Mike Dawes

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’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 ‘Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World’ 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 ‘one of

the finest acoustic guitar players in the world.’

His debut release, a solo guitar arrangement of Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to

Know,’ 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 ‘One,’

‘The Impossible,’ and ‘Jump’ 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

‘Accomplice Vol. 3,’ 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...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’s ‘Guitar Star,’ and more.

Recently, he contributed electric guitars to Mentrix and Gareth Croker’s stunning

soundtrack to Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, with other session work

featured on TV shows such as AMC’s Better Call Saul.

Mike’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.

His third studio album, Galactic Acid, was released in August 2024.

https://www.mikedawes.com/