Kaylee Golding

Radio Presenter

Kaylee Golding is an award-winning DJ and presenter on BBC Radio 1Xtra every weekday afternoon from 1pm-4pm.  She is renowned for her infectious energy and engaging personality, bringing her distinctive "Brummy" flavour to the station. Kaylee is the founder of Hot Girl Brunch, an event designed to empower women and non-binary individuals through a celebration of community and inclusivity. Featuring an all-female DJ lineup, the event creates a safe and vibrant space where attendees can uplift one another while enjoying a lively atmosphere. She is also the founder and host of the On Your Gaydar podcast, which explores LGBTQ+ culture, identity, and experiences, offering a platform for conversation in the gay community.

Pronouns: she/her

Kieran Cullen

Senior Marketing Manager, Insanity Records

Kieran Cullen has over 12 years of experience in the music industry, 9 of them in the Insanity Records marketing department. He began working as a radio plugger, working with Skepta, Lethal Bizzle & Fuse ODG, before moving to Insanity Records as Marketing Assistant, working on the relaunch of Craig David. Now Senior Marketing Manager, he’s currently leading campaigns for Joy Crookes, Tom Grennan, Lost Frequencies, Purple Disco Machine and more. Kieran is passionate about improving socioeconomic diversity in the creative fields and has worked with brilliant organisations like the Creative Mentor Network, Small Green Shoots & Shadow 2 Shine.

Pronouns: he/him

Lauren Kreisler

Director of Brand & Digital, Official Charts

Lauren’s 20-year career in music and media has lead to her current role leading brand and digital strategy for the UK’s Official Charts. Beginning her marketing career during the height of “emo” on Bauer Media’s music and film magazines, Kerrang!, Q, MOJO and Empire, Lauren worked on the digital transformation of The Sunday Times at News UK, and a stint in digital agency land, before a return to music beckoned with an irresistible opportunity to rebrand the British institution that is the Official Charts. Since 2011, Lauren has reinvented the communications strategy and footprint of the Official Charts, building the Official Charts consumer brand from the ground up. Birthing the now-iconic Number 1 Award, adding new weekly charts for Vinyl, Afrobeats, Trending songs, all while creating a new digital media arm of the business with a platform that now sits at Number 1 on Google and generates over 130 million video views annually. 

Pronouns: she/her

Michelle Kambasha

Head of Programmes and Communications, Creative Opps

A communications and public relations executive of 12 years, Michelle Kambasha runs her own company kp. Communications. Clients include: Qazi&Qazi, Claud, aja monet Kara Jackson, Jamila Woods, Madison McFerrin, Simpson, Silas Short, composers Joy Guidry and Sultana Isham and the organisation The Black Curriculum. Additionally, she is the marketing and communications consultant for the Music Education Council - an organisation that exists to diversify music education to include more people from the global majority and disabled people. Previously, she worked for leading independent record label Secretly Group (Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian) and entertainment agency Satellite 414. She also works in journalism, education, and public speaking. She writes frequently for major publications, with by-lines including the Guardian, The Telegraph, The I, The Independent and WePresent. At BIMM University, she teaches the module Diversity in the Creative Industries and frequently hosts, chairs and talks on panels both national and international. She is Head of Programmes & Membership at the youth focussed creative organisation Creative Opps. She sits as a trustee at the Leicester Print Workshop and Working Class Creatives Database. 

Pronouns: she/her

Mimi Brock-Stark

Digital & TV promotions Manager, Your Army

With over seven years of experience in the music industry, Mimi currently leads the Digital and TV department at Your Army, where she specialises in securing impactful TV, digital, and podcast opportunities for a diverse range of artists. She's passionate about championing emerging talent and throughout her career, has worked with a dynamic roster of artists including Victor Ray, Courteeners, Getdown Services, Jessica Winter, Mogwai, Justice, Jade Bird, and many more, supporting their growth and visibility across key media platforms.

Pronouns: she/her

Olly Gunns

Agent, UTA

Olly Gunns joined UTA Music as a Coordinator in 2024. He started his career as an Intern at London nightclub E1 six years ago, before transitioning from Marketing Assistant to Talent Booker. Olly then joined Broadwick Live as Music Booker, working on Printworks and Drumsheds, as well as Field Day festival.

Pronouns: he/him

Phoebe Inglis-Holmes

Radio Presenter & DJ

Phoebe’s no-stone-unturned attitude to new music has led her to present & produce shows on BBC Radio 6music; BBC Radio 1; the BBC Scotland TV channel, & beyond. Phoebe is also the host of BBC Introducing on BBC Radio Scotland every Friday night; a live music booker at independent booking agency 432 Presents; and a member of the board of directors for the Scottish Music Industry Association.

