Music to win awards by
The entries are in, the judging is done and the winners are ready and waiting to (hopefully!) get their hands on their trophies. Let's not be coy about it, the awards ceremony is the fun part of the process that everyone looks forward to and - ultimately - it’s what they’ll remember.
As much as we love Heather Small, nobody wants to listen to ‘Proud’ by M People on repeat all evening, so make sure you choose music that will leave everyone with a glowing memory of the event.
We all know how easily a song can transport us back to a specific place or time (Team AwardStage getting misty eyed about Whitney, Bryan Adams, Chris de Burgh etc over here 🤣) - so it stands to reason that music has the power to set the tone and atmosphere of the event. The right selection of music can build anticipation, heighten the sense of excitement, and bring a celebratory vibe to the ceremony.
Typically, you’ll want upbeat music as the ceremony starts, to get people in the mood, and add to the air of excitement. Then, as nominees are announced, you might veer towards tracks that add to the suspense, to build tension and anticipation. And, of course, once a winner is declared, something anthemic and triumphant should accompany them on their walk of glory to the stage to accept their accolade. Don’t forget that you’ll also need some background music to fill in the gaps, such as the transitions between awards - but we want to avoid elevator-esque melodies as much as hardcore techno at this juncture!
It’s a fine line between uplifting anthems that everybody loves, and cheesy tunes that make people cringe - so we’ve curated a selection of songs that we hope will help your ceremony sound the right note.
Inspirational anthems
🎸 High hopes - Panic! at the Disco
Classic ceremony tunes
🎸 Ain’t no mountain high enough - Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye
🎸 A sky full of stars - Coldplay
Retro hits
🎸 Don’t stop believing - Journey
🎸 Flashdance…what a feeling - Irene Cara
🎸 Go your own way - Fleetwood Mac
Noughties and later
🎸 I gotta feeling - Black Eyed Peas
🎸 Can’t stop the feeling - Justin Timberlake
🎸 Can’t hold us - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
We’ve put all these top ceremony tunes together in a Spotify playlist - let us know if you think there are any classics that we’ve missed!
