The Boisdale Music Awards 2023

THE BOISDALE MUSIC AWARDS 2023  HOSTED BY YOLANDA BROWN & JOOLS HOLLAND  in association with XERJOFF Boisdale of Canary Wharf, Cabot Place, London E14 4QT

WEDNESDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2023

Last night at Boisdale Canary Wharf we hosted the 11^th annual Boisdale Music Awards, a celebration of some of the greatest names in the worlds of soul, jazz, blues, rock, reggae and pop. Now firmly established as one of the most prestigious events in the music industry calendar, the Boisdale Music Awards was once again hosted by Boisdale’s Patron of Music, Jools Holland, alongside musician and broadcaster, YolanDa Brown.

With each winner performing on stage after receiving their Boisdale Music Award, an audience of more than 200 musicians and guests were treated to an astonishing array of unique, unforgettable performances.

From Kathy Sledge’s spontaneous, floor-filling rendition of Sister Sledge’s We Are Family through to a surprise finale which featured Jools Holland and his drum-tight band joining forces with soul superstar Gregory Porter for a deep dive into Muddy Waters’ ageless Hoochie Coochie Man, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air that has now become synonymous with the Boisdale Music Awards.

Rapper and talk show host Big Narstie kicked off the evening in his irrepressible style when he presented Courtney Courtney with her Rising Star Award, whilst Mud Morganfield held the audience in the palm of his hand with a truly mesmerising performance of his father Muddy Waters’ iconic Mannish Boy. Alabama 3 unleashed an incendiary take of Woke Up This Morning (the Sopranos theme tune) that got everybody dancing, and newcomer Polly Gibbons delivered a sultry rendition of Bessie Smith’s timeless Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl that belied her age.

As the evening drew to a close, soul Queen PP Arnold sent shivers down everyone’s spines with a heartbreakingly beautiful show-stopping take on her 1967 signature song, The First Cut Is The Deepest, Kid Creole and the Coconuts got everybody singing along to Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy, whilst legendary funkateers the Brand New Heavies and Shalamar brought the 2023 Boisdale Music Awards to a fitting climax and helped to make it another brilliant Night To Remember.

BOISDALE MUSIC AWARDS 2023 WINNERS

1. Boisdale Music Awards Rising Star Artist of The Year: Courtney Courtney - song
2. Boisdale Music Awards Instrumentalist of The Year: Bluey
3. Boisdale Music Awards Blues Artist of The Year: Mud Morganfield – Mannish Boy & Alabama 3 – Woke Up This Morning
4. Boisdale Music Awards Jazz Artist of the Year: Polly Gibbons – Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
5. Boisdale Music Awards Soul Artist of The Year: Shalamar – A Night To Remember
6. Boisdale Music Awards Reggae Artist of The Year: UB40
7. Boisdale Music Awards Scottish Artist of The Year: The Cuban Brothers -
8. Boisdale Music Awards Female Artist of The Year: PP Arnold – The First Cut Is The Deepest
9. Boisdale Music Awards Male Artist of The Year: Howard Hewett -
10. Boisdale Music Awards Band of The Year: The Brand New Heavies -
11. Boisdale Music Awards Album of the Year: Face to Face by Suzi Quatro & KT Tunstall
12. Boisdale Music Awards Lifetime Legend: Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Annie I’m Not Your Daddy
13. Boisdale Music Awards Global Icon: Snow - Informer
14. Boisdale Music Awards Outstanding Contribution to Music 2023: Gregory Porter – Hoochie Coochie Man

On arrival at 6.00pm for the reception in The Hine Bar & Garden Terrace, 240 guests were served Chateau D’Esclans Rock Angel Rosé 2020, Veuve Clicquot NV Champagne and Oxley Gin & Artisan Classic London Tonic. At 7.30pm guests flowed upstairs to the main restaurant for a sumptuous three-course dinner comprising London burrata with spiced chickpeas, coriander, peppers and caramelised walnuts, roast fillet of Seatrout with red dulce, lemon & saffron, Cornish potatoes, prawns, and Chablis sauce and finally a sumptuous selection of British farmhouse cheeses. After The Boisdale Music Awards were finished, guests danced the night away to legendary Mi-Soul DJ Ronnie Herel in The Hine Bar & Garden Terrace.

Unique amongst live music venues, Boisdale boasts an award-winning wine list, one of the finest spirit collections in the UK, an outstanding cigar humidor, a magical garden terrace and a mouth-watering menu that’s as famous as the iconic world-class artists that grace our stage.

Boisdale of Canary Wharf hosts live music performances five nights a week (as well as a Sunday jazz brunch) in the restaurant and Whisky Bar on the second floor. The venue is also home to four private dining rooms, a 1,000 square foot Cigar Terrace, Cuban Cigar Library and Shop and the Hine Bar on the first floor. There is also Boisdale Belgravia with live music six nights a week and live jazz on Sundays.

Boisdale is named after the remote port on the beautiful Isle of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, off the North-West coast of Scotland. Boisdale was home to The Macdonald’s of Boisdale – the senior branch of the Macdonald’s of Clanranald, the largest and most anciently Royal of all the Highland clans. There are more than six million Macdonald clansmen throughout the world – all of whom can lay claim to this magnificent heritage, which has been charted down the generations since the 3rd century BC.

