Plenty of picks for ‘26

The Musos Awards celebrates Irish British Guitarish star turns, and more from it’s glam green carpet to it’s stage style SHOW!

TheZineUK team repped at a rock n goal social, recently…

The Camden Cup (music industry football tournament, won by a famed grassroots venue Dublin Castle) and after-SHOW at another (Hawley Arms) starring Laurie Wright, Scratchcard, The Outers and Rivergold. Various familiar faces - The Velvet Hands, Hard-Fi, ASBO Magazine and more - were in the buzzy bustle. Fair play to a load of good sports coming together to raise money for the local community charity, Castlehaven and spirits. It was needed.

This informal day out was also the launch of music’s freshest and most inclusive ceremony gig; The Musos Awards. Having attended the punky, first event of this generation in Spring (SO many music faces!), TheZineUK is keen for the juice on #musosawards26

Watch the story unfold at https://instagram.com/musosawards/ from November…

Especially as artists can win a slot on that stage of icons, Camden’s Electric Ballroom via the pre-Musos-contest, The Bands Come Out To Play (won this year by FNTSY). Think of who to nominate, we thought of but a few, scroll down… In the mean time:

Thursday 12/02/26 : THE MUSOS AWARDS
16+ show / Early Bird Tickets - Electric Ballroom, Camden Town

**Laurie Wright** at The Musos Awards 2025 by Rhona Murphy https://www.instagram.com/rhonamurphyphoto/

TheZineUK have got premature elation for February 12th 2026!
Some ideas at our #musosawards26 audiovisual playlist

MANY great happenings and releases between December 1st 2024 and November 30th 2025 will throw completely expected and unexpected names into the alternative music world ring!

Categories are at @musosawards social media

follow there for when the creative musicians behind the scenes ask you to recommend #musosawards26 nominees. The event? Think alt rock/pop rock n roll indie disco!

Not yer average Super Furry Animals gig! Wombat Schofield?

The first Musos Awards of its generation…

Lock-In at The Musos Awards 25. Photography by Rhona Murphy. Used with permission.

…was next level for art rock’s interdependent sector – identified through a decade of documenting our fertile environment despite the hostile one. Presented by the Music Industry Soccer Six (in our story since Chapter 1, when Heather Minx took us to witness great skills from Pete Doherty and Team Babyshambles).

#MusosAwards MOMENTS

Artists/Music at all stages, plus grassroots venues, independent festivals, promoters and other supportive influencers represented in the famed Electric Ballroom.

Tom A Smith at The Musos Awards 2025 by Rhona Murphy

DIY chic / Stage Style – everywhere

From arriving via the Musos Awards Green Carpet to an evening’s networking which is a simultaneously exclusive and inclusive giant house party, gig, ceremony, punky prom. The Musos Awards 2025 were hosted by one of independent music’s multi-scene queens - Louise Schofield - and photographed by another, Rhona Murphy.

Louise Schofield on The **Musos Awards Green Carpet** 2025 photographed by Rhona Murphy

A Team CUP Soccer Six presentation

The production timings, stage management, audiovisuals by the crew’s young artists was slick and TV smart. The prep and organisation, the websites… Including the poll page - nominated by the public. Only the panel of participating. musicians can create the winners.

“If you can’t play a note, you don’t get a vote”
(The Musos Awards)

Stars all over. Like a sky! **Harvey Jay Dodgson** at The Musos Awards 2025 by Rhona Murphy

Excitingly, a brace of youth’s next Ones To Watch podcasts, photographers, film makers, fashion creators. A vibrant YouTube short by Stanley Lane (yes, The Wombats wombat on the green carpet!) starts our #musosawards26 youtube playlist with a fraction of the action. 2025 nominees, winners, performers and crowd keep winning hearts and minds.

THE NOW proving that the new rock n roll really do SHINE on bigger stages

Summer 2025

While 10 Drowning Street was fash-mosleying on about a “nation of strangers”, that same week, we were making friends with strangers and hugs with acquaintances at Soccer Six Fest. You don’t need to be football experts. It’s the most informal networking in the biz; like a school of rock sports day.

Never forget that we are also a world of Playing Class Friends

**Tom A Smith, Saul from James and Queen of Manchester, Rowetta** at The Musos Awards. Like Pete Doherty and Kyle Falconers of The View, her live appearance was greeting with love by an awed audience. p.s. those awards are both chunky AND nifty!

There were LOADS of musicians/industry/telly people on the pitch for a charity tournament with a bar, soundtracked by a live music stage of their peers and lit by bright sunshine, warmed by our collective soul. Congratulations everybody just for being there. Big up The Darkness on their THIRD cup win, too!

**Justin Hawkins of The Darkness** at SoccerSixFest (May 2025) © Lilillia Porter https://www.instagram.com/portersgigpics/ - it’s the 30th Britpop Anniversary of CUP Soccer Six on Saturday 9th May - the travelling circus of guitar blessed socials for 2026 is on!

People’s heritage: Football/Music

A (working class founded) entertainment has inspired many more such events over the years.

Born in Tower Hamlets, Soccer Six is the original. It has the biggest alumni of rock n roll n celebrities – attracted to the fun experience and genuine love of music and football that founder, Abes, brings. A refreshingly non-corporate gathering of good sports, on and off the pitch and stage.

Saturday 9th May 2026 - a celebratory 30th anniversary is happening at Mile End Stadium! The Britpop edition of #SoccerSixFest WILL rock

CUP stands for Creativity Uniting People.

This year;s beautiful games were raised. A February contest, ‘The Bands Come Out To Play’, attracted around 450 entries wishing to appear at the Musos Awards. FNTSY won the panel’s vote.

**FNTSY** live at The Musos Awards 2025 by Rhona Murphy (currently touring with fellow alumni, THE NOW!)

Autumn 2025, The Camden Cup launch

Local venues competed in charity football matches (the Dublin Castle won the cup!) then, across the road from Castlehaven Community Association pitches, a rocking aftershow at The Hawley Arms starring Laurie Wright, Scratchcard, The Outers, Rivergold and a load of faces (spotted members of The Velvet Hands, ASBO Magazine, Hard Fi and various other music industry at the bar).

The Camden Cup aftershow was busy from the first note. **Rivergold**. (“the singer looks like a baby Mick Jagger” said a lovely tall man…

It’s all back for 2026.

The MUSOS AWARDS started something special in 2025, who’s coming next?

TBCOTP contest, the awards, the tournament - and more. Uniting people for The Player’s Player to celebrate British Irish indie rock / alt pop and community. What you wearing on the musos green carpet? (and if fashion is your thing, check in to Ruby Blue’s Stage Style articles!) Who are YOUR #musosawards26 suggestions? Who, What, Where, When, Wait… WHAT?!

Be seeing you.

(TheZineUK Events Department)