NAINA

DJ & Presenter

NAINA is known for her inimitable blend of hard and fast dance music, delving between techno, footwork and jungle in true Hooversound style, alongside broadcasting weekly around the world on Apple Music 1 & monthly on NTS. She's previously held spots on Reprezent Radio to featuring across 4Music, Rinse FM, NTS, BBC 1Xtra.

NAINA launched the record label Hooversound with fellow DJ, SHERELLE, and also created TALA Radio to shine a spotlight on emerging South Asian talent.

NAINA has featured on Boiler Room twice (2017, 2019) and was nominated for Best Radio Show at the DJ Mag awards in 2021.

Nathan Thomson

Head Of Music, KISS Network

Nathan works with KISS' Programme Director, delivering the brand's music strategy across it's main KISS FM UK platform as well as both it's KISStory and recently-launched Kiss Fresh formats. Nathan is also responsible for the station's playlists and scheduling as well as executing music content across the brands with record companies, pluggers, management and artists.

Nicolas-Tyrell Scott

Music & Culture Journalist

Nicolas-Tyrell Scott is a London-based music and cultural journalist with his work printed/published in GQ, Pitchfork, Dazed, Apple Music, and more. As a speaker, he’s been featured on BBC, Channel 4, Wray and Nephew, The Grapevine TV, No Signal, Over the Bridge podcast, and spoken at Soho House. In music, he’s crafted assets for Mahalia, Adekunle Gold, Bru-C, and others. Nicolas-Tyrell has an informed view on music, which spans hip-hop to R&B, to emergent genres like drill, future-sounds, and afro-swing, always sure to tie lineages to each before framing their futures.

Peter Capstick

Label Manager, Marshall Records

In the 6 years since its first release, Marshall Records has gone from strength to strength. From working with critically acclaimed Therapy on their 15th and 16th studio albums and 30th anniversary tour, seeing Nova Twins achieve their first Radio 1 playlists, to championing exciting new artists such as Kid Bookie, Noah and the Loners and Gen and the Degenerates, Marshall have firmly established themselves as more than just an amp brand.

Rafe Offer

Co-Founder/CEO, Sofar Sounds

Rafe Offer has led teams and innovation at some of the world's best known brands – as Global Marketing Director of Coca-Cola, Director of Global Marketing at The Walt Disney Company and a Director of Innovation for global drinks giant Diageo. More recently, he became an entrepreneur and Co-Founder/ CEO of global music events company Sofar Sounds. 

Rebecca Frank

Content Director, KISS Network

Rebecca Frank leads the content vision, strategy and team for KISS, and previously held positions as Editor and Head of Production for BBC Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra, and for BBC Asian Network. Rebecca went on to act as consultant for non-profit Project Everyone and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on projects spanning the UK, USA and South Africa.  Before being at KISS, she was Head of Development for MediaWorks, New Zealand’s largest commercial media company.

Rob Swaden

MD/Founder, 333 Management

Originally focused on artist development, 333 have partnered with talent including Kwabs and Sinead Harnett, working with them from emerging UK prospects, to global acts. Rob met producer, Felix Joseph, in 2013 and their work together inspired a shift of focus, towards building a producer/songwriter roster. 333 Management is now home to some of the most highly acclaimed creatives in the music industry, representing clients in the UK, US & Europe.

Rosie Byers

Managing Editor, Notion

Rosie is a writer, editor and producer working across music and culture.

After starting out writing for clothing brand Illustrated People’s blog and other fashion news websites, Rosie became an intern at Wonderland magazine. Progressing from Editorial Assistant to Editor in just over a year, her time there saw her work on features with the likes of SZA, Kid Cudi, Wizkid, Chloë Sevigny and Paul Mescal.

Since 2021 Rosie has been Managing Editor at Notion Magazine, overseeing print issues and digital content with a focus on new music. Producing imagery and video as well as editorial, she’s worked with industry-leading creatives organising shoots in partnership with Spotify’s RADAR, 4th Floor Creative, and brands from Clarks to Paco Rabanne. 

Ruth Barlow

Director of Live Licensing, The Beggars Group

Now nearing her 25th year in the industry, Ruth’s day job involves developing policies and managing the numerous and varied rights deals surrounding live streaming and live recording of Beggars labels artists globally. Ruth became a Director of Beggars Group UK in 2014 and sits on the boards of Association of Independent Music (AIM), livestream company Driift and Earth Agency.

