Bronski Beat have become the latest recipients of the PRS for Music Heritage Award, celebrating their first ever live show at The Bell pub in London in 1983.
The award was presented by musician Tom Rasmussen during a special ceremony today (11 July) at The Big Chill, which now sits on the site of The Bell in King's Cross. The latter was an important countercultural landmark in the early eighties and played a key role in the rise of acts like Bronski Beat, who became trailblazers through bold releases like their hit single Smalltown Boy and their hugely influential debut album The Age of Consent. Those records have been richly acclaimed for pushing back against the legal, social and cultural stigmatisation of LGBTQIA+ identities at the time.
A commemorative plaque honouring both the band and the venue was unveiled by Tom during the ceremony, marking the twentieth time a PRS for Music Heritage Award has been bestowed. Following the unveiling Tom performed a short live set, including covers of Bronski Beat’s songs Junk and Why?, for the audience of invited guests.
In a statement about the award, Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Somerville said: ‘What a wonderful honour. Humbling too. I remember the [Bell] performance well… twice, in fact!
‘I need to give a mention to Bernie and Martin, the DJing duo who started a night called Movements at The Carved Red Lion on Essex Road, then to The Pied Bull at Chapel Market and finally The Bell. It wasn’t just a night out. It was social, political and creative history being made. It was a movement. Young LGBTQIA+ people wanting something different, and it met that need. It was different and exciting and we, Bronski Beat, were part of that.
‘This honour is for all who were on that journey with us. Thank you.’
Tom Rasmussen added: ‘Bronski Beat literally created the space for gay and queer musicians to both be out, and to sing and make music about the way we live. It’s easy to take that for granted today. Personally, as someone with a falsetto which betrays my gender and sexuality (in the best way), Jimmy also made it OK for people who look like boys to sing, swoon, scream and cry. It’s a proper privilege to be in that lineage with Jimmy.’
This latest PRS for Music Heritage Award marks the next step in the organisation’s continued support for live music in pubs. In March, PRS for Music and the British Beer and Pub Association launched Pubs Go Live: a 10-day nationwide initiative celebrating live music in pubs which saw gigs being put on in pubs up and down the country.
Andrea Czapary Martin, CEO, PRS for Music, said: ‘Independent venues like Big Chill are a vital part of the creative economy and play a role in sustaining the pipeline of future songwriters and performers across the country. Bronski Beat’s debut performance here in the 80s, and their subsequent success and social impact, is a clear example of how local venues can help shape national and international culture.
'Supporting venues like this is essential to ensuring the long-term health of the UK music industry and the success of the creators it depends on.’
Today's event also coincided with the release of a new remix edition of The Age of Consent on London Records, closing a year of tributes that have reaffirmed the record’s enduring cultural and political impact. PRS for Music’s proprietary data shows Smalltown Boy received over 2.1m seconds (or three and a half continuous weeks) of UK radio airtime in 2024 alone.
Previous recipients of the PRS for Music Heritage Award include Madness, Queen, Pulp, Blur, Soul II Soul, Sir Elton John CBE, Snow Patrol and UB40.
