Chris Hawkins hosts ‘Awesome Friends’ with Florentenes, Cherryholt and The North

BBC 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins hosts ‘Awesome Friends’, a night dedicated to finding the freshest sounds and championing the acts you need to watch. On Saturday 17th January 2026, Awesome Friends will feature an array of rising artists with Florentenes, Cherryholt and The North at Manchester’s iconic Deaf Institute. Deaf is home to early performances from some of the UK’s most successful acts such as The 1975, Charli XCX, Wolf Alice, Florence & The Machine, HAIM, Wunderhorse, Johnny Marr plus many more. Awesome Friends brings the next wave of future success stories to this legendary stage.