This is a summary of the year 2022 in British music.

Events 19 January – English Touring Opera announces that James Conway is to stand down as its artistic director at the close of 2022, and to serve in a part-time capacity in the post for the remainder of the calendar year. 8 February The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Ryan Wigglesworth as its next chief conductor, effective September 2022. The 2022 Brit Awards are the first to be held without gender-related categories. Adele makes a rare live appearance at the 2022 Brit Awards. 9 February – The Barbican Centre announces the appointment of Claire Spencer as its first-ever chief executive officer, effective May 2022. 29 March – Concert for Ukraine, a two-hour fundraising event organised by ITV, Livewire Pictures, Global Radio and the Disasters Emergency Committee, takes place in Birmingham. 25 April – The Philharmonia Orchestra announces the appointment of Thorben Dittes as its next chief executive, effective 1 August 2022. 14 May – At the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Sam Ryder comes 2nd with his song "Space Man" 19 May – The Academy of St Martin in the Fields announces the appointment of Annie Lydford as its next chief executive, effective September 2022. 21 May – The first night of the new Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of The Wreckers takes place, the first opera by a female composer to be staged at Glyndebourne, and the first professional staging of the opera with its original French libretto. 23 May The BBC announces its new roster of New Generation Artists for the period 2022–2024: Santiago Cañón-Valencia (cellist) Ryan Corbett (accordionist) Hugh Cutting (countertenor) Leonkoro Quartet Geneva Lewis (violinist) Fergus McCreadie (jazz pianist) Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha (soprano) The English Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Seb Lovell-Huckle as its next chief executive officer, effective 8 August 2022. 31 May – The Association of British Orchestra announces that Mark Pemberton is to stand down as its chief executive at the end of September 2022. 1 June: Queen's Birthday Honours (Platinum Jubilee) Stephen Hough is made a Knight Bachelor. Chi-chi Nwanoku is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Harry Bicket, Justin Hayward, and David Jackson are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Hugh Atkins (Tim Blacksmith), Sandra Colston, Julia Desbrulais, Beverley Humphreys, Elizabeth Llewellyn, Elaine Mitchener, and Bonnie Tyler are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. 21 June – The Orlando Consort announces that it is to disband in June 2023. 24 June – Billie Eilish headlines the Pyramid stage at the 2022 Glastonbury Festival, the youngest headliner in Glastonbury's history. 25 June – Sir Paul McCartney headlines the Pyramid stage at the 2022 Glastonbury Festival, the oldest headliner in Glastonbury's history. 5 July Westminster Abbey announces the appointment of Andrew Nethsingha as its next organist and master of choristers, effective in 2023. St. John's College, Cambridge announces that Andrew Nethsingha is to stand down as its director of music at the close of 2022. 27 July – Belfast Cathedral announces the disbandement of its cathedral choir and the elimination of the post of Director of Music, effective 1 September 2022. 9 August – The Royal Albert Hall announces that Craig Hassall is to stand down as its chief executive officer in early 2023. 7 September – Southbank Sinfonia at St John's Smith Square announces the departure today of Richard Heaton as its co-director. 8 September Opera North announces that Richard Mantle is to stand down as its general director at the end of 2023. Following the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, the BBC Proms cancels the remaining three Proms of the 2022 season, including The Last Night, the first cancellation of The Last Night since 1944. 12 September – The BBC announces that Alan Davey is to stand down as controller of BBC Radio 3 in March 2023. 20 September – The Ulster Orchestra announces simultaneously the appointment of Auveen Sands as its next chief executive, the first woman named to the post, effective at the end of October 2022, and the elevation of Daniele Rustioni's title with the orchestra to music director with immediate effect. 9 October – Percussionist Jordan Ashman is named the 2022 BBC Young Musician of the Year. 18 October – Little Simz wins the 2022 Mercury Prize for her album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The ceremony had previously been scheduled for 8 September but was suspended following the death of Queen Elizabeth. 22 December – Lambeth Council suspends the Brixton O2 Academy's licence following the deaths of two concertgoers during a crowd crush at the venue. 24 December – Sugababes surprise release The Lost Tapes, an album consisting of previously unreleased material recorded by original line-up Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy during their re-formation as Mutya Keisha Siobhán. It became the group's first release in twelve years and the first album to feature the original line-up since their debut One Touch in 2000.

Bands formed CuteBad Say Now

Bands disbanded Genesis Lighthouse Family Supergrass

Bands reformed The Damned (original line-up) The Delgados Everything but the Girl Hard-Fi Inspiral Carpets Pink Floyd – a one off recording, "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!", in aid of Ukrainian Humanitarian relief, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine Pulp Roxy Music Symposium

Classical works Joseph Davies – Parallax (for violin and orchestra) Simon Holt – The Sower Helen Grime – Trumpet Concerto: night-sky-blue Richard Baker – The Price of Curiosity Alex Mills – Landsker Graham Fitkin – Bla, Bla, Bla Gavin Higgins (music) and Francesca Simon (text) – The Faerie Bride Charlotte Bray Forsaken 'The Earth Cried Out to the Sky' (settings of English translations of texts by Borys Humenyuk and Ostap Slyvynsky) Conor Mitchell – Look Both Ways (text excerpts by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten) Claire Victoria Roberts – Like Ships Adrift Sally Beamish – Hive (concerto for harp and orchestra) Julian Anderson – Symphony No. 2 (Prague Panoramas) Gavin Higgins – Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra Matthew Kaner (music) and Simon Armitage (text) – Pearl Errolyn Wallen – LADY SUPER SPY ADVENTURER Public Service Broadcasting – This New Noise Judith Weir – 'Like as the hart' Sir James MacMillan – 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?'

