You join us for a very special 10th anniversary edition of our annual Belwood Music Awards. As of today the site has championing music for a whole decade, with 2024 being our most record breaking year yet! The most heartfelt of thanks to everyone that has supported the site over the years, from all the gifted artists creating the music we cover to our regular readers doing their bit to support up and coming talent. There’s much to raise a glass to today – to 10 years of Belwood, to the new year, and to the best musical moments of 2024.

Album of the Year: The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

There are only so many albums where you can vividly remember the very first time you heard it. My first spin of As It Ever Was had me saying “I think this is my favourite song so far” about every track. Hearing it flit from 60s jangle pop, to Latin rhythms, to pastoral progressive folk, to sun-drenched Americana, to half a dozen other styles, all of them deftly executed, was far and away my most memorable music experience of the year. (Full Album List)

Song of the Year: The Howl & The Hum – Same Mistake Twice

The way the gentle opening blooms and builds, culminating in a triumphant finale of thunderous drums and soaring Springsteen-esque sax. The blend of dry, self-deprecating wit and hard hitting home truths combining in a near constant stream of memorable lines. It’s a shining paragon of everything I adore about The Howl & The Hum, making them our first two time Song of the Year winner. (Full Song List)

EP of the Year: Bon Iver – Sable

Not just a rekindling of the halcyon days of For Emma, Forever Ago, but something more. Justin Vernon returns to the raw heartfelt indie folk of his early work a little older, wiser, and more refined. The rest just heals my soul in a way that I didn’t know I needed. I’m keeping everything crossed that this is a taster of what’s to come, but if not it is still a delight in its own right. (Full EP List)

Video of the Year: Sabrina Carpenter – Taste

Such a fun, stylish and memorable horror comedy. Sabrina Carpenter and scream queen Jenna Ortega fully commit to the bit and have superb on-screen chemistry. The direction is better than many feature films released this year, and the over-the-top gore features some brilliant practical effects. (Full Video List) 

 

Band of the Year: The Decemberists

My first listen to As It Ever Was had me spellbound, and that magic has maintained its hold on me all year long. It was such a brilliant return to form that it also rekindled and poured fuel on my love for the band’s back catalogue. They topped my Spotify wrapped, their CDs have lived in my car for months, and I’m keeping everything crossed for a UK tour in 2025. 

Best Male Solo Artist: Jack White

Okay, hands up; who had Jack White kicking this much ass on their 2024 bingo cards? I certainly didn’t. His solo work seemed increasingly eccentric and experimental as of late, so the surprise drop of No Name hit like a bolt from the blue. Just an unrelenting barrage of raw blues rock brilliance, up there with the best of The White Stripes. It’s good to have you back Jack.

Best Female Solo Artist: Chappell Roan

Much like Noah Kahan taking the world by storm a whole year after releasing Stick Season, the world had a delayed reaction to Chappell Roan’s 2023 debut The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It was a slow burn that became a raging inferno, as in just the past few months she’s become one of the biggest and most influential pop stars on the planet. She deserves every bit of her new-found success and acclaim, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next. 

The Spotlight! Award for Best New Artist: Fiona-Lee

With emotionally charged arrangements, frank and insightful lyricism, and a unique voice that just quakes with meaning with every word, it should come as no surprise that Fiona-Lee made waves this year with her first few singles. Her personal, down-to-Earth songwriting delivered with true inner fire, feeling deeply reminiscent of Sam Fender, has already drawn attention from the likes of Rolling Stone and BBC 6 Music. She’s one to watch for 2025, and a must see if the chance arises to catch her live.

The White Feather Award for Disappointment of the Year: Life is Strange Double Exposure soundtrack

I enjoyed this latest entry in the series more than most. I had a great time with its story, world and characters and will happily defend it in that regard. Yet the one area where Double Exposure really let me down was its soundtrack. It wasn’t without its high points (being greeted by Dodie’s dulcet tones on the menu screen was a delight every time), but for a franchise so intrinsically tied to its killer soundtracks, Double Exposure’s music felt sparse and under-utilised. 

Discovery of the Year: The Blasting Company

Shortly before the show celebrated its own tenth anniversary earlier this year, I watched all of Over The Garden Wall for the first time. Followed shortly thereafter by the second, third and fourth time. There’s so much charm and character to this animated mini series, it’s an absolute masterpiece, but so much of its identity for me is tied up in the atmosphere built by its soundtrack and musical numbers. From the warm and familiar, to the spooky and unnerving, The Blasting Company absolutely nailed the assignment.

Soundtrack of the Year: Arcane

The award is going to a show that has a theme song by Imagine Dragons – that’s just goes to show how good the rest of the soundtrack is to compensate. Joke’s aside, the music in season two was so bafflingly eclectic and yet all of it fit the story and the world perfectly. It wasn’t just songs slapped carelessly into the background either, so much thought and effort went into creating memorable music moments, even going so far as to employing different animation techniques for a single song. 

The Forgotten Gem Award: Fat, Evil Children – Fat Evil Dogs, Fat Evil Cats, Fat Evil Bears, Fat Evil Rats

First drawn in by the fun name and the simple but striking album artwork, the debut album from LA based indie folk outfit Fat, Evil Children was one of those records that constantly floated near the top of my to-do list yet never got its time in the sun. There’s an easy-going charm to its lo-fi vibes that I couldn’t help but be won over by. The band are a real diamond in the rough, and their debut is thoroughly deserving of your time and attention.