Women In Music Awards 2025: New Artist winners Alt Blk Era | Interviews

At this year’s Women In Music Awards, we celebrated the achievements of 13 game-changing executives and artists as the industry came together to honour their work. Music Week has spoken to all 13 winners to tell their stories. Here, our New Artist award winners, Alt Blk Era, take stock on their rise so far and set their sights on some big goals ahead…

WORDS: CHARLOTTE GUNN
PHOTO: A.VASSELL

Alt Blk Era – sisters Chaya and Nyrobi Beckett-Messam – are the winners of the New Artist trophy at the Women In Music Awards 2025. And for very good reason.

The Nottingham duo have rapidly become one of the most exciting new forces in UK alternative music, carving out a space that defies easy categorisation. Folding rock, drum & bass and pop into a fearless hybrid, their sound reflects the sisters’ own eclectic music tastes. What began as two teenagers singing karaoke and uploading covers to YouTube during the pandemic, in just a few years, has led to stages at Glastonbury, Download, Boomtown and beyond.

Their debut album Rave Immortal, released earlier this year via Earache Records, has underlined their ambition and artistry, drawing millions of streams with singles such as emo banger My Drummer’s Girlfriend or ravey anthem Run Rabbit. The record also marked the first time Nyrobi opened up publicly about living with chronic illness and hidden disability – a decision that has resonated deeply with fans and brought the sisters into advocacy work, paving the way for artists who follow them.

Recognition has come quickly: Alt Blk Era already hold a MOBO Award for Best Alternative Act, and now, their Women In Music gong cements their status as ones to watch. Here, fresh from the studio, they reflect on their journey so far, the challenges of breaking through, and why representation and accessibility matter as much as the music itself.

Congratulations! How does it feel to win?

Nyrobi Beckett-Messam: “Really, really honoured. We know that Music Week and the Women In Music Awards are so respected in the industry, so it feels like a win, not just for us, but for everyone else who’s been supporting us on this journey. So it’s massive.”

It’s tough out there for new artists at the moment – what has your experience been like in terms of trying to break through and make your way?

NBM: “It’s been really mixed. We’ve always been the type of people who march to the beat of our own drum. Coming into the industry, we didn’t know if we would be allowed to continue to do that.”

Your music draws from so many different genres? Have there been times when people have been keen to box you in or categorise you in a way that doesn’t fit? 

Chaya Beckett-Messam: “I would say in certain situations – even when uploading our music onto DSPs, and it says ‘pick one genre’. We were a little bit stuck! So we just branded ourselves as ‘alternative’ and then under that umbrella, we mix rock, electronic music and more.”

We’ve always been the type of people who march to the beat of our own drum

Nyrobi Beckett-Messam

Your debut record is out now – what do you think it says about the band? Now you’ve got some distance from it…

NBM: “We were really honest in the record, and because it was our very first album, we felt that we wanted to share that side of us to the world and to our fans. I came out about my disability and what it’s been like. Being able to share that so early on, when I was really afraid about telling people, has been really empowering, not just to me and Chay but also to so many people. We’ve had so many messages. When I spoke about it on [C4’s] Sunday Brunch, people who were just watching the show were like, ‘Oh, my daughter has that’ and they connected with us. So it feels amazing to be able to speak openly and not be ashamed about it. And now we’re working with BBC Introducing as the faces of their Accessibility For Artists campaign, which is amazing.” 

You won Best Alternative Act at the MOBOs back in February. It’s only the second year that category has existed. How important was it to you to be recognised and that the music you make is represented at events such as the MOBOs? What do you think it says to the industry? 

NBM: “First of all, it means so much to already be winning awards [at events] as prestigious as the MOBOs and Music Week’s Women In Music. That kind of recognition, so early on in our careers and while we’re still quite young, is not lost on us at all. We really respect that our peers, fans and industry professionals are seeing us and rooting for us, and it makes us even more determined to work hard and show that people were right to back us.

