotment (Warp Films). He is about to begin work on the BBC’s upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Karen Poole
Formerly of 90s pop duo Alisha’s Attic, Poole has co-written several tracks on the latest Kylie Minogue Album X, including No More Rain and Nu-di-ty. She has also made contributions to the Sugababes album, Change.
Stargate
Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen are the Norwegian songwriting and production duo better known as Stargate. They won this year’s ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award after penning some of the most performed songs in the US in 2007, including: Ne-Yo’s So Sick, Rihanna’s Unfaithful, Kelly Clarkson’s Walk Away, Beyoncé’s Irreplaceable, Lionel Richie’s I Call It Love and Mario Vazquez’s Gallery. Earlier in the year, they also picked up a Spellemann award (Norway’s answer to the Grammy).
Gwilym Simcock
Simcock is currently a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist - the first jazz artist ever to be selected. He was voted Jazz Musician of the Year at the 2007 Parliamentary Jazz Awards and was nominated for the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards as Best Instrumentalist. The trio he plays in, Acoustic Triangle, is currently being funded by the PRS Foundation.
Other successes
2007 was also a successful year for other members, they included: Amy Winehouse, Take That, Amanda Ghost, Kate Nash, Peter Gabriel, Ian Dench, Ruth Barrett, Jem Finer, The Kooks, Hannah Robinson, Patrick Doyle, Helen Jane Long, Soweto Kinch.