Youth Music Awards 2021 judges

Alexandra Ampofo is an entrepreneur and Promoter at one of the UK's leading gig promoters, Metropolis Music, part of the conglomerate of live music giants, Live Nation Entertainment. She has worked on the shows and tours of some of the world’s leading talent’s such as; Ms Lauryn Hill, SiR, Nao, Mura Masa, Goldlink, Jordan Rakei, Ghetts. As well as rising talents, Kojey Radical, Etta Bond, Arlo Parks, Che Lingo and to name a few. She founded Acoustic Live in 2013, an award-winning events company, dedicated to the manifestation of acoustic talent. In 2019, Alexandra also started EMBRACE Nation at Live Nation UK - a cultural hub striving towards racial equality in and outside the work place becoming a learning hub for ALL Live Nation Entertainment employees. In addition to this, she founded Women Connect, a female focused collective creating safer, all-inclusive spaces, good fortune and equal opportunities for women & non-binary and gender-variant people across the creative industries. With Women Connect, Alexandra has hosted music driven events to highlight issues such as Period Poverty, Mental Health and International Women’s Day.

Alexis says, "I began playing piano when I was seven, learning things my dad taught me. But really I enjoyed playing the keyboard along to records more than reading music, so soon gave that up and started a band at secondary school, playing covers and eventually some original compositions. Hot Chip emerged from this school time obsession with music and we have been at it ever since, writing, recording and producing our own music. We have toured internationally and released seven albums, on Moshi Moshi, EMI/DFA and Domino. We have had Grammy and Mercury Prize nominations but never had won, and we have worked with Peter Gabriel, Robert Wyatt, New Order and others. I have written and released five solo records and also have made three collaborative albums with About Group, which focused partly on free improvisation, as well as being involved in numerous remixes, and working with people like David Byrne and Money Mark in the Atomic Bomb group, paying tribute to William Onyeabor."

As producers, DJs, label founders and avid record collectors, the London-based Belfast-born duo Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson have become two of the most trusted curators of electronic music in the past decade. Their signing to Ninja Tune in 2017 saw them make their most concise, articulate and daring musical statement yet, with the release of their debut self-titled album. Bicep are also Ambassadors for Youth Music.

Chloe Mitchell is a Promoter Consultant working at DICE. Having previously booked venues in London, Chloe now supports promoters in developing their live events, building their audiences and connecting promoters with venues and talent.

Chris Pattinson is Director Of Music for TBWA\Media Arts Lab, the global network dedicated to Apple's advertising. Before this he set up and co-founded The Black Cab Sessions, a music platform featuring artists such as Jack White, The Roots, Brian Wilson and Solange performing a song in the back of a London cab.  The platform was responsible for discovering and promoting artists such as Lianne La Havas, Michael Kiwanuka and Laura Marling as well as many more. Black Cab Sessions is in hiatus until the team manages to persuade a certain icon to take part…. Watch this space. 

As Head of Music for BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Chris is the creative and editorial lead for the world’s most influential radio playlists, as well as iconic live music brands such as Live Lounge, Radio 1’s Big Weekend and 1Xtra Live. A music strategist with nearly twenty years’ success in music discovery roles for internationally renowned radio, TV and streaming services, he has established a global reputation as a champion for new music. Chris is a Trustee of Youth Music.

Kicking off 2019 as the co-host of KISS FM’s prestigious Breakfast Show, Daisy Maskell earned herself the accolade of being the youngest breakfast show host in the history of commercial radio and at just 21, giving us a glimpse of the industry’s future with her leading the way as a heavyweight. It would be easy to think that Daisy Maskell has come out of nowhere, but, in reality, her journey where she is today as the host of KISS Fresh’s all-new national Breakfast Show has been one filled with determination and hard work. 2020 began with Daisy’s breakfast show being nominated for an ARIA award and has followed with editorial pieces in the likes of Glamour Magazine and Grazia, her producing and fronting content for BuzzFeed and a global ambassador campaign with MORPHE, seeing Daisy launching a make-up palette based on her inspirations.

Edith Bowman has been working in TV and radio for nearly 20 years, and currently hosts the award-winning podcast Soundtracking. Her knowledge and passion for music and film, which stem from being a genuine fan, have seen her incorporate both extensively into all that she does – she has broadcast radio shows on BBC Radio 1, 2, 5, 6 & Scotland, as well as hosting the Virgin Radio UK Breakfast Show.

