Pride of St Helens: Arts Award nominees

The awards night takes place this Friday, November 18.

The K’s

Earlestown four-piece the K’s have gone from strength to strength since forming in 2017.

Highlighting both talent and resilience, the band have headlined numerous reputable venues across the country in recent years.

This has included huge gigs at The Ritz in Manchester and The Leadmill in Sheffield, as well as gaining slots on the bill at Neighbourhood Weekender, Isle of Wight, and Reading and Leeds Festivals.

This is while the indie rockers have been releasing tracks that have amassed millions of listens on streaming services.

The K's (Image: The K's)

While the K’s are still unsigned at present, they have caught the attention of one of the world’s biggest music agencies.

Last year, the band signed a contract with Solo Music Agency; a London-based promoting agency that represents artists while touring, with partnerships with musical big hitters such as Blondie, James, Iggy Pop, and Phil Collins.

The contract with Solo came at the perfect time as the band’s exciting touring schedule was cancelled during the pandemic.

At the time, front man Jamie Boyle said: “It has been difficult at times but we’ve stuck to it – we’ve believed in what we’re doing – and we’re reaping the rewards of that now.

“The plans being made are amazing. We’re all so excited about it. [The contract] is definitely going to take us to the next level.”

Jack Bennett

Jack Bennett has made a solid name for himself after playing gigs for years in venues in St Helens and across the North West.

The ex-frontman of St Helens band Stillia, Jack has made a profession out of his love for music and has consistently delighted crowds with his collection of feel good tracks, rock covers and reimagined club classics.

Booking himself a busy schedule of gigs, he has even taken his music to Greece to dazzle people abroad.

However, the singer songwriter has never forgotten his St Helens roots and he is not only a regular figure on the local music scene, but has used his voice to raise money for charities and help people through tough times.

This has included charity gigs for The Steve Prescott Foundation and Teardrops, and he often performed on social media during lockdown to help people through lockdown and encourage people to support local foundations.

During lockdown, Jack even helped deliver food parcels with Teardrops and sang at the doorstep for families and vulnerable residents living alone.

At the time, Jack said: “St Helens is a proper community, we always come together to help in a crisis, so when I saw what the [Steve Prescott Foundation] was doing, I decided to get involved.

“I was apprehensive at first because I’m used to performing to a few people, not just one, but after we dropped off the food, I performed a Beatles song and they seemed to really like it."

Jamie Leahey

Rainford High schoolboy Jamie Leahey shot to stardom this year after getting through to the final of Britain’s Got Talent and coming runners up in the nationwide talent competition.

Walking on to the BGT stage with his trusted sidekick Chuck, Jamie dazzled judges and audiences with his chirpy ventriloquist act and received standing ovations for his performances.

Working on three unique performances with his Knowsley-based drama teacher Lewis Devine, Jamie and Chuck entertained crowds with jokes, quips, and quirky covers in his choreographed routines.

The 13-year-old, who only learned ventriloquism over lockdown, was told by judge Amanda Holden that he “absolutely smashed” his performances and has a bright “future ahead of him”.

With Jamie proudly declaring he comes from St Helens, his performances were widely shared and celebrated by the local community; who were all gunning for the youngster to take the BGT crown back in July.

Following his performances on live television, Jamie has taken his pal Chuck on a series of exciting adventures, including appearances on CBBC and in pantomimes up and down the country.

He provided entertainment for Johnny Vegas’ Celebrity Bowls event in St Helens in the summer, and has even more performances planned locally, nationally, and potentially internationally.