Antony Szmierek

Antony Szmierek is a fast-rising artist from Manchester, captivating audiences with thoughtful lyricism and engaging performances across rap, spoken word and dance music.

Antony features as an A-List artist on BBC Radio 6 Music and was named as one of their ‘Artists to Watch in 2024’, he has also performed live in session at Maida Vale for BBC Radio 1, where he was playlisted as their Introducing ‘Track of the Week’, and ‘Tune of the Week’ with the track ‘Dance Better’ as part of Radio 1’s Future Artists.

It was the 2023 release of his single ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Fallacy’ that kicked off his meteoric ascent. Set against the backdrop of a pounding kick drum and club-ready synths, Antony lets loose a stream of consciousness that lays out his vision of musical vulnerability and communal escapism.

The earworming record soon found its way onto the BBC 6 Music airwaves and led Szmierek to be named an ‘Artist of the Year 2023’ by the station. There followed appearances on Later… with Jools Holland, which marked a significant milestone in his career.

Elsewhere, Antony has played to huge festival crowds including multiple triumphant Glastonbury sets, Reading & Leeds, Bluedot, Truck, Lost Village and Down The Rabbit Hole, and sold out his debut UK headline tour last year including Manchester’s New Century Hall.

Nowhere is this exploration of escapism, self-expression and deep feeling more apparent than in Szmierek’s debut album, Service Station At The End of the Universe, which was released in February 2025.

A nod both to the service stations that Szmierek has spent much of the past year in while gigging around the UK, as well as an homage to the Hitchhiker’s sequel, The Restaurant At The End of the Universe, the album plays as a tongue-in-cheek tale of “punks, weirdos and Manchester characters” all stationed at a mythical rest stop, as well as Antony’s own exploration of his life today.

With album two already being written, plans for a new novel in the works and a tour through the UK and Europe booked for 2025, Szmierek is ready to spread his unique songs of sincerity further than ever before. There’s nowt to hide behind and we’re all the better for it.

Antony’s debut book, Roadmap, was launched at Hay Festival 2025. It is a hyper-visual experience, packed with exclusive material. The book includes his debut album lyrics and an ‘exploded view’ on the tracks, alongside additional poems, sketches and stories.