Hailing from West London, Ellie Prohan has fast cemented her name in the industry. Raised in a single mother Persian household, Ellie outplayed the odds by coming out with her sexuality and pursued her dream of being an International DJ. In a short span, Ellie has organised charity events for world mental health day, started a club night for the LGBTQIA+ community, created a series of DJ showcase nights and started her own cultural discovery show ‘Eat, Dance, Discover’. Ellie has interviewed the likes of Ari Lennox, Princess Nokia, Waka Flocka, Stefflon Don, Shaggy, Snoh Aalegra, amongst many more, having previously hosted the primetime ‘Happy Hour’ show on female led station Foundation FM. Ellie has since joined the Apple Music family for The Apple Music 1 List show out of the London studios. The show brings the playlist to life and showcases the world’s best new music.Plus hosts her own Tuesday weekly specialist show on Kiss FM from 11pm-1am highlighting independent artists from the rap, drill, trap and hip hop community. As a highly talented gay middle eastern woman, the importance of being an active representation within the music and entertainment industry is of upmost important to Ellie.

With one of the most wide-ranging genre knowledge bases, and a sound rooted in UK bass driven club music, Emerald’s dedication to breaking the newest talents across a wide spectrum of scenes positions her uniquely in UK music culture. Whether it’s through her presenting as host of the Drive time show on Rinse FM, her experimental DJ sets drawing on percussive sounds with the choicest global selections, or her hosting work across events, club nights and festivals around the world, Emerald’s passion for the culture in its myriad forms has made her a recognised rising talent and creative force, breaking new artists to fans and brands alike. Emerald’s reputation as one of London’s key rising tastemakers and broadcasters continues to grow with Emerald selected as one of BBC Radio 1XTRA’s new monthly residents of 2020 and radio show & party ‘Afters’ on Rinse. Curated by Emerald, ‘Afters’ seeks to capture those magical twilight moments, found after the party, back in the intimate confines of friends’ living rooms when your selector mates hop on the decks for impromptu back to backs. Continuing to push through the brightest of homegrown talent across multiple genres, always associated with credibility and a pure love of music in all its forms, Emerald’s mix of curational ability, attitude and intelligence define her uniquely in a talented young London’s scene.

Eve is a GRAMMY Award-winning musician. She serves as the host of The Talk, CBS' Daytime Emmy Award winning talk show. Eve is best known for her multi-million selling records "Who's That Girl", "Gangsta Lovin", "Let Me Blow Your Mind" ft Gwen Stefani which won the inaugural GRAMMY Award for best Rap/Sung collaboration in 202. Eve has released four multi-million selling albums and 32 singles, and throughout her career she has collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the world - Dr. Dre, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Jill Scott, DMX, Swiss Beatz, Juicy J, The Roots and Missy Elliot. She's currently back in the studio after 7 years and working with some of the biggest producers and writers from around the world - Dallas Austin, Jin Jin, Jessie Ware and Toddla T. She released her first single in 6 years, 'Reload', in July 2019 to a huge wave of applause with plays across BBC 1Xtra from Mistajam and BBC Radio 1 from Annie Mac and Clara Amfo.

Holly joined the music industry as a PR intern in 2008, working on acts such as Bloc Party, La Roux, Two Door Cinema Club and Marina and the Diamonds, moving to DawBell in 2010 to start the online PR department. Ten years later, as Head of Digital she oversees the PR team alongside the social media department and has worked across many campaigns including The BRIT Awards, Elton John, Harry Styles, Spice Girls and BTS.

Joining DJ Mag in 2012, Iain was pivotal in the brands full North American launch and has gone on to work across the company to solidify DJ Mag’s place as the world's leading electronic music print magazine. Translating DJ Mag’s editorial direction into a global events strategy, Iain has worked with some of the world's most exciting artists on events & activations across the globe. Working closely with industry and community partners, Iain has pushed to ensure that supporting grassroots projects is at the heart of DJ Mag’s future.

