The Bloom

London Musician, Sampha is arguably the industry’s most respected Artist. His first Album, Process, released in 2017 was lauded with both critical and commercial acclaim. His artistry quickly caught the attention of both the creative community and music fans globally.

The success of Sampha’s first album lead to the project being awarded the Mercury Prize and collaborations with globally recognised names such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Solange.

Sampha has recently completed a series of residencies in London and New York, titled Satellite Business. Tickets for the London shows sold out under a minute which only emphasises the excitement and anticipation for his return.

Mahalia is a Grammy-nominated R&B soul singer and songwriter whose buttery vocals and shifting set of romance-led lyrics put her name on the map. Her breakthrough performance of "Sober" for the legendary YouTube channel COLORS Studio which amassed over 61 million views. She has since collaborated with artists such as Raye, Cat Burns, AJ Tracy, Burna Boy, Little Simz and Kojey Radical and supported Rudimental, Ed Sheeran, and Jorja Smith on tour, as well as Adele at Hyde Park last year.

Mahalia is only 25 but she has already made major waves in her career. In addition to being listed in Forbes 2021 ’30 under 30’, Mahalia has had two MOBO wins for Best Female Act and Best R&B/Soul Act. She was also nominated for a Brit Award in 2020, in the Female Solo Artist category. She has performed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony and on some of the biggest stages in the world, including Glastonbury.

She has released a handful of EPs over the years including her release ‘Letter To Ur Ex’ in 2022, acquiring over 4.3M monthly Spotify listeners. In July 2023 Mahalia released her album IRL, The Guardian noted that "Her new album, IRL, does indeed feel like it’s been sprinkled with something special.”.

R&B trio FLO, aka Renée, Stella and Jorja are the most exciting girl group to come out of the UK in recent years. The girls have an unbreakable chemistry and have stamps of approval from the likes of R&B royalty such as Missy Elliot, SZA, Brandy, Kelly Rowland and Timberland. Harmonised vocals paired with catchy beats, the group have been compared to global girl group predecessors, Destiny’s Child and TLC.

Their first single ‘Cardboard Box’ released last year, went viral across social media, garnering 5.1 million views on YouTube and 16 million listens on Spotify. In a short few months, the group has amassed a following of over 396k on TikTok with over 7.4 Million likes, over 288k on Instagram and played the prestigious US talk show show, Jimmy Kimmel. Their first EP (released in Summer 2022) was described as an ‘R&B-obsessed record filled with girl power, sultry, feel-good songs that make you want to dance, have fun with your friends, get dressed up, and be that independent boss babe’.

Their latest single sees the girls' team up with pioneer R&B, Hip-Hop legend and long time supporter Missy Elliott on their track ‘Fly Girl’. Within just 1 week of release, the track accumulated over 5.4 million streams on Spotify and over 2.7 million views on YouTube. The start of 2023 has seen the girls embark on their first headline tour in the UK and North America which has received glowing reviews. Including 5 stars from Evening Standard, commenting “the vocally flawless trio are even better than the hype”. Since the release of 'Fly Girl' the girls have played sold out shows in the UK and the US and performed at major festivals globally. In July 2023, the group surprised their fans, releasing a 3 track EP, '3 of Us'.

FLO are the next generation of British Girl Band, set for global domination.

23-year-old singer, songwriter and former BRIT school student, Cat Burns, went from busking on London’s Southbank to mastering TikTok in lockdown, singing a mix of her favourite covers and original music. As a result, she rapidly amassed around half a million followers in just three months and now sits on over 1.3 million followers on the platform. Cat was named Spotify’s Global RADAR artist in 2022 and shortlisted for the BRITS Rising Star award.

Her BRIT nominated single "Go" has more than 850,000 user-generated creations, topped a billion views on TikTok, reached the Top 3 on the UK charts and has now amassed over 141 million streams on Spotify alone. The success of 'Go' saw Cat being named as the biggest selling female artist in the UK in 2022. Cat has been featured on the cover of GAY TIMES and in British Vogue's Pride Issue, as well as being the cover star of Pop Magazine.

Cat's incredible 2022 led to multiple BRIT award nominations and a performance at the ceremony in 2023. This year Cat has taken her live show on the road supporting Ed Sheeran and former collaborator Sam Smith.

Born in Bradford and raised in Leeds before moving to Manchester, the North of England lays claim to one of the UK jungle scene’s most blistering arrivals: 23-year-old producer Nia Archives. Her love of the genre - and others like dub, breaks, and hip hop - was fostered from a young age, with the sounds of reggae, dancehall and more often tinkling throughout her childhood home.

