They both join dance artist Anthony Lo Giudice, writer Carmen Marcus and singer songwriter Jodie Nicholson as winners in the programme’s third year.
Marketplace is comprised of Evie Rhodes (vocals/guitar), Joel O’Beirne (vocals/bass), Jack Purcell (guitar), Matthew Short (synth/vocals) and Ross Dixon (drums). Drawing on influences including Pulp, Talking Heads, Alvvays and Declan McKenna, the members combine their individual tastes to create the band’s distinctive sound. Their upcoming EP, out early 2027, has already seen singles championed by BBC Radio 1, Radio X and BBC Introducing.
It marks a great year for the band who also enjoyed a UK tour, as well as festival appearances and performances at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and New Colossus in New York. They also benefited from the PPL Momentum Music Fund, backed by Sonic Futures and the Tees Valley Combined Authority. In May, they completed a UK tour which included The Great Escape festival and in July, they appeared at Y Not Festival.
They are the first band to win the award.
Congratulations also go to Stuart Langley – a Hartlepool visual artist, working across installation, sculpture, graphic design and public art, who creates playful experiences to challenge perceptions of everyday life. Drawing on cinema, humour, Japanese visual culture and theme parks, Stuart’s work brings together fantasy and reality to find the extraordinary in unexpected places.
Through accessible and imaginative creations,he invites audiences to question expectations and discover moments of connection and joy. Stuart’s public artwork, “Hold me and show me you love me” – a giant heart of donated old mobile phones in a welded steel structure – has recently featured outside Middlesbrough Railway Station.
The awardees were revealed at a special event at The Auxiliary, in Middlesbrough.
Tees Valley Artists of the Year supports up to five artists or artist collectives with almost £30,000 of financial backing plus significant business support, helping creative talent take the next step. The year-long talent incubator programme will run from October 2026 to September 2027, and each of the selected artists and collectives will receive a comprehensive package of support, including investment equivalent to one year of the UK Real Living Wage, a professional development budget and tailored mentoring. Artists will also benefit from business support, help with fundraising and PR, and access to wider industry networks.
Anyone wanting to find out more about our Artists of the Year, should please head to: Tees Valley Artists of the Year 2026 – Business