Pronouns: she/they

Charlotte Edgeworth

Chair, Youth Music

Charlotte is passionate about finding ways for organisations to have a positive impact on their communities, their employees and wider society.  Starting her career in marketing and moving through the voluntary sector into Corporate Responsibility, Charlotte has worked across a variety of functions including Social Impact, DEI and Environmental Programmes. She is an expert in strategic grant-making and has led corporate foundations for global FTSE-listed organisations as well as having been CEO of a charity. In 2021 Charlotte joined Sony Music UK as their first Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact. In this role she leads on community programmes, charity partnerships and embedding equitable and inclusive practices across the company.

Pronouns: she/her

Guvna B

Chair, Youth Music

Guvna B is a triple MOBO Award winning rapper, author and broadcaster from London. His album, The Village is On Fire (2023) debuted at number 1 on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Charts, and his sophomore book Unspoken: Toxic Masculinity and How I Faced the Man Within the Man (2021) became an Amazon bestseller. He has presented many documentaries across radio and TV including BBC's Gospel Meets Hip-
Hop, and regularly appears on The Zoe Ball Breakfast show (BBC Radio 4) and Fighting Talk (BBC 5 Live). He also works as a presenter for his beloved West Ham United. Guvna B is widely considered an influential and important voice within British rap music because of his uplifting lyricism and passion to see every young person reach their full potential. 

Adam Brown

Chief Commercial Officer, Access Group

Adam Brown is a passionate music lover and accomplished business leader who believes in music's transformative power. As Chief Commercial Officer at Access Group, he has led over 100 acquisitions since 2012, bringing strategic expertise honed during his time in leadership roles at the technology companies Access, Avid and Sibelius, the latter two developed and sold leading music software products. His commitment to making music accessible extends beyond his professional work - Adam served as trustee for Rhythms of the World for five years from 2009, supporting the successful Hitchin-based charity that ran an annual two-day music festival aimed at making live music accessible to children and young adults. An accountant by training, Adam combines financial acumen with genuine appreciation for the arts. Though he readily admits to having no musical talent himself, he's a devoted concert-goer and loves live music. His experience with music software at both Sibelius and Avid, reflects his commitment to supporting the creative industries that enrich our lives.

Pronouns: he/him

Ifan Davies

Radio Presenter

Ifan Davies is a BBC presenter, producer and prominent Welsh musician and songwriter. As heard on BBC Radio Cymru, Radio 1 and Radio Wales, he brings a creative, bilingual voice to music broadcasting. He hosts a weekly Friday afternoon show on Radio Cymru, where he champions the best in Welsh music. Alongside his work in radio, Ifan is an accomplished performer and songwriter, working on his own musical projects as well as collaborating with other artists - both on stage and behind the mic.

Pronouns: he/him

Kenny Barber

Relationship Manager for Black Music, PRS for Music

Kenny Barber is the Relationship Manager for Black Music at PRS for Music, supporting over 175,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. He works closely with high-profile songwriters, producers, and industry professionals, raising awareness of PRS and MCPS while helping music creators maximize their income and career growth. A former Sony ATV-signed singer-songwriter, Kenny is also Managing Director of Sonitus Music Group, overseeing R&B star Bellah, Grime prodigy RB and a dynamic tour management roster, including Nippa, Bawo, Ragz Originale, Kofi Stone, Fave and AntsLive. Beyond music, he is a devoted father of three who enjoys community football and playing chess in his free time.

Pronouns: he/him

Sophie Williams

Staff Writer, Billboard UK

Sophie Williams is a music writer and broadcaster, born and raised in Cardiff. Formerly the New Music Editor at NME, she began working in journalism at the age of 16, landing her first byline with The Guardian two years later. Over the past eight years, she has profiled the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines D.C., Laufey and Bring Me The Horizon, and has played a pivotal role in supporting the early careers of hundreds of rising artists, including English Teacher and Lola Young. She is now on staff at Billboard UK and The BRITs, alongside her work with the proudly independent Green Man Festival. In a freelance capacity, Sophie currently writes for titles such as The Observer, PRS and Welsh language zine Klust, and is a weekly guest on stations across the BBC radio network. She is also a Mercury Prize judge and a Senior Fellow for the John Schofield Trust, a charity which supports early career journalists in the UK.