Nia released her debut EP, ‘Headz Gone West’, in 2021 which saw tracks like ‘Sober Feels’ rack up 7.5M+ global Spotify streams. However, it was arguably Nia’s second EP ‘Forbidden Feelingz’ released in 2022 which amassed critical acclaim from Rolling Stone UK, GQ, British Vogue, The Face, Pitchfork, The Fader, i-D, and more.

Following her releases, award win’s included the NME Award for ‘Best Producer’, MOBO Award for Best Electronic/Dance Act, being named the BBC Introducing ‘Artist of the Year’ - the award’s first electronic music recipient. Nia also received the coveted Brits Rising Star nomination. Her latest EP, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall, is a six-track EP that explores her personal growth: love, loss, rejection, estrangement, the come-up and the come-down. In August Nia surprised fans, with the follow up single ‘Bad Gyalz’.

Nia Archives is just getting started and she has already cemented her place as 2023’s global breakout star.

Rejjie Snow is an Irish Hip-Hop Musician and fine Artist known for his unique style and creative flare. Rejjie spent 5 years building a cult following in the hip-hop scene with his first EP Rejovich (2013) featuring a collaboration with then rising star Loyle Carner, and his mixtape The Moon & You (2017) featuring Joey Bada$$ before he released his debut album, ’Dear Annie’ in 2018 to critical acclaim, including 5-star reviews from The Guardian and NME. He sold out his UK and European tour, which included a performance at The Roundhouse in London. In 2021 he released his highly anticipated second album ‘Baw Baw Black Sheep’, which included features from Snoh Aalegra, Tinashe, MF DOOM and long-term collaborator Cam O’bi.

He has supported Madonna on the ‘Rebel Heart’ tour and been championed by BBC Radio 1, Hypebeast, NME and Pitchfork. He’s also done campaigns with Versus Versace, Levis and C.P. Company and worked with the likes of The North Face, Cartier, Acne Studios and Hugo Boss.

London musician Femi Koleoso is the bandleader and drummer of the award-winning Afrobeat and hip-hop-infused jazz group Ezra Collective. Formed in 2016, Ezra Collective was picked up by Giles Peterson and awarded Best Album. Since then, they have gone on to win the 2023 Mercury Prize with their 2022 release ‘Where I'm Meant To Be’, becoming the first jazz act to win. They have also received awards for Best UK Jazz Act and Live Experience Of The Year. They have toured around the world and played at festivals such as Glastonbury, Dimensions and All Points East. As a drummer, Femi has also gone on the road with Jorja Smith and Gorillaz.

Femi has been featured by the likes of Vanity Fair, The Guardian, Clash Magazine, The Evening Standard and The New York Times. Femi has a unique perspective on both music and artisty, as well as being a voice for community projects and the under-represented. Femi and his brother TJ (also part of Ezra Collective) donated money they earnt from their legendary Glastonbury set to the school that helped to get them to the fields of Worthy Farm. During the performance Femi gave the school a shout out adding “It’s important – give young people an instrument and give them a chance”. He is determined to encourage young musicians of today and to tackle the decline the music education system has suffered over the years.

Femi's 2023 has been spent with Ezra Collective touring countries such as Canada, Japan, Thailand and the USA.

Mr Eazi, global Afrobeat powerhouse and multi-industry entrepreneur, has worked with the likes of Nicki Minaj, J Balvin, Burna Boy, Anne-Marie, and Beyoncé, with a two-track feature on her renowned album, ‘Black is King.’ His single ‘Lento’ with J. Balvin has reached over 21 million streams across streaming platforms. Eazi has recently released his new album ‘Choplife Vol1’ and will be hosting Choplife Soundsystem parties globally throughout Summer 2023.

Mr Eazi’s ascent into global stardom has seen him clock over 420 Million YouTube views and more than 5.8 million Spotify streams per month, making him one of the most streamed African artists worldwide. Along with Eazi’s global success, his fashion-forward personal style has helped land him on the pages of Vogue, The Fader and Paper. In 2020 Forbes Africa included him in its annual 30 under 30 issues spotlighting the continent's young thought leaders.

In 2020, after receiving nominations in four categories, Mr Eazi won his first Latin Grammy for his contribution to J Balvin’s album ‘Colores’, becoming the first Nigerian artist to win said recognition. In 2022 he won his second Grammy Award for his contribution on the single ‘Africa, One Of A Kind’ on Angelique Kijou’s ‘Mother Nature Album’. He has also won the ‘Vodafone Ghana Music Award’, Apple Music’s ‘Up Next Artist’ award and had a BET nomination for ‘Best International Artist.’ Along with major chart success in the UK, Mr Eazi has multiple performances under his belt including Hype Festival, Ghana’s Party in the Park and renowned music festival, Coachella.

