Berkeley Edwards

Berkeley is the Head of Music and a principal at Clintons – a market-leading boutique law firm. He represents a broad cross section of the most successful musical talent in the UK and Europe as well as advising many emerging artists on the pathways available in the modern music industry.

Bre McDermott-King

Bre is an International Product Manager at AWAL, a record label under Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd. With a passion for marketing, she has worked on a number of global artist campaigns. She is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion, and was previously the Head of Sony Music UK's first ever diversity committee, HUE UK. In 2019, she launched a collective, Women Connect UK, which works to advocate for and provide opportunities for women and non-binary folk in the creative industries.

Pronouns she/her
Favourite pastime Making music!
Favourite book 'Homegoing' by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite scripture "Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5)

Hanna Chalmers

Hanna Chalmers is a senior research practitioner who has spent her career working in, and around the media, tech, music and entertainment industries. She spent nearly a decade at the BBC working with a wide research remit across the youth brands from Cbeebies to BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra. She then moved to Universal Music where she established and led the research and insights practice in the UK. In 2020 Hanna set up CultureStudio Research, a 'culture first' insights practice and collective operating out of London but working internationally.

Favourite place Millport, Scotland
Favourite thing Discovering amazing new artists
Favourite way to relax Reading in a hammock

Paul Bonham

With a background in public funding, diversity and inclusion, music management and professional development, one of Paul’s first paid jobs in the industry was running a Youth Music funded DJ and Rap project in his hometown of Oxford. Paul currently leads the Music Manager Forum's ground-breaking Accelerator supported by YouTube Music.

Favourite superhero Batman
Favourite food Cheese
Favourite plants Cacti

Sarah Brown

Sarah is the national programme lead for children and young people’s mental health at NHS England. With over 20 years’ experience in public sector children’s services, Sarah has been at the forefront of developing and delivering public policy, leading strategic commissioning and driving large-scale transformational change at a national, sub-regional and local level.

Pronouns she/her
Favourite album right now 11 by Sault
Favourite gig Portishead at Brixton Academy
Favourite place North Yorkshire coast

Freddie Aitken

Freddie works in Membership and EDI at London Youth Choirs. He also runs a diy electronic music record label, hosts monthly radio shows, and DJs in his home city of London and around the UK.

Alongside this, he is a member of the first European Music Business Task Force and podcast show host for the Music Cities Network's "Music Industry Voices" podcast.

Pronouns he/him
Favourite album Tongue by Anenon
Favourite biscuit Lemon Puffs
Favourite book The Lemon Table by Julian Barnes

Miri Buac

Miri is a brand strategist and Head of Communications for a not-for-profit membership organisation. She has worked with an array of consumer brands and charities leading on creative and behaviour change projects. She’s passionate about youth culture, helping people share their lived experiences to influence societal change or help increase opportunities available to individuals and communities.

Over the years, Miri has worked on the launch of Apple Music, implementing programmes with Sport England, Youth Sport Trust, and national governing bodies, and even whipped up a media storm(zy) about Youth Music.

Pronouns She/her
Favourite album Dave, Psychodrama
Favourite food Pickles
Happy place Glastonbury

Sam Denniston

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.

Pronouns He/him
No. 1 favourite My family
No. 2 favourite Track days
No. 3 favourite Sold out shows at Brixton Academy!

Nathifa Jordan

Nathifa Jordan is the Business Director at CultureMix Arts, a not-for-profit music and carnival arts organisation based in Berkshire. She is an experienced creative with a demonstrated history of working with young people in music related activities.

Nathifa has a degree in Sociology from the University of Surrey and is passionate about education and personal development. She leads the facilitation of business training, work experience, careers advice and mentoring making a positive difference to the lives and futures of many young people. Through her work her mission is to help empower young people to achieve their ambitions and further develop prospects for careers in the music and creative industry.

Pronouns She/her
Favourite instrument Steel pan
Favourite fruit Red grapes
Favourite season Summer
Favourite book Animal Farm - George Orwell

BICEP

Electronic music duo BICEP have been hailed by the BBC as “one of the biggest names in UK dance”, and continue to cement themselves as one of the defining global electronic acts of our times. Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson have supported Youth Music since 2018, and in 2019 we appointed them as Ambassadors. BICEP have raised over £20,000 for Youth Music.

"We've found working with Youth music an incredibly inspiring process! Year on year we're always blown away by the talent they help foster. It's been an amazing journey to have been a small part of that!”

Eve

Eve is a GRAMMY, Daytime EMMY, BET and MTV Video Music Award winning artist. She served 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 2002.

“When I was approached by Youth Music to be involved in some capacity it was a yes without question. Growing up in Philadelphia without access to music would have changed my path in life, music is essential to all walks of life, so I am thrilled to be an ambassador to Youth Music.”

Jess Iszatt

Jess Iszatt is the host of Radio 1’s flagship BBC Introducing show; where she champions and showcases the talents of unknown and emerging music artists. Jess is at the very cutting edge of music, always looking for that rising star. 

“I am excited to be joining Youth Music as an Ambassador. Music is at the centre of my life and brings me so much happiness and escapism. Music can influence children and adults in so many ways and everyone should have the ability to access it. I can’t wait to start working with Youth Music and the young people they help every day.”

MNEK

Grammy award winning, BRIT and Ivor Novello-nominated artist/producer/writer MNEK, has clocked up an astonishing fifteen years in the music business. With over 4 BILLION streams on MNEK written, featured and produced tracks, he has grown to become a true powerhouse within the British pop world.

"Very excited to announce that I’m a 2024 Youth Music Ambassador. I went to last year’s awards and from that moment, being able to see the talent that was there, and what Youth Music were doing for young talent, I knew instantly that I wanted to be an ambassador for this year.

As someone who has been working in the industry since I was 14, I know how important it is to acknowledge talent from a young age, hone in on it, sharpen your knife, and it’s great there are charities like this that can advocate for that and I’m happy to be involved.”