Pronouns: she/her

Rachel Hawker

Director of Education, Rocksteady Music School

Rachel Hawker, director of education at Rocksteady Music School, is a professional music teacher and long-term gigging musician. A leading voice in primary music education, she is dedicated to making music more inclusive and accessible for all children. Rachel and her team have decades of experience teaching in primary schools, developing innovative and progressive approaches to help children engage with music in meaningful and exciting ways. Rocksteady is the UK’s largest rock and pop school, teaching 100,000 children through weekly in-school band lessons. It is also the UK’s largest employer of full-time, permanent musicians, with hundreds of music teachers working nationwide.

Pronouns: she/they

Rachel Holmberg

A&R Director, Decca

Rachel Holmberg is the Director of A&R for Decca Records at Universal Music; a role that sees her oversee the repertoire from the frontline roster as well as new signings to the label. Decca is home to world-class musicians including Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter, Aurora, Jacob Collier, The Teskey Brothers, Victor Ray and more. Rachel joined the label in December 2018 as Head of A&R and conceived the Blue Note Re:imagined album series (which features the likes of Jorja Smith, Ezra Collective and Shabaka Hutchings) and recently released Chet Baker Re:imagined – the 3rd in the series. Rachel is responsible for signing Abbey Road’s Artist in Residence Jordan Rakei, artist-composer Isobel Waller-Bridge, indie supergroup FIZZ and dodie to the label.  Having always been passionate about music from a young age and studying Music Production and Music Business at college and degree level, Rachel started out her career in artist management, working with artists such as Jamie Cullum through to Marina and the Diamonds. In 2013, she began working for the BBC and helped lead flagship radio events including Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Radio 2 in Hyde Park and the 6Music Festival. In 2015, she secured her dream role as the Producer of BBC Introducing - eventually progressing to lead the new music initiative by 2017.

Pronouns: she/her

Sarah Wall

Senior Events & Partnerships Manager, PPL UK

Sarah leads on events and partnerships at PPL (the UK's music licensing company for over 140,000 performers and record labels). Activity includes collaborations across the UK as well as further afield, such as at SXSW in Austin (as a partner of the British Music Embassy). Her 20-year career in music has covered artist management, A&R, design and marketing. Before joining PPL, Sarah spent a decade building careers as an artist manager, developing artists from bedroom demos to playlists and stadium tours. Prior to this, Sarah started out as a graphic designer, creating record sleeves at an NYC design studio.

Pronouns: she/her

Tom Ogilvie

Brand Development Consultant, DMS Vinyl

Hailing from the Southwest, Tom is an avid musician, event producer and brand development professional. Managing growth and partnerships for acclaimed global music manufacturer DMS Vinyl, Tom recently spearheaded their successful campaign to raise early awareness of Youth Music’s Rescue the Roots mission. Tom is also a founding director of social enterprise Patchwork Studios, a celebrated grassroots venue and recording studio, and previous recipient of Trailblazer funding. Here he programmes and produces events, from emerging artists seeking their break, to the likes of Groove Armada, Natty, and Haunt the Woods. Having bounced around the scene himself for the past decade as bassist with Land of the Giants, Tom now works across the music industry on productions such as WeOutHere, Rise Festival in the French Alps, and the Woodsies stage at Glastonbury; to name just a few. Outside of festival fields and the DMS office, Tom tours with production companies internationally, all the while attempting to maintain a retro camper-van that’s older than he is.

Pronouns: he/him

Tinie Tempah

Artist

Tinie Tempah joins the YMA 2025 judging panel as a pioneering artist and entrepreneur whose impact spans music, fashion, television and business. Rising to fame with his breakout single "Pass Out" and triple-platinum debut album Disc-Overy, Tinie has earned seven UK No.1 singles, placing him alongside the likes of Michael Jackson in the record books. Beyond his chart success, Tinie co-founded the influential label Disturbing London and launched Imhotep—a creative company spanning music, artist development, TV production, and fashion. He continues to shape UK culture through projects like Channel 4’s Extraordinary Extensions, his fashion brand What We Wear, and food venture RAPS, while mentoring emerging talent behind the scenes.

Pronouns: he/him

Stephanie Cheape

Artist / BBC Presenter

Rising from the unforgettable landscapes of Scotland, Stephanie Cheape weaves stories into melodies that resonate with the heart. An influencer in the music realm with a mass following of a million across Instagram and TikTok, Stephanie has become a positive figure in Scotland leading to her debut as a BBC Introducing Presenter in Scotland putting forward all the best new music talent emerging from Scotland. 

Pronouns: she/her