Tees Valley Artists of the Year 2026: Celebrating the talent putting our region on the map

Five artists from across the Tees Valley have been named Tees Valley Artists of the Year 2026, each receiving a £30,000 investment and a year-long programme of strategic support to help accelerate their creative careers.

Among this year's five recipients are two artists with strong connections to Sonic Futures: Darlington songwriter and producer Jodie Nicholson and Hartlepool indie five-piece Marketplace. Having worked closely with both artists through our work supporting the Tees Valley music scene, we're particularly excited to see their talent and continued development recognised through this year's awards.

Led by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), the programme recognises artists producing exciting, ambitious work across a range of creative disciplines. Following a highly competitive application and shortlisting process, this year's recipients will receive support designed to help them develop their practice, build industry connections and reach a crucial career tipping point.

Jodie Nicholson: An unmistakable voice from the North East

Acclaimed Teesside artist, songwriter and producer Jodie Nicholson has built a reputation for creating powerfully intimate, achingly human music. Her distinctive sound blends chamber-pop and synth-led alternative music, with rich harmonies, ethereal vocals and songwriting that explores relationships, escapism, nostalgia and self-reflection.

Entirely self-produced and self-released, Jodie's music has amassed millions of Spotify streams and secured sync placements on ITV's Love Island. Her work has received extensive national radio support, including BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live and playlisting on BBC Radio 6 Music.
Her achievements extend beyond recorded music. Jodie has performed with the Royal Northern Sinfonia as part of a special BBC Proms concert for BBC Radio 3, shared stages with artists including Emeli Sandé, The Futureheads and Nerina Pallot, and appeared at internationally recognised festivals including Reeperbahn and All Points East.

Her Artists of the Year recognition marks another significant milestone, providing the investment and strategic support to help her continue developing her career and taking her music to new audiences.

Marketplace: Hartlepool's indie five-piece making moves

For Hartlepool's Marketplace, this year's award marks a particularly exciting moment. The five-piece have become one of the region's most exciting emerging bands, building a loyal following through infectious indie-pop, engaging live performances and their playful DIY approach to content.

Made up of Evie Rhodes (vocals/guitar), Joel O'Beirne (vocals/bass), Jack Purcell (guitar), Matthew Short (synth/vocals) and Ross Dixon (drums), the band bring together a wide range of influences, including Pulp, Talking Heads, Alvvays and Declan McKenna, to create their own distinctive sound.

Their singles have received support from BBC Radio 1, Radio X and BBC Introducing, while their growing live profile has taken them to festivals including The Great Escape, Kendal Calling and Y Not Festival, alongside sold-out headline shows across the UK.

More recently, the band took their music overseas, performing at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and New Colossus Festival in New York. They are also the first band or collective to be named among the Tees Valley Artists of the Year recipients.

The recognition follows further support through the PPL Momentum Accelerator, backed by Sonic Futures and the Tees Valley Combined Authority. With new music, an upcoming EP and plans for their debut album on the horizon, Marketplace are continuing to build towards their next chapter.

Ste Allen, who was part of this year's Tees Valley Artists of the Year assessment team, reflected on the strength of applications and the difficult decisions involved in selecting the five recipients.

He said:

"Being part of the judging team for Tees Valley Artist of the Year gave me the opportunity to experience work from across a range of creative disciplines and reinforced just how much talent exists across our region.

"Narrowing this down to just five artists was incredibly difficult. The judging process involved a lot of discussion and, at times, some difficult decisions. We all recognise the importance of an award like this and the potential impact it can have on an artist's career, so it was important that we gave every application the consideration it deserved.

"I'm particularly pleased to see two musical artists receive the award, but I'd also like to recognise everyone who applied. The standard of work was exceptionally high, and it's great to see so much creativity being produced here in Tees Valley."

The Tees Valley Artists of the Year programme is part of TVCA's wider ambition to establish the region as an engine room of creative production, making it a vibrant and well-supported place for artists to develop their work and build sustainable careers.

Each recipient will receive £30,000 alongside a year-long programme of strategic support, offering the time, resources and connections to help them progress. For independent artists, this kind of investment can be transformative, helping to remove some of the financial barriers that often come with developing a creative career.

Previous recipients include Teesside musicians Finn Forster and Amelia Coburn, demonstrating the calibre of talent emerging from the region and the importance of continued investment in local creativity.

At Sonic Futures, we're passionate about championing the artists and music communities shaping the Tees Valley. We work to connect local talent with opportunities, industry knowledge and networks that can help them take their next steps. Seeing artists we've worked closely with recognised through a programme of this scale is something we're incredibly proud to celebrate.

With five new recipients now beginning their year-long programme, there's plenty to look forward to. From Jodie's continued development as an independent songwriter and producer to Marketplace's ambitions to take their music further, we're excited to see what this next chapter brings.

Congratulations to Jodie, Marketplace and all five Tees Valley Artists of the Year 2026 recipients.