O2 Silver Clef Awards 2025: Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mika, The Last Dinner Party and Aurora announced as final wave of recipients

11 June 2025 - Press release

COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR ONE OF MUSIC’S BIGGEST NIGHTS IN SUPPORT OF NORDOFF AND ROBBINS MUSIC THERAPY

 

• Recipients join previously announced 2025 honourees David Gilmour, Rick Astley, Noah Kahan, Chase & Status, The Corrs and more
• Ceremony to be held on the evening of Wednesday 2 July 2025 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London, from 6pm
• Funds raised will support Nordoff and Robbins’ delivery of vital music therapy services across the UK

  

Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, today reveals the final wave of honourees set to be celebrated at this year’s O2 Silver Clef Awards.

The 2025 honourees just announced include Sophie Ellis-Bextor, receiving the Best Female Award for her long-standing pop career, having just announced her 8th studio album ‘Perimenopop’ following recent viral success for her hit song ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’, Mika, who will receive the Global Impact Award, recognising his worldwide success as a chart-topping artist, contributions to pop music across multiple languages, and ongoing advocacy for inclusivity and representation in the industry, The Last DinnerParty, named Best New Music Award recipient for their remarkable rise and fresh impact on the music scene, and AURORA, who will be honoured with the Contemporary Music Award in recognition of her boundary-pushing artistry, genre defying production and fearless lyrics.

They will be celebrated alongside previously announced honourees, including David Gilmour, Rick Astley, Noah Kahan, The Corrs, IDLES, Soul II Soul, Chase & Statusand Tony Christie, in an evening dedicated to the transformative power of music.

The 2025 O2 Silver Clef Awards, presented in partnership with long-standing headline sponsor O2, will take place on Wednesday 2 July 2025 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London. For the first time in its 49-year history, the ceremony will take place in the evening, with blue carpet arrivals and the ceremony hosted by Nordoff and Robbins Music Ambassadors Carrie and David Grant, and Edith Bowman, respectively.

“The O2 Silver Clef Awards are a testament to the enduring power of music to inspire and heal. As we celebrate the achievements of artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mika, The Last Dinner Party and AURORA, we are reminded of the profound impact music has on our lives. Their support, alongside that of the wider music community, is crucial to Nordoff and Robbins as we face rising demand for our music therapy services in a challenging landscape of increasing costs and decreasing donations. Every ounce of support brings us closer to a world where music connects and empowers everyone.” - Sandra Schembri, CEO, Nordoff and Robbins

The event will celebrate some of the most influential names in music while raising vital funds for Nordoff and Robbins. Since 1976, the O2 Silver Clef Awards have raised millions to support the charity’s work with children and adults facing life-limiting illness, disability and isolation. From helping someone with dementia reconnect with loved ones to supporting an autistic child to communicate, Nordoff and Robbins’ trained music therapists use music to unlock connection and help people to truly express themselves.

Guests on the night will enjoy a drinks reception with canapés, a three-course dinner and an exclusive awards ceremony, including a live auction of rare music memorabilia and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Over nearly five decades, the awards have honoured the world’s most celebrated artists, including Stormzy, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, Paul McCartney and Coldplay.

This year’s O2 Silver Clef Award recipients have made a lasting impact on music and as they prepare to be honoured, they reflect on what the awards and the transformative power of music therapy mean to them:

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Best Female, sponsored by Live Nation – Sophie Ellis-Bextor is due to receive the Best Female Award, sponsored by Live Nation, recognising her longstanding influence on British pop. With an impressive musical career that spans over an amazing 25-years, Sophie has achieved five top 10 albums and eight top 10 singles, with hits including ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’, ‘Take Me Home’, ‘Get Over You’, ‘Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)’ and many more. Most recently, after featuring in the epic final scene of Emerald Fennell’s film ‘Saltburn’, Sophie’s beloved 2001 hit ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ saw a huge resurgence. This year sees Sophie release her 8th studio album ‘Perimenopop’ on 12th September, featuring new single ‘Taste’ alongside the previously released ‘Freedom of the Night’.

