TNT Records has been named the UK’s Record Shop of the Year 2019 – less than 12 months after launching.
The Barrow-in-Furness store landed the prestigious award, seeing off competition from hundreds of established outlets across the country.
Long Live Vinyl magazine awarded TNT Records the top spot after customers gave it their backing in the annual online competition, which attracted more than 12,000 votes.
Owner and founder Dave Turner said the win came as a huge surprise to him. “It’s been a crazy first year for us, but being recognised as the best record shop in the whole of the UK is something that I could never have expected.
“It’s obviously thanks to our amazing customers that we won the public vote, and they are the whole reason we have been successful this year. When we opened we wanted to just give the people of Furness a decent record shop because there is nothing like this within about two hours of here – and the people have shown us nothing but support from day one.”
An entirely independent business, Mr Turner set up TNT Records at the end of last year with his brother, Dan, and has had help from his father, wife, son and nephew to establish it as one of the best-known family businesses in the region.
During 2019, the shop has been included as an official Record Store Day outlet – an unprecedented achievement for a business in its first year – established a working partnership with Kendal Calling festival, become an official Rega turntable stockist and it also welcomed vinyl record guru Graham Jones for a film screening and Q&A.
Mr Turner said: “Everything that’s happened for us in 2019 has been a bit of a shock, to be honest, and I can’t say we planned to be in this position after 12 months.
“We started off with just a couple of suppliers and now we’ve got dozens delivering records and merchandise to us all the time, and people can’t get enough of the new releases. I feel like we’re playing our part in the vinyl revival.”
TNT Records is planning a first birthday event later this month, which will now double as a celebration party for its Record Store of the Year victory. Details will be announced in the coming days via the Facebook page www.facebook.com/TNTRecordsBarrow
You can read more about the award and TNT Records in the new issue of Long Live Vinyl magazine – in shops now.
