Organisation type
Charity/third sector
Sector
Culture, heritage and music
Disability, diversity, equity and inclusion
Health and social care
Service
As a charity communications agency, we helped Nordoff and Robbins establish the first Northern Music Awards in Manchester in 2024. For the 2025 event in Liverpool, the charity asked us to build on this momentum. The goal was to celebrate Northern musical talent, drive awareness of the awards, and spotlight the impact of Nordoff and Robbins’ vital music therapy across the north of England. As a leading non profit communications partner, our role was to bring the event and its purpose to life through targeted media activity and compelling storytelling.
Planning began months ahead, using a structured media strategy to drive interest, coverage and ticket sales. A sequence of announcements revealed performers, presenters and headline award winners, creating regular news hooks across music, national and regional media. This activity also enabled us to secure pre-event interviews with artists and spokespeople, ensuring strong visibility before the night itself.
To deepen understanding of the charity’s impact, we secured a feature on BBC One’s The One Show. The piece aired the evening before the awards and followed Blossoms — winners of Music Moment of the Year — as they joined a music therapy session at Contact Theatre with young men facing mental health challenges.
We also arranged for shortlisted artist Chiedu Oraka to join a group music therapy session at Asylum Link Merseyside. The resulting features with ITV Granada and the Liverpool Echo showcased the breadth of people supported by Nordoff and Robbins and reinforced the purpose behind the awards.On the night, the media room was packed with national, regional and music journalists including The Guardian, ITV Granada, BBC Radio, Liverpool Echo and Getty. We coordinated artist interviews and photography, working with management teams to ensure winners and performers — from Dr John Cooper Clarke and Ian Broudie to Nia Archives, Blossoms, English Teacher and Luvcat — took part. We also secured a prime broadcast interview slot for Nordoff and Robbins’ CEO, Sandra Schembri, ensuring the charity’s messages were front and centre.
Coverage across TV, radio, print, online and social channels delivered widespread visibility for both the Northern Music Awards and Nordoff and Robbins’ crucial music therapy work. A strong mix of interviews, features and event reporting meant the charity’s messages reached audiences across the region and beyond.
An exclusive post-event story with PA Media ensured extensive national and regional pick-up, including artist reactions, award highlights and clear messaging about the charity’s impact.Our One Show feature ensured the charity’s work was seen by 2.17 million people — a 20.5% share of all UK TV viewers at the time — bringing powerful, real-world examples of music therapy into homes across the country.
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