In 2019 Mr Eazi founded emPawa Africa, Africa’s first music talent incubation initiative, to nurture and support up-and-coming artists in Africa with YouTube as a partner. His mission is to help new artists reach their full potential musically by equipping them with the knowledge and funding to do so. The following year Mr Eazi partnered with Decagon in an initiative to help young Nigerians become software engineers. Alongside this, Mr Eazi supports several United Nations IFAD youth campaigns to increase global awareness around agricultural issues affecting rural youth.

Sertaç Dirik is the head chef and co-owner of the acclaimed Mangal 2 Restaurant in Dalston, London.

At the age of 23, Sertaç had been in Copenhagen for almost two years in the kitchens of some of the most revered restaurants in the world including Noma’s little sister, 108, and latterly at Matt Orlando’s acclaimed, zero-waste-themed Amass. During the pandemic alongside his brother, Sertaç returned to London to co-own and head up the kitchen of his father's iconic east London Restaurant Mangal 2.

Sertaç spent lockdown transforming the kitchen from his father's classic ocakbaşı and evolving its style into a more contemporary iteration of Turkish grill cooking. The Brothers modernised the restaurant, whilst maintaining and building its incredible legacy. Just two years after re-opening the restaurant would be crowned one of the top 40 restaurants in the UK.

Sertaç has been recognised by Observer Food Monthly as Young Chef of the Year 2022 and featured in Code Hospitality's 30 under 30. He has been featured on MOB Kitchen and Saturday Kitchen and displayed on the front cover of Time Out 'London's Brightest' 2022 Issue.

Sertac is one of the most exciting and sought-after culinary talents.

Jordan Stephens is a creative, musician, writer and performer, perhaps best known as one half the chart-topping duo, Rizzle Kicks. He’s also an accomplished actor, with television credits including The Ex-Wife, Foundation, Starstruck, Feel Good, Catastrophe, Glue and Harmony, and films including Teen Spirit, Been So Long, Stars Wars: Rogue One and Tucked, in which he played drag queen Faith. He will also be seen in a new feature Higher Grounds, due to be released soon.

Having spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health, Jordan has been very active in raising awareness around the stigma. His mental health campaign #IAMWHOLE reached over 120 million people online and was mentioned in the Houses of Parliament. Most recently, Jordan hosted a ground-breaking conversation on mental health, music and systemic racism, as a collaboration between Channel 4 and IAMWHOLE to surround World Mental Health Day. Jordan also wrote an article in The Guardian about the negative effects that Hyper-Masculinity has on men’s wellbeing and has been invited on television and at festivals to further discuss the matter.

Jordan endeavours to express himself through many different forms of art, and last year he published his first Children’s book, ‘The Missing Piece’, a self-influenced story about joy and connection. He also hosts Don’t Hate The Playaz, now in its fourth series. As well as making new music under his full name, Jordan Stephens, with his debut solo- album Let Me Die Inside You, out now

Nova Twins are an alternative rock duo, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South. These childhood friends created Nova Twins because they felt there was no one like them to look up to, which meant "there were no rules to who we can be”.

Their most recent album titled "Supernova" was released to critical acclaim in 2022 and was described by The Guardian as "a riot of its own." The LP explores various moods, textures and layers, while retaining the essential elements of South, Love, bass, guitar, drums and a whole lot of energy. It was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize and led to the band receiving two nominations at the 2023 BRIT Awards for Best Group and Best Rock/Alternative Act.

Their music represents a clash of ideas from the worlds of rock, rap, pop, punk and beyond, breaking down traditional genre boundaries while showcasing the duo's multifaceted talents. Rolling Stone lauded Nova Twins as “the most vital rock band in Britain right now”, and NME praised them for "rewriting the rules of alternative music”. Championed by industry giants such as Flea, Tom Morello, and Elton John, with the latter stating “they are just for me, phenomenal”. The girls reach a broad church, without diluting what they’re all about.

Globally recognised Swedish Singer and Songwriter Zara Larsson provokes and pushes pop music and culture forward with empowered, enlightened and energised anthems. She’s released two albums and collaborated with Clean Bandit and David Guetta, Zara is also responsible for global hit singles ‘Lush Life’, ‘So Good’ and ‘Never Forget You’. This includes the UK number 1 hit ‘Symphony,’ which has over 1 billion streams. Her RIAA platinum-certified full-length album ‘So Good’ notably stands out as “the second-most-streamed debut on Spotify by a female artist ever,” eclipsing over 5 billion streams. Zara has recently released ‘Can’t Tame Her’ the lead single from her upcoming third studio album.