Jess Iszatt is the presenter and producer of the BBC Music Introducing show every Saturday night 8pm-10pm on BBC Radio London, showcasing the best undiscovered and under the radar musicians from London. She prides herself as a taste maker at the forefront of the new music scene in the UK, and has strong links with AIM (the Association of Independent Music), and national BBC Radio shows, such as BBC 6 Music, often covering the introducing Mixtape there with Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 1Xtra features on Jamz Supernova’s Tuesday night specialist show, and Huw Stephen’s introducing show on BBC Radio 1. Jess also fortnightly presents The Record Club delving into new albums with the artist themselves, brought to you by Record Store Day, The Official Charts and National Album Day on Facebook live. Recent guests include Laura Marling, Nadine Shah, Phoebe Bridgers, Doves, Declan McKenna, All Time Low, and so many more. She hangs out weekdays 4-8pm on Magic Chilled, playing fresh, laid-back hits from the 90’s, 00’s and present.

Jo Charrington is co-president of Capitol Records in the UK. She is regarded as one of the most respected and successful A&R people in the world - she has signed and broken 14 artists to platinum or multi platinum status, alongside her co president Nick Raphael. Those artists have collected Grammys, Oscars, Brits, Golden Globes, Ivor Novellos, MTV and BET awards to name but a few. And she and Nick are the only A&R people to have been awarded the Music Week Award twice in 2010 and 2015 at two different companies. Plus Jo was awarded Businesswoman of the Year at the Women in Music Awards in 2015. Currently she is also a governor of the Brit School.

Maddy is a digital music industry professional with over 10 years experience. She currently works at YouTube Music as a Label Relations Managers but previously worked at Capitol Records as the Head of Digital managing campaigns for the likes of Sam Smith, 5 Seconds of Summer, Liam Payne and more.

Manish Arora is MD at Columbia Records. Previously he was Polydor director of promotion for five years and delivered campaigns for artists including Elbow, Ellie Goulding, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga and Years & Years.

Michael is a freelance music journalist who writes for The Guardian, The Observer, Q, Vogue and The Face. He's also the editor of BEAT magazine. A huge pop fan, he also runs a Max Martin website called Maxopedia, which was awkward when he interviewed the man himself last year.

Nick Raphael is the co-president of Capitol Records UK alongside Jo Charrington. Jo and Nick started the current incarnation of Capitol Records UK in 2013. The label has had successes with Sam Smith (Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe winning artist,. 5 Seconds of Summer (who are the only band in the history to have their first three albums enter the Billboard chart at #1). Plus Liam Payne’s debut single was the biggest selling song by a solo member of One Direction. Previously Nick was President of Epic Records where he and Jo signed Paloma Faith, Scouting For Girls, Olly Murs, Aloe Blacc, Imogen Heap and JLS. Prior to Epic, Nick was co-founder of NorthWestSide Records with Christian Tattersfield where they signed Jay Z and Another Level (the latter of which Jo managed).

Nick Stevenson is Mixmag's Managing Director and longest serving member of staff. He's worked as a writer, editor, publisher and manager - across print and digital, editorial and commercial. Under his management Mixmag has grown its global monthly reach from 100k to over 100m - and won the PPA's Media Brand of the Year. From Wasted Talent's London office, he oversees international growth, partnerships and company development across Wasted Talents's brands (including Kerrang! and The Face)  He has set up Mixmag offices in 14 countries across six continents and built global partnerships with huge brands. His understanding of the music market has led to him consulting artists, labels, documentaries and music conferences. And as a promoter, producer and DJ in his spare time, Nick has put on events and played to club and festival audiences around the world.

Nimesh Jani is a 29-year-old entrepreneur, entertainment executive and talent manager. He is the co-founder of Catalyst Management and Catalyst Records. As a talent manager Nim represents Sam Tompkins, Steel Banglez, Michael Dapaah and Ashley Walters. Catalyst also manages Preditah, Tom Zanetti, Swifta Beater & Blade Brown alongside Nim's long-standing business partner and music executive Guv Singh. Nim's own journey began by managing himself as a singer/songwriter over 10 years ago – learning the trade and day-to-day skills of managing an artist.

Rafe Offer is the Co-Founder/Executive Chair of Sofar Sounds - a global movement that brings people together over live music in an intimate setting. Based out of London, Sofar was launched in 2009 and now stages concerts in 398 cities worldwide. Rafe Offer has held senior marketing positions such as Global Marketing Director of Coca-Cola, Director of Global Marketing at The Walt Disney Company and Director of innovation for Diageo. Rafe is an internationally lauded specialist in teamwork, leadership and brand innovation.

