Award-winning singer-songwriter Rob Wheeler from Haslington near Sandbach was named Songwriter of the Year in the ARC Radio Listener awards back in 2021.

But now the talented musician, whose formative years were spent in nearby Alsager, has another claim to fame - he's just won the British Country Music Association Horizon Artist of the Year Awards at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.

Rob is a prominent voice, musician, songwriter and producer in the country music scene, splitting time between his Cheshire home and his established Nashville connections.

He has had three number one albums and a string of top twenty singles including his 2025 album "Leave Tomorrow" which was a commercial success.

The songs were featured in across the BBC, CountryLine and Absolute Radio Country. Rob is one of only a small handful of UK-based members of the official Country Music Association in Nashville and has worked with a string of Grammy and Hall of Fame songwriters.

Rob second from right at the British Country Music Association Horizon Artist of the Year Awards. (Photo: Rob Wheeler)

Rob and his band headlined the British Country Music Association Artist of the Year event with a live set. His new album "Hometown", is set for release in summer 2026 alongside a tour and a run of festival appearances.

He said: "I'm delighted. Not many artists can make the difficult transition from the tag of "UK country" to purely "country".

His album, "Leave Tomorrow" inspired by the country music scene in Nashville and life in Cheshire, which came out in the summer, did well in the Country Music charts, going straight to number seven when it came out.

Rob's album

The songs for "Leave Tomorrow" were written during a four-month stint in Nashville, Tennessee, a collaborative effort with a multitude of acclaimed musicians, among them Grammy-nominated songwriters Jeff Trott, Steve Dorff and Frank Liddell.

Having grown up in Alsager becoming obsessed with The Beatles and learning the songs of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and The Eagles on guitar as a means of escape, Leave Tomorrow was a full-circle moment for Rob, bringing his worlds of UK and American music together.

"Growing up in the North West of England, Nashville represented to me what I imagine Hollywood represents to aspiring actors - a mythical land that seems both untouchable and utterly irresistible," said Rob a while back.

"My American heroes sang about cowboys and horses, desperados and drifters; but I write and sing about what I see from my own window and how it feels from my point of view."

The title track opens the album to set the tone - 'I say we leave tomorrow, and we don't come back again…' - it's an earnest and heartfelt track which Rob explained is about 'escaping the life you're told you're supposed to have.'

Rob added: "In some ways, it's about 'overcoming the fear of not being good enough and realising what being good enough actually means" - something he knows from experience given his turbulent background.

Raised by a single mum in Alsager, Rob's journey as an artist began with music college, leading to life on the road with several touring bands and a publishing deal as an in-studio co-writer with a Staffordshire producer.

Rob is passionate about his Cheshire background. (Image: Rob Wheeler)

Rob is passionate about his Cheshire background and loves visiting relatives in Alsager where he grew up.

"I love the town and would truly like to play at Alsager Music Festival. I have a lot of local supporters who follow my music and I would love to play at this festival.

"I have happy memories from my childhood of growing up in the town and playing on the fields and parks. My grandmother ran an antique shop in Alsager. "

Now Rob looking forward to his new album "Hometown", which is set for release this summer.

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