It has been confirmed that this year’s The White Label Auction has set a new record for the amount raised from LP test pressings; the total hammer price is currently at a whopping £43,540. The auction was held on 7th June 2022 and was hosted by Omega Auctions, an auction house which specialises in vinyl records and music memorabilia. Over its three editions, The White Label Auction has raised a total fast approaching £100,000.
We’re delighted to announce the incredible result from The White Label Auction with a record hammer price of £43,540, with net proceeds going to The BRIT Trust!
Read more: https://t.co/VQKmYkVnv9 pic.twitter.com/OcLMlk91Ot
— The BRIT Trust (@TheBRITtrust) June 7, 2022
The auction previously confirmed that all net proceeds will be donated to The BRIT Trust, an esteemed institution which supports charities and establishments involved in the music industry. The trust was founded in 1989 and is partly funded by money raised by the famed BRIT awards and other fundraising events, since its formation the BRIT Trust has raised over £28 million for its many causes. The trust aims to fund educational programmes such as The BRIT School and causes committed to mental wellbeing such as Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy plus many more.
Chair of The BRIT Trust, Tony Wadsworth CBE has given the following statement, “Once again we see people’s love of vinyl combine with the power of music to create something of real worth that will benefit the many causes we support across the UK, whether it’s the next generation of creators from The BRIT School, music therapists from Nordoff Robbins or professionals who work with mental health charities like Mind and Music Support. We are grateful to all the artists and labels for generously contributing their test pressings, and to Johnny Chandler and the Universal UMC team for pulling it all together.”
The auction consisted of 175 lots of White Label LP test pressings, with a large amount signed or personalised by artists many lots sold for four figure sums, the available lots were donated by artists as well as both major and independent record labels. White label LPs are considered vastly valuable by collectors and music fans as they are rarely found and are usually kept in archives. Only a handful are usually produced and provide a special insight into the album’s recording process, the LPs are typically manufactured before the album’s full release.
The Cure and Sex Pistols raise record funds for The BRIT Trust with test pressings #TheCure #SexPistols @TheBRITtrust https://t.co/VK4P71SsaU
— Virgin Radio UK (@VirginRadioUK) June 8, 2022
The highest selling lot at this year’s auction was a white label reissue of The Cure’s 1989 release Disintegration, which was signed by frontman Robert Smith and sold for £5,500. The auction included five lots of The Cure LPs, the total amount raised by the group’s records amounted to £12,250. Further high figures were seen from the record sales of The Sex Pistols, two 7” test pressings of the iconic album God Save The Queen sold for £2,550 combined.
Amongst the 175 lots, many well-known albums and celebrated artist’s accumulated impressive bids. A 6 LP set of The Police’s Every Move You Make sold for £1,200 and Disraeli Gears by Cream sold for £700. Lots consisting of The Spice Girls’ music also contributed to the auction’s large donation, a White Label LP of Spice sold for £440 and a copy of The Greatest Hits brought in £340, totalling an incredible £780.
The White Label auction first took place in 2019 and is the brainchild of Johnny Chandler, the A&R director at Universal Music UK has given the following statement, “Once again the response to the auction from artists, managers and labels has been incredible – today’s wonderful result, which will see funds raised go to support the work of The BRIT Trust and the charities it supports right across the UK, is down to them and the ongoing love affair fans have with vinyl. Special thanks to Dan Hampson, Gennaro Castaldo, and their respective teams at Omega Auctions and BPI, Julian Stockton and all at UMC for helping make this possible.”
Click here for the auction’s full listings and results.