“With respect to alternative and rock music, people often forget that these genres have deep Black roots. Recognition from the MOBOs is powerful because it pushes back against that historical erasure, it reclaims the space, and it broadens what Black music representation can look like. It’s the same way artists like Beyoncé are reminding the world that Black people were always part of country music and culture. It feels like we’re in the middle of historical shifts, and the MOBOs are leading the way in the UK. To be a small part of that through our win in the Alternative category feels incredible!

“For the industry, we think it’s such an exciting moment. Because of the MOBOs’ Alternative category, we’re going to see more artists feeling confident about experimenting with genres that sit outside of the usual musical pathways. So, industry-wise, it’s a time for celebration and it’s a call to action for more work to be done.”

What have you learned about the industry since you started?

NBM: “It’s still a journey where we’re learning so much, whether it’s how to communicate what we want sonically in our music, or communicating how we want to be presented, the outfits we wear and why fashion is important to us. It’s been a constant learning journey.”

CBM: “Because we started so young – I started at 14 and Nyrobi was 18 – it’s very much been a ‘Learn along the way’-type thing.”

It must be a huge help having each other on this journey. Have there been any other artists that have offered you support along the way?

NBM: “Wheatus have been a real support. We met them at South By Southwest and hung out with them. We were both performing out in Texas and then when they did a show in London, we spent two days in the studio working on a song together [the remix of My Drummer’s Girlfriend]. We’ve spent so much time talking to them. They’ve been so giving and so gracious. Any questions we have, anything we’re unsure of, they’re just a text message away at any time. We’re new to this, and especially in the beginning, it was like, ‘Okay, we don’t know everything’ so we leaned on other people for support. Sometimes we leaned on the wrong people and didn’t trust our gut. But then realised it wasn’t right and went back to what our gut was saying.”

What would you change if you could change one thing about the music industry?

CBM: “When we were just starting out, even though this wasn’t technically a bad thing, we were saying ‘yes’ to everything, even if it was breaking our backs. So maybe less pressure on new artists would be good.”

NBM: “There’s so much change in the music industry, with social media now being such a huge factor. Sometimes it can be quite old-school to focus on live shows over, for instance, social media. Maybe it’s the generation that we’ve been born into but we see that we could do a gig in front of 200 people, or make a post on social media and reach thousands or even millions of people. The industry is catching up with the technology. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with AI, and how that’s going to affect the industry, especially the more old-school standards and expectations.”

WIM is all about celebration – who are the women in music you’d most like to celebrate and why?

CBM: “I would say our mum. She’s been with us for our whole lives and she was the one who pushed us towards the music industry. It was 2020, we were writing loads of songs and doing covers on YouTube. And then our mother was like, ‘Why don’t you actually try and release a song?’”

NBM: “First she said, ‘Learn about the industry.’ And then it snowballed into this huge career! I’d also say Kanya King, CEO of the MOBOS, is a massive, massive inspiration for everything that she’s done over the years. Also, Alyx Holcombe – we got our first ever Radio 1 play from her and our first year of music was massive.”

What are Alt Blk Era’s biggest ambitions?

CBM: “I would love to collaborate with all my favourite artists. That would be a bucket-list thing. I listen to such a wide range of artists – Stromae, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga – I don’t know what that would sound like! But it would mean so much to have the opportunity.”

NBM: “Legacy is a big one. Just being able to say, at the end of our career, we’ve changed lives. I want small artists to listen to us and think, ‘Oh, they’re cool. I didn’t realise you could mix all these genres, I didn’t realise you could do this and this.’ We want to bring a new perspective to the industry.”

You mentioned you’d been in the studio. Can you tell us anything about the new music you’re working on? 

NBM: “Hmm, what can we say?! There’ll be something before the end of the year. And I think it’s following more of the vibes of Run Rabbit.”

PHOTOS: Louise Haywood-Schiefer / Panni Renner