Sam Denniston

Founder, Verdigris Management

Sam is the founder of Verdigris Management, an independent artist management company that helps artists realise their creative vision. Sam represents a diverse set of artists across a range of genres. From creating global success stories; Jungle and Hot Chip - to breaking emerging artists - Priya Ragu and Smoothboi Ezra - Sam’s passion for integrity and creativity within the music industry has helped him to grow the company from a one-man bedroom-based operation to a team of 10 working over 25 artists, producers and mixers; in just eight years.

Sarah Mitchell

SVP Neighbouring Rights, BMG

Sarah is responsible for running BMG's UK-based neighbouring rights division focused on a boutique roster of clients that includes Coldplay,The Rolling Stones, Roger Daltrey, Amy Winehouse and Jonas Blue, as well as rights included in recent acquisitions such as Primal Scream, Simple Minds and Chris Rea. Sarah has worked in the industry for 9 years, having previously worked at PPL where she was part of the Executive Management team as Director of Membership and Communications, serving a client base of more than 130,000 performers and recording rightsholders.

Sian Eleri

TV & Radio Presenter

Sian Eleri is one of the biggest music tastemakers at BBC Radio 1. Presenting 4-nights-a-week on the station, she shares her love for music across two shows – The Chillest Show, and The Power Down Playlist.

Sian also has extensive experience in hosting live events. Some key career moments include Glastonbury, Proms, Radio 1’s Big Weekend as well as the Welsh Music Prize and the red carpet for the BIFA Awards. She’s also started her own gig night called TONNA’, championing some of her favourite artists.

Sian was named Music Week’s Rising Star in 2021. Her BBC Three series Paranormal is due for release this summer.

Simon Lyon

Brand Manager UK & Ireland, Ableton

Based in Manchester, Simon has assisted artists, educators and music community leaders through his role as an Ableton Certified trainer. Helping to “make music make sense” his role at Ableton is guided by the continual quest to bridge the divide between music educators and artists. Working with both established and emerging talents, Simon primes himself on understanding music technology and how it can help the music makers of today and tomorrow.

Tinea Taylor

Radio & TV Presenter/DJ

Tinea Taylor is currently presenting the KISS Hype Chart on KISS 7-9pm, also heard weekdays on KISSTORY 11-3pm. She has also DJ'd for huge brands such as Gymshark, Guinness, MTV and internationally in Ibiza, Marbella, Malta and Mallorca. 

Tom Schroeder

Executive Vice President, Wasserman

Tom is Executive Vice President at Wasserman and looks after the likes of Disclosure, Fred Again.. and RAYE.

Whitney Wei

Journalist and Critic

Whitney is the Editor-in-Chief of Resident Advisor, and the former Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Beats, the music marketing program of Deutsche Telekom.

Foremost a journalist and critic, Whitney writes about club culture and experimental dance music scenes from around the world. Her words have appeared in The Guardian, Vogue US, Highsnobiety, Pitchfork, and Numéro Berlin, among others.

Will Davenport

Composer, Pianist & Producer

With a strong passion for improving equality and fairness in the music industry, Will works at the Ivors Academy as their Council Coordinator and is the co-chair (and founder) of their LGBTQI+ Council. Compositionally, he has produced music for The Barbican Film Festival, The National Trust and The BBC, and has been described as “one of the most inventive young compositional voices” (Barbara De Biasi, Guildhall School of Music and Drama).

Will Edge

Head of Artist Development, AWAL Recordings

Will is a Senior Marketing Manager & Head of Artist Development at AWAL Recordings, under Sony Music UK. Since joining in 2018, he has gone on to work as global lead for the likes of Jungle, Disclosure, Hak Baker, deadmau5, FKJ, Gabrielle Aplin & now heads up the Artist Development arm of the marketing department, overseeing some of the prospering talent on the roster like Anish Kumar, Tora-i, Tamera, Sarah Crean and Aidan.

YolanDa Brown OBE DL

Saxophonist & Broadcaster, Youth Music Chair

YolanDa Brown OBE DL is the premier female saxophonist in the UK, known for her delicious fusion of reggae, jazz and soul. YolanDa has toured with Diana Krall and The Temptations to name a few.

A broadcaster too – presenting numerous shows for the BBC including her eponymous series for CBeebies, YolanDa’s Band Jam, which won the Royal Television Society NW Awards in the Best Children’s category. She recently announced her new radio show on Jazz Fm which airs every Saturday.

YolanDa was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by the University of East London. A champion for the importance of music education, she strives to bring access to the power of music and joy it emits to young people across the country.