‘This is for grassroots music’: The Lottery Winners celebrate number one album

Greater Manchester pop band The Lottery Winners have topped the UK albums chart with their fourth album Koko.

The indie pop group, comprised of Thom Rylance, Robert Lally, Katie Lloyd and Joe Singleton, said: “This is for grassroots music. This is for the working class.”

The Official Charts Company presented the band with their number one award at their Koko Shop – a pop-up store at Leigh’s Spinners Mill complex.

The band said: “Koko is the UK’s official number one album. It’s been a lot of work, but this makes it all worth it.

“It’s such a whirlwind of emotions. We’re so grateful to everybody to be supporting us and the album.

“Go back in time and tell 12-year-old us that we’d have two number one albums, it’s amazing. We’re officially a big deal.

“This is for grassroots music. This is for the working class. This is for Leigh. This is for anybody who has a dream – go out there and get it. Make it happen.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham congratulated them and said: “I’ve been a big fan of The Lottery Winners since they started out playing pubs and clubs around Leigh, and I know the whole town will be proud of them today.

“Landing a first number one album was brilliant, but to do it again is something properly special.

“They’re one of the hardest-working bands in the business and they deserve every bit of this success.”

Ahead of their chart success, pop star Robbie Williams shared a video message where he “manifested” the band going to number one.

Koko also debuts atop the official vinyl albums chart and the official record store chart, according to the Official Charts Company.

This is the band’s second number one album after 2023’s Anxiety Replacement Therapy.

The band are among 58 UK acts who will benefit from a pot of £1.6 million as part of a scheme, run in partnership between industry and the Government, supporting small to medium-sized music companies looking to grow their artists’ profiles internationally.

Elsewhere in the albums chart, Short N’ Sweet by US pop star Sabrina Carpenter is in at number two while The Great Western Road by Scottish band  Deacon Blue debuts at number three.

The rest of the top five is comprised of I Said I Love You First by US couple Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco as well as Lady Gaga’s Mayhem.

Over in the singles chart, Alex Warren’s Ordinary is in at number one while Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club climbs up two spaces to number two.

In third spot is Anxiety by US rapper Doechii, followed by Beautiful Things by Benson Boone and Roan’s The Giver, in at number five.