Boisdale’s founder is Ranald Macdonald - the eldest son of the 24th Chief and Captain of Clanranald - who launched the first restaurant in Belgravia 34 years ago in 1989. Boisdale continues to capture the essence of centuries of proud tradition with its warmth, informality, and unique atmosphere, simultaneously reminiscent of both a Highland country house and the Batcave in Gotham City!

Visit WWW.BOISDALE.CO.UK for more information.

BOISDALE MUSIC AWARDS SPONSORS

XERJOFF

For many years, Xerjoff Group has developed numerous projects with the best perfume designers in Grasse, Italy, Spain and Southeast Asia, globally establishing its brands: Xerjoff and, originally founded in 1888, the historical Italian perfume brand Casamorati that was relaunched in 2009 by Sergio Momo. A universe merging the wonders of nature with the Italian artistic genius, perfumes and products from the Xerjoff Group can be found at Xerjoff.com and in the meticulous monobrand boutiques in many corners of the world, including Monaco, Milan, Lisboa, Dubai, Mykonos, London and Turin

DICE ENTERTAINMENT

We are Dice Productions Entertainment. BAFTA and RTS winning Television Production company. With over thirty awards in the entertainment industry. We’re a progressive independent production company and also a management group.

YAMAHA MUSIC LONDON

Yamaha Music London is Yamaha’s flagship European store with the largest range of Yamaha instruments and home audio products in Europe. Yamaha Music London hold regular concerts and recitals, as well as a series of workshops for teachers and students. Yamaha have close ties with the music industry, host their own events as well as supplying music venues with all the best equipment for live performance.

NEXO

Not only can you see some great live music at Boisdale Canary Wharf, you can also hear it exactly as the artists intended, thanks to a newly-installed NEXO sound system. NEXO is the name behind the sound at many of the world’s leading concerts, festivals, theatres and sports stadia, and the NEXO sound at Boisdale is already getting great reviews from musicians and audiences alike. What’s more, patented NEXO technology means that sound can be accurately directed throughout the venue, so the music sounds perfect at every table.

ARTISAN DRINKS

Flavours developed by the owner of the World’s Best Gin Bar, with stunning artwork on each label designed by Alan Walsh, Artisan Drinks is a range of tonics and mixers crafted to compliment the flavours of each spirit to make them stand out.

Barrel Smoked Cola paired with Whiskey, Mezcal or Rum. Classic or Skinny London Tonic a match with any contemporary gin. Bubbly Soda water with added salt makes the perfect Whiskey partner.

MI-SOUL RADIO

Founded by the team who took Kiss FM from pirate to PLC, Mi-Soul is a music platform that broadcasts across London and Brighton on DAB and online through mi-soul.com. A team of over 70 passionate DJs present a wide range of soulful music to a worldwide audience, and with a fine balance of old and new music, Mi-Soul pays homage to the past and provokes the future.

THE WREN PRESS

The Wren Press was established in 1985 as a family business, founded on using the finest traditional techniques and skills combined with modern technology. It is now regarded as England’s leading luxury stationers. We are honoured that our exacting standards meet with the robust criteria required by The Royal Households. Since the Middle Ages, suppliers of goods to the Sovereign have been rewarded with formal recognition and today the awarding of Royal Warrants is subject to strict regulation. The fact that The Wren Press holds warrants from both Her Late Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales is a matter of great pride to us, as is our right to display the royal coat of arms. Such hard won accolades are an assurance that our standards are consistently of the highest order.

MIMI BLAND

Hi, I’m Mimi – your mindset mentor. My sole purpose is to enlighten as many people as possible with the knowledge and formula to live their best life. I will Lead, Inspire, Motivate & Empower you to achieve ultimate Happiness, Fulfilment and Satisfaction. With 20 years of experience in therapy and mindset mentoring, and having put my own approaches into practice personally, I’m perfectly qualified to help you design a new life. My unique process involves mastering your mind – something much simpler and less intimidating than it sounds! Working together, I’ll teach you to control your mind, and create the conditions you need. I will help you discover who you really are and get rid of the limits imposed on you. My approach is about letting go of the old and creating the new.

VEUVE CLIQUOT

Crafted each year from a priceless collection of reserve wines, the signature Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune champagne is the expression of the style and quality of the House of Veuve Clicquot. The yellow label which distinguishes it from other champagnes reflects its luminous personality as well as the excellence of the House's winegrowers. Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune champagne is the result of a blend of reserve wines – 30 to 45% – produced from grapes from 50 to 60 different vintages. The predominance of Pinot Noir (50-55%) gives it the emblematic structure of Veuve Clicquot champagnes while Chardonnay (28-33%) brings the elegance and finesse of a perfectly balanced wine. A small percentage of Pinot Meunier (15-20%) completes the blend. Long aging in our chalk quarries (3 years minimum for Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune champagne) gives this champagne all its silkiness.

CHATEAU D’ESCLANS ROCK ANGEL ROSÉ, COTES DE PROVENCE

Rock Angel is partially barrel fermented in large oak barrels and made from Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle (Vermentino). This rosé bears a more complex and structured taste profile than Whispering Angel bringing it into a more premium realm, giving rosé lovers a bigger and richer wine that is fabulous as an aperitif or paired with a broad range of fine cuisine. If you like the minerality of a Sancerre, you will love this wine.