Saturday night's bill topper is Kezia Gill, a singer/songwriter based in the Midlands who has performed professionally for over 15 years. Growing up in a musical family of Irish descent in Nottingham, she was surrounded by music from a very young age. She was introduced to performing, writing, and most importantly, the vast back catalog of music by her father, a professional musician for over 50 years. Her sound is completely unique, blending influences from a wide range of genres. Her performances have taken her around the world, including to Europe, Australia, and the United States. 

During a three-week tour of Australia in 2019, Kezia was named 'Aristocrat' Entertainer of the Year at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Nashville followed, where Kezia performed all over. Phil Vassar invited her to perform at the Ryman Auditorium for his Christmas Charity Concert, and she also performed at The Bluebird Cafe.

Her single 'Whiskey Drinkin' Woman' remained on Radio 2's playlist for four consecutive weeks in 2020, continuing to snowball her success. 

In 2021, Kezia made up for the lost time caused by the pandemic. Along with her award-winning EP 'The Mess I Made', she released her first iTunes number one single 'All Of Me'. Since live music was back on the agenda, she performed some incredible shows, including a headline performance at Buckle and Boots Country Festival, a co-headline tour and supporting The Shires on their UK Acoustic Tour. As the year came to a close, Kezia took home 3 British CMA Awards: Best Album (The Mess I Made), Best Song (I'm Here), and Best Entertainer. 

She continued to achieve success in 2022, and her profile grew as a result. A 26-date tour with The Shires marked her return to the road. In addition to winning two British CMA awards for 'Best Female' and 'Best Entertainer', Kezia has been announced as one of Takamine Guitar's artists. The global live booking agency Wasserman Music signed her, adding her to its roster of artists including Leann Rimes, Lewis Capaldi, and Jack Savoretti. Kezia had real 'pinch-me' moments during festival season when she performed on stage at The Black Deer with US Artist Cam, and when she was invited to join Marty Stuart and The Superlatives for a headline set at The Long Road. During Country Music Week in London, she performed alongside Nashville's breakthrough artists Breland, Matt Stell, and Caitlyn Smith and immediately followed that with her 13-date sell-out headline tour across the UK. 

The support from the BBC continued when Kezia performed on BBC One Saturday night prime time TV show ‘I Can See Your Voice’ and to round off a successful year she presented ‘A CMA Country Christmas’ radio show on BBC Radio 2.  

Kezia began 2023 with a bang, performing throughout Nashville including a sell-out headline show, The Whiskey Jam, and the prestigious Song Suffragettes writers round. After returning to the UK, her first single of 2023, 'Whiskey Over Ice,' reached Number One on the iTunes Country chart. In March, she performed in Glasgow and London as part of C2C festival, her biggest performance to date. For the first time, performing on the Spotlight stage of OVO Hydro Arena alongside a huge lineup headliners Zac Brown Band. Furthermore, she performed at The O2 in London on BBC Radio 2. Her fast rising profile was reflected when she was invited to be the main stage presenter for the 20,000-strong arena audience to introduce the spotlight artists.

The song writing ability of a country artist, the stage energy of a rock star, and the voice of the blues... what’s coming next from this exciting artist is worth sticking around for!

"Nothing beats doing what you love for a living. The fact that people keep supporting me means I can live my dream everyday" -Kezia Gill

Listen on Spotify