Folktronica singer Ellie Goulding tops BBC’s Sound Of 2010

Singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding has come top of the BBC Sound Of 2010 list, which showcases the best rising music stars for the coming year.

The Sound Of 2010 was compiled using tips from 165 leading UK tastemakers, including top music critics, magazine editors, broadcasters and influential bloggers, who named their favourite three new acts.

Born in Hereford, the 22-year-old’s “folktronica” sound mixes a traditional acoustic approach with a more cutting-edge electronic style.

Theatrical pop singer Marina and the Diamonds is at number two, followed by Manchester trio Delphic, who mix indie guitars with euphoric electronica.

Ellie Goulding was discovered at a talent contest in her home town of Kington, Herefordshire, and began as a traditional acoustic singer-songwriter.

But while studying drama at university in Canterbury, Kent, she hooked up with dance producers Frankmusik – who appeared on the Sound Of 2009 list – and Starsmith, and the results soon gained a following through MySpace.

Goulding has also received the Brit Awards’ Critics’ Choice prize.

A longlist of the top 15 artists was published in December 2009, and the top five has been revealed this week.

Previous winners include Little Boots, Adele, Mika and Corinne Bailey Rae.

Florence and the Machine and La Roux were on the Sound Of 2009 list 12 months ago, while Duffy and The Ting Tings made it the previous year.

Ellie Goulding says she is “absolutely honoured” to be at the top of the Sound Of 2010 list:

“I didn’t expect to get anywhere a few years ago,” she says.

“I didn’t even expect to have a record deal, let alone be put in such a prestigious thing so I’m very happy. I think the list this year is great and I really believe in a lot of the acts.”

She says she was one of a number of artists who were attempting to usher in a new musical era in 2010.

“I think it’s got to that point where bands are committing to the future and creating a new sound,” she says.

“I’d like to be one of them. As much as I’m respecting old music, I’m also looking to the future and I think a lot of other bands and artists are doing the same.”

The Guardian’s Paul Lester, who was the first mainstream music critic to write about Goulding in his New Band Of The Day column, says: "I picked Ellie because someone I rate – Frankmusik – told me she was great, and he was right.

"I like the way she’s really versatile. You get the impression she could do folk as well as she could a dubstep track.

“As far back as the summer, people were touting her as the next big name. She looks good, she’s got a good story and her songs are great – haunting, ethereal, but somehow catchy, like Cocteau Twins go pop, or something.”

BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq says: "She’s exactly the sort of artist that people are looking for at the moment, lying somewhere between Florence Welch and La Roux. I think she’s a really interesting songwriter with a very distinctive style. It’s quite a zeitgeist sound but without being contrived.”

The full top five:

1. Ellie Goulding
2. Marina and the Diamonds
3. Delphic
4. Hurts
5. The Drums

Also on the longlist (unranked):

Daisy Dares You
Devlin
Everything Everything
Giggs
Gold Panda
Joy Orbison
Owl City
Rox
Stornoway
Two Door Cinema Club

Ellie Goulding plays live in session for the Lauren Laverne show today (Friday 8 January), 10.00am-1.00pm, on digital radio station BBC 6 Music. A video of the session will be available online at bbc.co.uk/6music.
Notes to Editors

Any use of information in this release must credit “BBC’s Sound Of 2010”.

The BBC’s Sound Of... list is now in its eighth year. The previous winners are: Little Boots (Sound Of 2009), Adele (2008), Mika (2007), Corinne Bailey Rae (2006), The Bravery (2005), Keane ( 2004) and 50 Cent (2003).

Other artists in the top fives in previous years have included Franz Ferdinand, Razorlight, Duffy, Kaiser Chiefs, The Ting Tings, Joss Stone, Bloc Party, The Feeling, Klaxons and Glasvegas.

The tastemakers were selected for being experts in current and new music, whose tastes and decisions are regularly reflected in the media and are capable of setting the musical agenda and influencing audiences.

Most are newspaper and magazine critics and editors, radio DJs or producers, TV presenters or producers, or website editors or respected bloggers.

The participants were each asked to name their favourite three new acts, in order of preference. The criteria given to participants when choosing artists were:

They can be performers of any description – bands, singers, MCs etc.

They should be the best, most exciting acts, in your opinion. Please base your choices on quality, not on hype or size of record deal.

They must not have had a UK top 20 single or album by 15 November 2009.

They can be from any musical genre and any country.

They must not already be famous (eg member of a hit band going solo, or soap star). No X Factor/American Idol/etc.

New means new to the British public. They may have been around for a while if you believe they are ready to step up to the next level of quality and recognition.

You must not be related (eg relative, close friend) or have any financial or other commercial connection with your chosen acts. You must not have worked for them or on their behalf, or be planning to do so – eg PR, label, managing, promoting etc.