The Official Charts Company is putting the spotlight on British talent with the launch of the Official Homegrown Albums Chart, a new weekly ranking designed to celebrate the U.K. artists making the biggest impact across the domestic albums market.
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The chart launches Friday (Sept. 11) on the OCC website, with its first broadcast highlights set for Sunday (Sept. 13) on the BBC Radio 1 Official Chart First Look Show. It will showcase the biggest albums from U.K. artists released within the previous 12 months, ranked using OCC music consumption data.
Eligibility for the new chart will follow the BRIT Awards’ definition of a British artist. Under the BRITs’ criteria, an artist qualifies if they were born in the U.K., hold a U.K. passport (including another nationality) or have been a permanent resident in the U.K. for more than five years. For groups, at least 50% of members must meet those criteria.
The chart has been developed with support from across the U.K. music industry, including major and independent labels, and has been championed by the Association of Independent Music (AIM) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF). It arrives as British music continues to make a major impact at home and abroad, with the likes of Olivia Dean, RAYE, PinkPantheress, Lola Young and Sam Fender all enjoying major commercial success within the past year.
In a statement, Chris Austin and Becca Monahan, co-managing directors of the Official Charts Company, say: “The U.K. remains one of the world’s leading music markets and is home to an extraordinary pipeline of creative talent. The Official Homegrown Albums Chart has been developed to highlight the strength and breadth of British artists making a real impact with fans across the albums market.
“We hope the chart will become an important new measure of success for UK artists, from exciting emerging talent through to some of our biggest established names. We’re grateful to AIM, the MMF, stakeholders from across both the independent and major label communities, and BBC Radio 1 for their support in bringing the chart to life.”
Annabella Coldrick, chief executive, Music Managers Forum, added: “This is really great news for British artists. For the past two years, the MMF’s members have advocated for a homegrown chart which would spotlight U.K. artists and help accelerate fan engagement with a domestic audience. We are delighted to see the OCC respond so positively, and that the Official Homegrown Albums Chart will receive prominent support on BBC Radio 1. It is potentially a real boost for U.K. talent.”
Aled Haydn Jones, head of BBC Radio 1, said: “A huge part of what we do at Radio 1 is champion British artists who are shaping the sound of music right now, from exciting new voices breaking through to established acts. We’re really pleased to support the launch of the Official Homegrown Albums Chart, giving these artists another opportunity to be discovered and celebrated by our listeners every week. It’s a great addition to the Official Charts offering, and we’re excited to bring it to life on Radio 1’s new First Look show with Lauren Layfield.”
The Homegrown Albums Chart is the latest specialist ranking from the Official Charts Company, which has expanded its chart offering this year with launches including the Official R&B U.K. Chart, a weekly ranking spotlighting British R&B artists and new releases.
