The Postcode Lottery is an external lottery manager which operates charity lotteries on behalf of 20 independent Postcode Trusts. It is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission. Players of the Postcode Lottery have raised more than £1.5 billion for thousands of charities and local good causes.

Crystal Raybe

Crystal Raybe is a presenter, host and content creator working across media, culture, lifestyle and entertainment. As the host of the breakfast show on Reprezent Radio, she wakes the nation up each morning with energy, conversation and good music. From interviewing artists and creatives to cultural voices she brings people and stories to the forefront through engaging & authentic conversations. 

Success Ariyibe

Success is a presenter, host and content creator with over 4 million views across social media. Passionate about thoughtful conversations across music and sport, he has interviewed at a number of red carpets, festivals and award shows to date.Success is also the host of his own talk show, platforming a range of talented, emerging creatives from a wide range of backgrounds.

Daryl Jenkins

Daryl is a presenter and music interviewer from Newcastle who’s spent the last seven years presenting and interviewing on community radio stations and covering festivals before hosting Radio 1’s Early Breakfast Show and Indie Show in recent years. Passionate about her local music scene, she's an avid championer of emerging talent, actively platforming local artists in her fairground interview series 'Just Checking In', with Mercury-Prize Shortlisted Knats being her most recent guests, and Rivkala (winner of Youth Music’s Best Video 2025) being a guest last year. This year Daryl also proudly worked on the showcase representing the North at The Great Escape this year on behalf of Generator, stage-hosting and interviewing over their two-days of acts.

Sophia Hadji-Michael

Sophia Hadji Michael is a rising force in the UK creative scene - a DJ, radio host, and BBC producer with a deep-rooted passion for underground music. With 4 years at BBC 6Music under her belt, working across shows like Indie Forever, Craig Charles, Rave Forever, and SHERELLE, she brings expert curation and broadcast flair to every show.

As a DJ, Sophia has lit up clubs and festivals across the UK, supporting the likes of Girls Don’t Sync, Zed Bias, and Mura Masa. Sophia also hosts a dance music show, spotlighting cutting-edge sounds and interviewing the most exciting names in the scene. 

Manu Mactaggart

Manu Mactaggart is a video editor from Bristol who lives in Manchester. He co-organises the Festival de Tinnes DIY film festival in Leeds. 

Whelan Barzey

Whelan Barzey is a journalist, podcast host, and community organiser with a focus on uplifting the lived experience of marginalised groups. This passion has underpinned his work for the likes of The British Blacklist, TimeOut London, and My London respectively.

Since first coming aboard the Youth Music team as an interviewer for the 2021 awards show, he has become ever-present. Over the years, his conversations with music's brightest talents have induced laughter, tears, and meaningful discussions about creating equity and diversity in the music industry.

Jenny Dean (instagram)

Jenny Dean is a freelance content creator from the North East, and has worked with brands and businesses from music venues, festivals, and events, to pubs, restaurants, and small businesses. Jenny is the Editor-in-Chief of music magazine Gan On, and presents multiple shows on Spark Radio. One of Jenny’s biggest passions is creating content for others as well as her own music-focused content.

Leah Challinor (TikTok)

Leah is an independent indie rock musician and content creator from Liverpool. While Leah loves to write music and play gigs she also finds fun unique ways to promote her own music and events in the Merseyside area on TikTok and Instagram. In 2025 Leah was a Student brand ambassador for Adobe UK, some of her work helped promote the first Adobe A-List festival which had a lineup of stars including Declan McKenna and Sam Thompson. Leah believes in the importance of supporting grassroots music which is why she has a passion for working with Youth music and is excited to be apart of this year’s awards show!  

Martha Jenkinson

Martha is a creative based in Liverpool, with drama school training in Performing Arts. She has worked across a variety of live performance contracts, and has more recently started an acoustic music duo where she explores her love for making music her own. As a self-proclaimed professional multi tasker, Martha is keen to get stuck into the planning and organisational side of being an Event Runner this year. With a firm appreciation and understanding of musicianship, mixed with a passion to celebrate and support young talent, Martha is excited to get started!  

