Official Charts announces launch of brand-new Official Top 10 Award

Say hello to the newest member of the Official Chart awards family - The Official Top 10 Award.

Joining the (now-iconic) Number 1 Award, the brand-new trophy is here to celebrate acts who land inside the Top 10 of the UK Official Singles and Official Albums Charts. This new initiative aims to highlight a diverse mix of high new entries, hard-earned personal bests, as well as spotlighting rising stars breaking into the Top 10 for the very first time. 

According to Official Charts Company data, in the 70+ year history of the Official Chart in the UK, 8,827 songs have reached the Top 10 of the Official Singles Chart and 6,511 records have done the same on the Official Albums Chart.

Over the coming months, as well as highlighting new Top 10 releases, we'll also be telling the stories of some huge songs and albums from chart history, that, despite originally missing out on the top spot, have gone on to become Official Chart classics in their own right.

To mark the launch, a hand-picked selection of artists have been presented with the Top 10 Award to celebrate each of their unique chart journeys, as well as some first-time Top 10 achievements.

Let's go!

Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten: The renaissance of a classic Top 10

Natasha Bedingfield's classic Top 10 single Unwritten turns 20 in 2024, and what better way to celebrate than the spectacular chart renaissance happening right now.  Natasha Bedingfield's 2004 hit got a massive boost this year thanks to its inclusion in the rom-com Anyone But You, starring Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney. The feel-good banger originally peaked at Number 6 in 2004, and has been climbing the Official Singles Chart again since January.

Pictured alongside her new Official Top 10 award for Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield says: "It’s incredible that Unwritten is resonating, particularly in England, because first time around it was more popular in the States. I’ve been singing Unwritten all over the world and feels really good to come back home to see that people like it here too and know all the words.

"It’s amazing that the director of Anyone But You put my song in this movie and now the song has had this renaissance. It feels like a wave and I’m just riding it."

Jazzy's Giving Me: The biggest debut single of 2023

Irish dance vocalist Jazzy claimed the biggest debut single of 2023 when her hit Giving Me vaulted to Number 3 on the Official Singles Chart, scoring her her first Top 10 single as a solo artist (having previously peaked at Number 4 as the featured artist on Belters Only's 2022 single Make Me Feel Good), as well as one of the biggest songs of 2023 overall.

Skindred's Smile: Career-best Top 10 album in their 25th anniversary year

Last year, Newport metal-reggae group Skindred celebrated their 25-year anniversary as a band with the best chart performance of their career. The Welsh four-piece found themselves in the closest Albums Chart battle of 2023 against Cian Ducrot, and while Cian clinched the top spot by a mere 150 chart units, Skindred delivered a huge new personal best - the first Top 10 album of their career with eighth album Smile. The album also secured Number 1 on the Official Vinyl Chart and Rock & Metal Chart.

They've already landed a MOBO Award this year, and now Skindred become founding recipients of the all-new Official Top 10 Award too, just ahead of their biggest ever headline show at Wembley Arena later this week.

Speaking to Official Charts, Skindred's lead singer Benji Webbe says: "Wagwan! Our album Smile, on Earache Records, came out last year and we got to Number 2 in the British charts. Midweek we were Number 1 for three days and it was incredible! We were pipped at the post, but it’s not about the battle, it’s about the journey on the way, and we appreciate receiving this for our hard work.

"To all the bands that supported us, our neighbours, our friends who got right behind us and worked hard on getting this record into the Top 10…we appreciate this! Rock out!”

Crawlers: Top 10 debut album in 2024

Finally, TikTok-ing alt-grunge newcomers Crawlers recently broke through landing a Top 10 debut album with The Mess We Seem To Make. Accepting their Official Top 10 Award, they say the honour goes out to "all our friends, our families, and most of all every single creepy-crawly who believed in a silly band who started in a shed in Warrington to not only get their debut album out there, but to be able to get into the Official Top 10. You guys are the f*cking best!”  

Read more in our interview with Crawlers here.