Mike Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing\, arranging\, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. He is regarded as one of the world&rsquo\;s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists\, with a repertoire spanning original viral videos and popular arrangements\, alongside mainstream chart success performing with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.
Dawes was named &lsquo\;Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World&rsquo\; two years in a row (2017 &\; 2018) by Total Guitar Magazine &\; MusicRadar reader polls\, with numerous 2nd place rankings in the proceeding years. YouTube personality Rick Beato named Mike &lsquo\;one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world.&rsquo\;
His debut release\, a solo guitar arrangement of Gotye&rsquo\;s &lsquo\;Somebody That I Used to Know\,&rsquo\; quickly became a viral hit with tens of millions of views on YouTube. This success has been duplicated and expanded upon numerous times since with songs like &lsquo\;One\,&rsquo\; &lsquo\;The Impossible\,&rsquo\; and &lsquo\;Jump&rsquo\; across multiple video platforms.
His reputation has invited him opportunities to collaborate with GRAMMY Award-winning artists such as Tommy Emmanuel\, with whom he recorded the duet record &lsquo\;Accomplice Vol. 3\,&rsquo\; and the GRAMMY-nominated metal band Periphery\, with whom Mike joined on their 2024 double single release.
Mike is featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases\, including Spirits&hellip\;Live\, which debuted at #2 on the US Billboard Chart. Dawes also has a strong reputation as an educator\, acting as a columnist for Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar magazines\, as well as teaching guitar masterclasses all over the world\, creating apps\, publishing degree-level literature\, appearing as a TV judge on SKY TV&rsquo\;s &lsquo\;Guitar Star\,&rsquo\; and more.
Recently\, he contributed electric guitars to Mentrix and Gareth Croker&rsquo\;s stunning soundtrack to Ubisoft&rsquo\;s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown\, with other session work featured on TV shows such as AMC&rsquo\;s \;Better Call Saul.
Mike&rsquo\;s passion\, however\, is performing. He has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Tommy Emmanuel\, Christopher Cross\, Periphery\, The Aristocrats\, Justin Hayward\, and the Athens State Orchestra in 2023 alone.