12th Annual University Gospel Choir of the Year Competition

Battle of Harmonies Heats Up 

at UGCY 2024

 12th Annual University Gospel Choir of the Year Competition

Student choirs from all over the UK will gather on Saturday, March 16th, to perform at the nail-biting University Gospel Choir of the Year competition. Each hopes to secure the top spot and return victoriously to their alma mater with the coveted title. 

University Gospel Choir of the Year, founded in 2011 by Lorraine Wright MBE and inspired by the film ‘Sister Act’, provides an opportunity for uni gospel choirs to perform in front of top gospel music judges before an interactive live audience. This year’s judges include Karen Gibson MBE, Founder of Kingdom Choir (BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year Judge) Howard Francis, Co-founder of the Big Sing; Anu Omideyi, Music, Festival and Choir Director; Russell Scott, Founder of UK Choir Fest and Becca Folkes, renowned singer/songwriter. MOBO Award-winning singer/songwriter and vocal coach Rachel Kerr will host the event.

The competitive element makes UGCY a gripping experience from start to finish until the winners are announced. The audience backs their favourite acts, living every moment with the choirs, singing along, and showing their appreciation. The UGCY audience is known to celebrate winning harmonies by leaping up to give a standing ovation! Why not come along with some friends for this unique musical experience?

Seven university gospel choirs have secured a place in this year’s finals of the 12th Annual UGCY – University Gospel Choir of the Year, which will take place on Saturday, 16th of March 2024, at Oasis House, Croydon. The choir lineup includes:

• Kent Gospel Choir (2023 Winners)
• BIMM Birmingham Gospel Choir 
• King’s Gospel Choir (Kings College London) 
• Durham University Gospel Choir 
• Keele University Gospel Choir 
• University of Birmingham Gospel Choir
• Warwick University Gospel Choir

“As always, the UGCY will be full of dancing, laughter and roaring cheers – along with a few surprises and tears – as the strongest performance emerges to be crowned the 2024 University Gospel Choir of the Year.” – UGCY Founder Lorraine Wright, MBE:

UGCY 2024 is in partnership with AStepFWD, a multi-media platform organisation now in its tenth year, that curates the monthly UK Christian Charts (the only national independent music charting system in the UK) along with initiatives such as the iMPACT Conference for creatives, Artist Relief Fund, Poets In Autumn World Tour and the annual StepFWD Awards along with many other trailblazing initiatives.

The University Gospel Choir of the Year will be held at Oasis House, Croydon CR0 3EX, on Saturday, March 16th, 2024. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are now available, and this event is not to be missed!

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Notes To Editors:

• The University Gospel Choir of the Year competition has run for ten consecutive years and was paused only due to the global pandemic. Following the return of UGCY held last year, 2024 marks the 12th edition of UGCY.
• Alongside the UK arm of the competition, UGCY Ghana was recently launched and has to date, worked with thousands of students from over 60 UK and 20 Ghanaian universities, airs on ABN TV and airs in Ghana as a reality TV series.
• This 2024 University Gospel Choir of the Year is the second joint event between UGCY and AStepFWD – a trailblazing organisation at the forefront of diversity within the Christian creative space.
• AStepFWD runs the monthly UK Christian Charts and has one of the most extensive Christian music databases in the UK across all genres and styles.
• A key aim of AStepFWD is to engage, support and empower creatives across genre, age and location.

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