UK Launches Official Homegrown Albums Chart

The UK’s Official Charts Company has launched the Official Homegrown Albums Chart, a weekly ranking dedicated to domestic talent. The chart includes albums by UK artists released within the previous 12 months and ranks them using streams and sales.

The new ranking will also receive broadcast exposure through a slot on BBC Radio 1’s First Look show. The initiative follows calls within the UK music industry for a chart focused specifically on homegrown artists.

The OCC said it will apply the same criteria used to define British artists for The Brit Awards. An artist must have been born in the UK, hold a UK passport, or have been permanently resident in the UK for more than five years.

For groups, at least 50% of members must meet one of those requirements. This establishes the eligibility rules the OCC will use when determining which artists and albums can appear on the new chart.

OCC co-managing directors Chris Austin and Becca Monahan said they hope the chart becomes an important measure of success for UK artists, covering both emerging talent and established names.

The launch was also welcomed by Music Managers Forum boss Annabella Coldrick. Earlier this year, she had called for a homegrown chart in the UK to match one that had already been launched in Ireland.

The Official Homegrown Albums Chart therefore adds a new weekly ranking alongside the UK’s existing chart system, with its eligibility restricted to recent releases from artists meeting the OCC’s definition of British artists.