 

“Receiving the Best Female award means a great deal to me. Genuinely, such an honour. Music has always been a huge tonic for me. It helps me recalibrate and feel good, as well as being a way to connect with people. To be recognised in this way, especially by an organisation like Nordoff and Robbins that harnesses music to spread joy and uplift, is truly special.” – Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Mika – Global Impact, sponsored by Raymond Weil – Mika will receive the Global Impact Award, sponsored by Raymond Weil, in recognition of a dazzling career that has taken his kaleidoscopic pop sound from Beirut to stages across the world. Bursting onto the scene in 2007 with the chart-topping single ‘Grace Kelly’, Mika’s debut album Life in Cartoon Motion went on to sell over eight million copies globally, earning him a BRIT Award, an Ivor Novello for Songwriter of the Year, and a Grammy nomination. Known for his multilingual artistry and theatrical flair, Mika has continued to break boundaries with five further studio albums including 2023’s French-language album ‘Que ta tête fleurisse toujours’. His long-awaited sixth album is currently in the latter stages of production and due for release in 2026. Away from the studio, Mika has become a familiar and much-loved presence on television, appearing on The Voice in both France and Spain, The Piano in the UK, The X Factor in Italy, and co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022. Following his 2024 Apocalypse Calypso arena tour, Mika remains a tireless advocate for inclusivity and the joy that music can bring to people’s lives.

“Music has always been the bridge between my many homes. The O2 Silver Clef Awards remind us how that bridge can become a lifeline through Nordoff and Robbins’ music therapy work. To stand alongside this year’s honourees and help spotlight that mission is a joy and a profound honour.” – Mika

The Last Dinner Party – Best New Music, sponsored by Ticketmaster – London-based art-rock quintet The Last Dinner Party will receive the Best New Music Award, honouring their meteoric rise and contribution to contemporary music. Since their 2023 debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ the band has garnered acclaim for theatrical performances and baroque-pop sound. Their debut album, ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’, released in 2024, reached no.1 in the UK chart and became the fastest-selling debut from a band in nearly a decade. The band's rapid ascent was marked by a series of accolades, clinching the BRITs Rising Star Award in 2024 and the BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2024 title, making them one of the few acts to secure both honours in the same year. Their momentum continued into 2025, where they won Best New Artist at the BRIT Awards. The Last Dinner Party has graced stages at major festivals, including Glastonbury, BST Hyde Park, and Paris's Rock en Seine and continue to build their reputation as one of the most exciting new acts in British music.

“We’ve always wanted to make music that feels big, emotional, and a little bit strange, like something out of a dream or a fevered storybook. To be recognised by Nordoff and Robbins with this award so early in our journey feels incredibly special. It’s a huge honour to be counted among artists we’ve admired for so long whilst shining a light on music therapy, and we’re beyond grateful to everyone who’s believed in us.” – The Last Dinner Party

 

AURORA – Contemporary Music, sponsored by PPL – Norwegian art-pop artist AURORA will receive the Contemporary Music award, sponsored by PPL, recognising her unique contributions to modern music. Since her 2015 debut EP ‘Running with the Wolves’, she has garnered over 2.6 billion streams and built a huge global fanbase. Her 2022 album ‘The Gods We Can Touch’ reached number one in Norway and the UK Top 10. Her latest album, ‘What Happened to the Heart?’, released in 2024, explores themes of societal disconnection and marked her second UK Top 10 album. AURORA's accompanying world tour has seen her perform over 60 shows across five continents, with a stop at London's Wembley Arena most recently. This year, AURORA's captivating song 'Through The Eyes Of A Child' was featured in the closing scene of the hit Netflix limited series, Adolescence.

“Music is a language that speaks to the parts of us we sometimes forget. To be honoured by Nordoff and Robbins, who use this language to heal and connect, is deeply meaningful. I hope this recognition brings more attention to their vital work, reminding usall of music's power to unite and transform.” – AURORA 

The event is made possible with the support of long-standing partners, including O2, returning as headline sponsor for the 24th year, helping to honour musical talent while funding Nordoff and Robbins’ vital music therapy work. 

Running until the ceremony on 2 July, Ticketmaster, sponsor of the Best New Music Award, has brought back its annual O2 Silver Clef Awards charity upsell. When fans buy tickets across Ticketmaster’s extensive platform, they'll have the chance to donate directly to Nordoff and Robbins, helping bring the power of music therapy to more people nationwide.

Platinum tables are now sold out, with limited Gold and Silver table packages still available. To find out more or enquire about booking a table, please visit nordoff-robbins.org.uk/events/o2-silver-clefs.