Anjali Shelley

North London-raised and Newcastle-based, Anjali is a creative producer with an eclectic taste in music and a real soft spot for R&B and jazz. She’s currently developing visual campaigns for emerging talent in the North East, exploring her love of music and art through creative direction, music video production, and visual storytelling. After stepping into Newcastle’s music scene as an event runner with Generator for the 2025 Mercury Prize Fringe, she went on to build experience in creative development and project delivery with North East music and culture agency Nrthrn Baby. Anjali is keen to build on her experience in the industry, meet more creatives, and just be surrounded by music and good energy.

Háňa Nguyen

Háňa is a Newcastle-based community event organiser and a DJ active in the local queer and grassroots DIY scene. Coming from a multicultural background, their passion lies in spotlighting marginalised talent and breaking down barriers to access music spaces.

Their main work is driven through HEART///BPM, an electronic music collective built by and for QTIBIPOC+ artists, and also through LADs, a community programme at Cobalt Studios dedicated to supporting FLINTA* individuals in DJing and music production. 

Imogen Bott

Imogen Bott is a recent graduate of Drama and Film & Television Studies. She has keen interest in working in events, having previously both volunteered and worked at film, culture and music festivals. In her final year, completing an internship with a local charity for a community festival, helping to curate, programme and deliver an accessible festival. She is really excited for the opportunity to work at the Youth Music Awards as it comes to the North West.

Jada Freeman

Jada Freeman is an emerging events professional, R&B artist, and songwriter! Since training in both creative production and events management, her experience spans event management, stage management, artist liaison, and facilitation. She has worked with companies such as lost, Cannes Lions Festival, Black on the Square, and BMG. Alongside this, she is building her own lane as an R&B artist and songwriter, having released her debut EP and collaborated with the likes of Platoon and Tileyard.

Ela Wismer

Ela is a musician and emerging events professional who has worked across a range of productions in London and Kent, including music festivals, live music performances and outdoor performing arts events. Outside of this, she has an interest in sound and writes original music. She also hosts a radio show dedicated to discovering and promoting emerging artists and is currently contributing to coverage of this year’s Bloomsbury Festival through interviews with musicians from the programme. 

Tyler Whiting

Tyler Whiting is an Award-Winning Queer West Midlands based photographer specialising in live events, theatre and music photography. He has worked locally with schools, dance & drama companies, local festivals and television production companies to provide coverage of a variety of projects and works. Tyler is inspired by giving a spotlight to every aspect of a production and looking for show-stopping moments to capture.People are his main passion which drives him to keep creating, he is a firm believer that every person should have their story told.

Ace Cheng

Ace is self-taught photographer who has been doing photography for around 10 years, specialising in live music photography. They have done voluntary work covering concerts for a number of websites over the years, including Out Of Rage and Joyzine. Their work has allowed them to experience a large number of acts in a wide range of venues, such as Bastille at the AO Arena and Black Veil Brides at the Liverpool Arts Club. While concerts are their main area of photography, their favourite subject continues to be the family chocolate labrador (named Maya).

Chanelle Johnson

Chanelle is an event photographer and portrait working with analogue and digital formats. With a background in fine art, Chanelle uniquely captures the vibrancy of her surroundings and the energy of her subject. Her carefully considered compositions and desire to translate the vibe of a moment make for a distinctive lens in the every day; reflecting her ongoing sentiments of sonder and curiosity.

Malaika Mwande

Malaika Mwande, I run a music zine celebrating emerging artists, culture and the sounds shaping our generation called Afropulse. I’m also an occasional home DJ, mostly because the comfort of my own home is the only venue willing to book me.

Evie Johnson

Evie Johnson is a third-year Communication and Media (BA) student at the University of Liverpool, with industry experience gained through placements in PR, communications and A&R. Alongside her studies, she works as a freelance music journalist, contributing to independent publications across Liverpool and the UK. Her work has been featured in The Tab, music is to blame., Shindie Magazine and The Indiependent. She has a particular interest in communications, media relations and the wider music industry.