The Official Charts Company is putting the spotlight on British talent with the launch of the Official Homegrown Albums Chart, a new weekly ranking designed to celebrate the U.K. artists making the biggest impact across the domestic albums market.
The chart launches Friday (Sept. 11) on the OCC website, with its first broadcast highlights set for Sunday (Sept. 13) on the BBC Radio 1 Official Chart First Look Show. It will showcase the biggest albums from U.K. artists released within the previous 12 months, ranked using OCC music consumption data.
Eligibility for the new chart will follow the BRIT Awards’ definition of a British artist. Under the BRITs’ criteria, an artist qualifies if they were born in the U.K., hold a U.K. passport (including another nationality) or have been a permanent resident in the U.K. for more than five years. For groups, at least 50% of members must meet those criteria.
The chart has been developed with support from across the U.K. music industry, including major and independent labels, and has been championed by the Association of Independent Music (AIM) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF). It arrives as British music continues to make a major impact at home and abroad, with the likes of Olivia Dean, RAYE, PinkPantheress, Lola Young and Sam Fender all enjoying major commercial success within the past year.
The Homegrown Albums Chart is the latest specialist ranking from the Official Charts Company, which has expanded its chart offering this year with launches including the Official R&B U.K. Chart, a weekly ranking spotlighting British R&B artists and new releases.
