Jordan Stephens Announced as First Ever Grassroots Hero Award Winner

Artist, author and actor, Jordan Stephens has been named the winner of the brand-new award in recognition of his advocacy of grassroots music for young people.

The Youth Music Awards 2024, in association with Hal Leonard Europe, takes place on 16 October at Troxy, London

Best known as one half of the chart-topping duo Rizzle Kicks, Jordan Stephens has been rewarded for his advocacy efforts and for the backing of overlooked, underfunded and unrepresented projects in the grassroots music scene.

Having been publicly open with his own struggles surrounding mental health, Jordan has been very active in creating awareness around the stigma. His mental health campaign #IAMWHOLE reached over 120 million people online and was mentioned in the Houses of Parliament. His children's book, The Missing Piece, was recently shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Prize. His new book, Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak and Dogs, was released in August 2024 and went straight in as a Sunday Times Best Seller. 

Jordan Stephens says: “I am absolutely buzzing to receive this award from Youth Music. I love everything they stand for. They're one of my earliest supporters and I've done whatever I can to repay the favour. Love them. More support for the creative arts. More joy for Youth Music. Thank you so much.”

The award follows our recently published Sound of the Next Generation (SONG) Report, that found over half of grassroots music projects have reported a fall in income, and we are facing a 45% fall in real term donations. This means that we are only able to fund less than 1 in 5 applications (17%) – a historic low. As a result, the grassroots organisations that rely on this funding are at risk of closure, which would affect thousands of young people. 

Grassroots youth and community music projects play a vital role in supporting the diverse talent pipeline. In fact, the last two Mercury Prize winners were supported by projects like these, funded by Youth Music. So, now in our 25^th year, we are celebrating the work that has been done to equalise access to making, learning, and earning in music, whilst campaigning for a more diverse and more inclusive industry. 

Speaking on the shortlist, Youth Music CEO, Matt Griffiths, says: “We are thrilled to see the diverse wealth  of talent and leaders shortlisted for this year’s awards. It’s  testament to the incredible grassroots music scene we have in the UK. A scene sadly facing a financial crisis, which could see crucial projects closing down nationwide if we don’t act now. We hope the Youth Music Awards once again shines a light on why these projects are so important.” 

Oliver Winstone, Head of Business Development at Hal Leonard Europe says: “Hal Leonard Europe is proud to be the headline sponsor of the 2024 Youth Music Awards, celebrating the incredible talent and creativity of young musicians across the UK. Congratulations to all the nominees who have demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to grassroots music scene! At a time when the music industry faces many challenges, Youth Music's work in supporting such projects is more vital than ever. We are honoured to support them in their mission to create opportunities for the next generation of artists and help shape the future of music.”