There’s a certain type of artist you scroll past on social media and instantly know they’re different. Not because of…
By K Futur LOCALDerby’s grassroots music scene has been building serious momentum over the past few years, and few bands represent that energy quite like Porcelain Girl. At the TRENDИG Awards Derby 2026, the band were officially crowned Best Band, a title decided by public vote and fiercely contested by some of the most exciting names in the local scene.
For Porcelain Girl, the moment their name was announced was not just about celebration-it was about relief.
“We were mainly relieved,” the band explain. “We pushed so hard and it was such a close call on the votes. We’re all just so grateful to everyone who voted for us.”
The category was one of the most competitive of the night, reflecting the diversity and strength of Derby’s music community. With bands such as Hot Fuzz also nominated, the award represented a cross-section of genres and sounds currently emerging from the city.
For Porcelain Girl, winning in such a varied field feels like a reflection of the scene itself.
“It gives us hope for the scene in Derby and shows us that the people are there-we just need to give them ways to get involved,” they say. “With so many deserving contenders, we are just happy to see that we aren’t fully alone in our niche.”
A Sound Built from Passion and Influence
Porcelain Girl’s music sits somewhere between midwest emo, pop punk and hardcore, a blend that has helped them carve out a unique place in Derby’s underground scene. Their songs combine emotional melodic passages with explosive energy, creating the kind of dynamic sound that thrives in small venues packed with passionate crowds.
Rather than deliberately trying to engineer a specific genre identity, the band say their sound simply reflects the music they love.
“Porcelain Girl is simply a blend of everything we listen to,” they explain. “We like writing songs that we find fun to play and that we would listen to ourselves, and the best way for us to do that is draw from the music we all love.”
That honesty has resonated strongly with audiences across Derby. Over the past year their gigs have developed a reputation for being intense, emotional and communal experiences-the kind of shows where the line between performer and audience begins to disappear.
According to the band, that connection is at the heart of everything they do live.
“There’s a clear lack of separation at our shows,” they say. “The audience feels like one living being. Our shows wouldn’t be nearly as exciting without the energy from the crowd. All we do is encourage it and cultivate that atmosphere as well as we can.”
Midwest Emo Is Back-And Derby Is Part of the Wave
Across the UK and internationally, midwest emo is experiencing a huge resurgence, with younger audiences rediscovering the genre’s emotional intensity and melodic complexity. Derby has not been immune to that revival, with several local bands embracing the style and bringing their own spin to it.
Porcelain Girl see themselves as part of that wider movement.
“The next global takeover of emo is happening,” the band say with confidence. “With it being a genre we all love so much, it was a no brainer to get involved in it. We’re just riding the wave with all the other incredible underground emo and alternative bands and trying to spread the word as far as possible.”
That wave has already begun to ripple through Derby’s venues. From packed headline sets to electric support slots, Porcelain Girl have become one of the bands that audiences are increasingly turning up early to see.
Their growing reputation has also been fuelled by a series of performances that have built a genuine buzz across the city’s live circuit.
A Band Powered by the Crowd
Derby’s grassroots venues have always thrived on atmosphere-sweaty rooms, packed crowds and the feeling that something special might happen at any moment. Porcelain Girl seem to thrive in that environment.
Their gigs are rarely passive experiences. Instead, they unfold more like shared moments between band and audience, with crowds singing along, moshing and feeding off the energy coming from the stage.
For the band, that collective energy is what keeps everything alive.
At a Porcelain Girl show, the crowd does not just watch the music-it becomes part of it. That sense of community is something that runs deep through Derby’s alternative scene, and it is one of the reasons the band’s victory at the TRENDИG Awards feels particularly meaningful.
The award itself was decided by votes from the local community-the same people who fill the venues, buy the merch and support the artists shaping Derby’s cultural landscape.
The TRENDИG Awards and Derby’s Cultural Momentum
The TRENDИG Awards Derby were created to celebrate the musicians, venues, artists and cultural figures who are helping shape the city’s creative future. Each category highlights the grassroots energy that continues to push Derby’s arts and music scene forward.
Porcelain Girl’s win reflects not only the strength of the band itself but also the growing appetite for alternative music across the city.
From emo to punk, indie to experimental electronica, Derby’s underground scene is becoming increasingly vibrant and interconnected. Bands are collaborating, promoters are building communities, and venues are continuing to provide spaces where new sounds can develop.
Porcelain Girl’s victory sits right in the middle of that momentum.
What Comes Next for Porcelain Girl?
With the I Hate You EP launching and a TRENDИG Award now on the shelf, the band are clearly entering a new phase.
The question naturally becomes: what happens next?
Their answer is characteristically bold.
“World domination.”
It might sound like a joke, but behind the humour sits a band that is clearly ambitious. Porcelain Girl have already proven they can capture attention locally, and if the current momentum continues, their sound could easily travel far beyond Derby’s venues.
For now though, the band remain rooted in the scene that helped shape them-a community of artists, promoters and fans who continue to push Derby’s creative culture forward.
Winning Best Band at the TRENDИG Awards Derby 2026 is more than just a trophy. It is recognition from the very people who have been part of the journey so far.
And if Porcelain Girl’s chaotic, emotional live shows are anything to go by, that journey is only just getting started.