Zara reaches over 20 million followers across all social platforms: 8 million on Instagram and 6 million on YouTube. She has received various awards and honours at the Swedish Grammy Awards, MTV EMAs, and more. Her highly anticipated second album, ‘Poster Girl’ was released in March 2021 and received praise from NME and Clash Magazine. Zara has been on covers for US Vogue, Teen Vogue, i-D, The Guardian, V Magazine, People Magazine, Vice, Billboard, BBC News and was the cover star of Vogue Scandinavia's Apr-May Issue 11.

Poet and Musician, James Massiah, has made a name for himself with his unique blend of wordplay, music, and lyrical mastery. His work is both thought-provoking and emotive and revolves around themes such as ethics, mortality and hedonism. He has an ongoing series of "New Poems" in which he serially details the ups and downs of life, love and labour in London.

Massiah's work has received critical acclaim and has been featured in various publications including The Guardian and VICE. He has also performed at prestigious venues such as the Barbican, Tate Modern, British Library and Houses of Parliament. James has been profiled in Vogue, Dazed, i-D, GQ and worked with brands such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, Matches and Loewe.

In 2019 he released ‘Natural Born Killers’, a self-produced four-track EP of downtempo, electronic music that was nominated for ‘best alternative video UK’ at the 2019 Music Video Awards and won Best Music Video at the EnergaCAMERIMAGE film festival. His next EP, True Romance is set for release this year.

Singer-Songwriter Debbie’s voice brings a blend of refreshingly new and intimately familiar sounds. Her supreme talent has attracted buzz inside and outside of the industry, making her one of the most hotly tipped Talent’s for 2023.

Influenced through her musical diet of Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin, Debbie’s heartfelt debut ‘This Is Real Love’ was the first introduction to her raw and emotive vocals.

Debbie’s star is fast-growing, with already over 10 million global streams, countless features on One To Watch lists for 2023. She has grabbed the attention of major titles such as, British Vogue, The Times, The Independent and NME.

Debbie is just getting started and already boasts writing credits on Stormzy’s latest album and promising Live credentials, such as supporting RAYE on the UK and Europe leg of ‘My 21st century Blues’ tour.

Born and raised in East London, Singer-Songwriter Rose Gray, is known for creating her own sonic landscape merging a blend of 90's dance melodies and 00’s indie-pop vocals.

Her first album ‘dancing, drinking, talking, thinking’ was released in 2021 which included the single “Save Your Tears” which was crowned Tune of The Week by Radio 1 tastemaker Claro Amfo. The track, being a shot of serotonin in a cocktail of fizzing pop, power choruses and UK heritage genres, instantly won over NME who profiled Rose, praising her for her “youthful playfulness” and “screamadelica-inspired anthemic rave-pop” - and i-D predicted that she “could single handedly revive Britpop for a new generation”.

Rose’s collaborated with Grammy Award-winning producer Alex Metric and multi-instrumentalist Ghost Culture on her recent EP, Synchronicity, which is a celebration of that heady intoxication under strobe lights which showcases her soulful vocals, pop beats and her love of the nightlife. Alongside Melanie C, Self Esteem and other vocalists, Rose Gray features on the track 'Call Me A Lioness'. A new song to support the England’s national Women's football Team for the World Cup.

Rose is having a huge summer, playing at The Great Escape, Mighty Hoopla and Radio 1's Big Weekend, to name a few. She kicked off festival season with the release of her Dee-Lite sampling, dancefloor anthem 'Happiness’.

Simran Randhawa is a Journalist and Digital Creative who uses her platform to explore the intersection of identity through fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and food. Simran has worked with brands such as Nike, Estée Lauder, Calvin Klein, Clinique, Glossier, Fenty Beauty, and Burberry. Her writing has been featured in publications including British Vogue, Vogue, Refinery 29, Dazed, Grazia, i-D, Off The Block as well as Net-A-Porter’s recent SS23 campaign IncredibleWomen.

A storyteller at her core, Simran writes about everything from beauty to heritage and mental health. She recently self-released and produced a short documentary on fatherlessness which is available on her Instagram and was part of a collective of women working with Nike Jordans to make basketball and sneaker culture more inclusive for women.

Simran’s frank style and openness about her own story has gained her a massive and ever-growing following. Simran has held editorial roles at LAPP and gal-dem and hosts a series of talks in collaboration with the BFC and Soho House with some of the most exciting names in British fashion such as Bianca Saunders and Priya Ahluwalia.

