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 YouTube personality Rick Beato naming him ‘one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world.’ His debut release, a solo arrangement of Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know,’ quickly became a viral hit with tens of millions of views. This success has been followed by hits like ‘One,’ ‘The Impossible,’ and ‘Jump’ across multiple video platforms.

His reputation has led to collaborations 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. Mike is also featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases, including Spirits...Live, which debuted at #2 on the US Billboard Chart.

Beyond performing, Dawes has a strong reputation as an educator and session musician. He has acted as a columnist for Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar magazines and recently contributed electric guitars to the stunning soundtrack for Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, as well as TV shows like AMC’s Better Call Saul. His third studio album, Galactic Acid, was released in August 2024.