Shura is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. Ever since the viral ‘Touch’ – and its stunning video in which Shura, crucially, ended up alone – an impassionated global fanbase have awaited another record of heartbreak anthems. Her follow-up album ‘forevher’ sets out to challenge the supposed norms of archetypal romantic love, co-produced alongside Joel Pott (George Ezra, Mabel, London Grammar) with additional musical turns from Jona Ma (from Jagwar Ma) and Whitney’s Will Miller.

Tess is a Senior Product Manager at Ninja Tune Records. She has worked closely with artists such as Bicep, The Cinematic Orchestra, Maribou State, Nabihah Iqbal, Marie Davidson and Bonobo promoting their music to a global audience by delivering strategic and creative marketing campaigns. Tess has almost 20 years experience within in the music industry working for independent record labels. She set up the events department for house music label Defected Records, was artist manager for Tricky and Hercules and Love Affair for K7 in Berlin, toured the world with Ministry of Sound, and was artist liaison at Glastonbury.

Tom is Strategic Partnerships Director at Hal Leonard Europe (HLE), which is part of the Hal Leonard Group of companies, the world’s largest source for music publications. Hal Leonard represents the catalogues of Sony/ATV, UMPG, BMG, Kobalt, Concord, peermusic, Disney Music Group and many other publishers in print and digital media. Tom was previously Managing Editor for the Music Sales Group, and has overseen hundreds of official printed music products for artists including Led Zeppelin, Björk, Bob Dylan, Adele and David Bowie. He is a director of Printed Music Licensing Limited (PMLL) and of the Music Industries Association, is a frequent contributor to Music Publishers Association training courses and a gigging bass player.

As a pioneer in the black music scene, Trevor started his broadcasting career at then pirate station Kiss FM. In 1996, Trevor moved to BBC Radio 1 to present the first ever national R&B show 'The Rhythm Nation'. Trevor continued to present the Saturday slot 7-9pm for a further 17 years. Trevor joined MTV in 1998 to host their flagship R&B show 'The Lick', the show aired for 11 years on MTV base making it the longest running show on the channel. He hosted the first ever MTV Africa Awards from Abuja, Nigeria. He has also released several compilation albums and won numerous honours including 4 MOBOS and an MBE for his work with the millennium volunteers. Trevor currently broadcasts across two radio networks: BBC Radio 1Xtra Sunday 10am-1pm and on BBC Radio 2 Trevor Nelson's Rhythm Nation Monday-Thursday 10pm-midnight.

A Nigerian-Geordie with a Cambridge degree, Vick Hope is a multilingual, multi-skilled and multifaceted presenter making waves in the world of broadcast. Vick’s career began at the age of 19, when she spent a year living in Buenos Aires, covering Latin American current affairs, arts and culture at various publications including Time Out Buenos Aires, and it was here that she was snapped up by MTV. Experience gained reporting for MTV News brought her to the attention of ITN, where she quickly made her mark as a popular on-screen news and entertainment broadcaster. Going on to cement her status as one of the UK’s most promising female broadcast talents, Vick presented London’s biggest breakfast show on Capital FM with Roman Kemp for three years. Vick recently announced the news that she will host her very own show Back To Mine for 4 Music, a format fronted exclusively by her to spotlight some of the UK’s most prominent musical talent. Alongside all her media work, Vick is a tireless human rights activist and campaigner and Amnesty International Ambassador. Last year Vick MC-ed at the Women’s March, an event she described as one of her proudest moments. Alongside her Amnesty International Ambassadorship for their Women Breaking Barriers campaign, Vick volunteers at a weekly refugee project working closely with children from asylum-seeking families.

Yomi Adegoke is a multi-award-winning journalist who is currently the woman's columnist at The Guardian and has a monthly column at the i paper. She is well-known for her music journalism, presenting the 'Where are the black women in Grime?' documentary on BBC Radio 4 this year and previously producing and hosting 'The Lost Stars of Channel U' documentary. In 2018, she co-authored the bestselling book Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible with Elizabeth Uviebinene, for which she was named a Marie Claire Future Shaper and was awarded the Groucho Maverick award. She has also co-written their follow up book, Slay In Your Lane: The Journal and their third book, an anthology named Slay In Your Lane presents: Loud Black Girls.