Akinola Davies is a BAFTA nominated and Sundance award-winning Filmmaker, Visual Artist, and Music Curator, whose work spans nations to explore themes of community, race, spirituality, identity and gender, telling stories that bridge the gap between traditional and millennial communities. His first narrative short film ‘Lizard’ premiered at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival and was selected for the Raindance Film Festival. Akinola won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for ‘Lizard’ and it was also nominated for Best British Short Film at the 2021 BAFTAs.

As an individual, Akinola was selected for the Berlinale Talents 2020 Collective and named one of Screen Daily’s ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ alongside Emma Louis Corrin, Paul Mescal and more.
Akinola has become a go-to creative in the fashion industry working with brands such as Gucci, Acne Studios, COS, Moncler, Kenzo, Mulberry and Louis Vuitton on multiple creative projects, in front of and behind the camera. Alongside his work in narrative film and fashion, Akinola has directed music videos for the likes of Speakers Corner Quartet, Kokoroko, Larry B and Mischa Mafia.

Leo Kalyan is a rising star in music, regarded as “one of pop’s real rebels” by the Guardian, hailing from London. He is a singer, songwriter and music producer who brings the worlds of Bollywood and Pop together in eclectic and ethereal mash-up videos, which have consistently gone viral on TikTok and Instagram.

Leo’s already received acclaim from the likes of Elton John, Grimes, Victoria Monet and RuPaul, due to the ethereal nature of his music and empowering disregard of heteronormative standards within identity and fashion.

He is a BRIT award and Ivor Novello nominated songwriter, most notably for the global number 1 smash-hit single “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry & MNEK. Leo also co-wrote “Rush” by Raveena, “Cheque” by Don Diablo & “OK” by Mabel.

His bold fashion choices made Leo the most Googled person in India in 2022, which became headline news with Vogue applauding his style as “a takedown of the central conceit of heteronormative fashion”.

Leo most recently performed at Coachella and is about to embark on a string of performances across the US, introducing more people to his incredible artistry and taking his sound global.

Sherrie Silver, Creative Director, Choreographer, Dancer and Public Speaker. Globally recognised and responsible for Childish Gambino’s prolific music video ‘This Is America’ for which she won the MTV VMA for Best Choreography in 2018.

She travels the globe choreographing for some of the world’s most celebrated artists, producing critically acclaimed music videos and performance pieces. Her portfolio includes Rihanna, Wizkid, Burna Boy, French Montana and Mr Eazi. Alongside this, Sherrie has worked with brands such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Nike, Louis Vuitton and YouTube. Sherrie collaborated with US Vogue in a movement direction role for multiple projects, including The Met Gala 2019 video shot by Bardia Zeinali featuring Lady Gaga, Nikki Minaj, Cardi B and the Kardashians. Her most recent project was choreographing for the acclaimed animated film ‘Sing 2’.

Alongside this, Sherrie is a United Nations IFAD Advocate for Rural Youth working to improve resources for youth globally, as well as an ambassador for The Big Issue and Malaria No More, which she recently spoke about at the House of Parliament. Sherrie also runs two charities in Rwanda, an orphanage called Children of Destiny and Destiny Rebuilders, a charity providing accommodation, health insurance and school programmes for underprivileged citizens across Rwanda and Nigeria.

Sherrie is on a mission to bring African culture to the world and uses every resource possible to uplift her community and other African creatives. She has been covered by the likes of Elle, Vogue, InStyle, Forbes, The Guardian, BET and by multiple major news outlets including CNN and BBC News. In 2021, Sherrie was featured in a YouTube Originals #BlackRenaissance campaign to celebrate Black History Month alongside the Obama family, Anderson Paak, Kelly Rowland and more. Most recently, Sherrie spoke alongside Idris and Sabrina Elba at the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

BMX star Kye Whyte made his Olympic debut at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He quickly made international headlines by becoming the first British rider to win a medal in the sport since its introduction to the Olympics in 2008, Kye took home silver for the British team. His Olympic triumph led to coverage by Forbes, BBC, The Times, Radio Times, The Guardian and much more.

Along with his Olympic triumph, Kye is a 10x British BMX champion and won the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow and went on to win again in Belgium in 2022. He is currently one of the fastest racers in the world. The sport is in the blood as his father co-founded the renowned Peckham BMX Club. Kye was introduced to the sport at age 4 and is nicknamed the ‘Prince of Peckham.’ Kye’s goal is to inspire a new generation of BMX riders by hosting BMX workshops for disadvantaged London youth. Kye started 2022 off the bike, competing on ITV’s Dancing on Ice with partner Tippy Packard.