New operas Tom Coult and Alice Birch – Violet Will Todd (composer), David Pountney, Sarah Woods, Edson Burton, Miles Chambers, Eric Ngalle Charles, Shreya Sen-Handley (librettists) – Migrations Laura Bowler and Laura Lomas – The Blue Woman

British music awards 6 January – PinkPantheress is announced as the BBC Sound of 2022. 8 February – Brit Awards – see 2022 Brit Awards

Charts and sales

Number-one singles

The singles chart includes a proportion for streaming.

+KeyBest performing single of the year Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Chart sales References 6 January "Merry Christmas" Ed Sheeran and Elton John 82,780 13 January "Easy on Me" Adele 39,156 20 January "ABCDEFU" Gayle 41,079 27 January "We Don't Talk About Bruno" Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero and Stephanie Beatriz 45,684 3 February 55,709 10 February 59,169 17 February 59,904 24 February 59,175 3 March 53,355 10 March 46,262 17 March "Starlight" Dave 62,805 24 March 64,073 31 March 58,642 7 April 52,718 14 April "As It Was" Harry Styles 94,140 21 April 70,389 28 April 65,387 5 May 63,873 12 May 61,277 19 May 59,281 26 May 65,568 2 June 80,725 9 June 65,974 16 June 55,768 23 June "Running Up That Hill" Kate Bush 77,903 30 June 78,568 7 July 65,013 14 July "Afraid to Feel" LF System 52,402 21 July 61,357 28 July 61,443 4 August 48,932 11 August 46,625 18 August 49,320 25 August 47,117 1 September 41,283 8 September "B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)" Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal 43,576 15 September 46,725 22 September "Forget Me" Lewis Capaldi 56,882 29 September "I'm Good (Blue)" David Guetta and Bebe Rexha 50,988 6 October "Unholy" Sam Smith and Kim Petras 55,928 13 October 58,358 20 October 57,290 27 October 59,493 3 November "Anti-Hero" Taylor Swift 78,993 10 November 64,914 17 November 57,525 24 November 51,851 1 December 47,851 8 December 44,473 15 December "All I Want for Christmas Is You" Mariah Carey 44,797 22 December "Last Christmas" Wham! 48,535 29 December "Food Aid" LadBaby 65,335

Number-one albums The albums chart includes a proportion for streaming.

+KeyBest performing album of the year

Chart date(week ending) Album Artist(s) Chart sales References 6 January = Ed Sheeran 13 January 17,499 20 January Dawn FM The Weeknd 20,726 27 January Fix Yourself, Not the World The Wombats 13,812 3 February Night Call Years & Years 20,398 10 February Amazing Things Don Broco 14,959 17 February Give Me the Future Bastille 19,906 24 February FTHC Frank Turner 20,290 3 March = Ed Sheeran 9,831 10 March 23 Central Cee 29,764 17 March Oochya! Stereophonics 24,067 24 March Who Cares? Rex Orange County 18,089 31 March Crash Charli XCX 16,117 7 April Higher Michael Bublé 21,170 14 April Unlimited Love Red Hot Chili Peppers 27,426 21 April Wet Leg Wet Leg 28,972 28 April Noughty by Nature Digga D 8,855 5 May Skinty Fia Fontaines D.C. 19,983 12 May Ribbon Around the Bomb Blossoms 14,362 19 May WE Arcade Fire 18,821 26 May Dance Fever Florence and the Machine 31,187 2 June Harry's House Harry Styles 113,812 9 June C'mon You Know Liam Gallagher 70,261 16 June Harry's House Harry Styles 23,458 23 June Gold Rush Kid George Ezra 44,514 30 June Harry's House Harry Styles 27,468 7 July 19,507 14 July Last Night in the Bittersweet Paolo Nutini 34,436 21 July Harry's House Harry Styles 12,804 28 July 11,742 4 August The Theory of Whatever Jamie T 20,311 11 August Renaissance Beyoncé 31,064 18 August 11,621 25 August The Alchemist's Euphoria Kasabian 21,548 1 September Platinum Collection Steps 24,123 8 September Will of the People Muse 51,510 15 September Yungblud Yungblud 22,825 22 September XXV Robbie Williams 37,925 29 September Born Pink Blackpink 20,957 6 October 5SOS5 5 Seconds of Summer 14,853 13 October The End, So Far Slipknot 14,068 20 October N.K-Pop Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott 19,597 27 October Being Funny in a Foreign Language The 1975 40,962 3 November Midnights Taylor Swift 204,501 10 November 48,113 17 November Her Loss Drake and 21 Savage 36,194 24 November Faith in the Future Louis Tomlinson 35,239 1 December Sonder Dermot Kennedy 25,748 8 December This Is What I Mean Stormzy 27,875 15 December Marry Me Olly Murs 20,156 22 December There's Nothing but Space, Man! Sam Ryder 24,847 29 December Midnights Taylor Swift 17,109

Number-one compilation albums The compilation chart includes a proportion for streaming.