BBC Radio 1’s Brit List in 2018
Chris Price
Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra
Since launching Brit List in February, Radio 1 has offered a platform to nine emerging British artists that showed the potential to connect with mainstream audiences in the UK and internationally. Anne-Marie, Declan McKenna, J Hus, JP Cooper, Sampha, Stefflon Don, Stormzy, The Amazons and Tom Walker all received a three-single playlist commitment, accelerating them to the Radio 1 ‘A list’ over the course of their debut campaigns.
On top of this playlist commitment, we have worked closely with each artist to build other editorial opportunities such as Live Lounge performances and iPlayer programmes – watch out for the ‘Home Turf’ series launching in December with Anne-Marie, Declan McKenna and The Amazons. The first six Brit List acts were all invited to perform at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Hull, and happily five were able to join us, Stormzy on the Main Stage.
We’re delighted to have played a part in all of these artists’ success stories, highlights of which include a number one album for Stormzy and a Mercury Music Prize win for Sampha. In fact, Sampha, The Amazons and JP Cooper’s debut albums all landed in the Top 10, and there have been numerous hit singles for the likes of Stefflon Don, J Hus, Anne-Marie and others. All nine Brit List acts have been able to build their live plot with Radio 1’s help too.
So I’m very pleased to say that Brit List will continue into next year, and I’m thrilled now to open a submission window for our first three artists of 2018 – guidelines below. Note that, as with the second round announced in June, we have dropped the original requirement that applicants must not have an album in the market. All artists – signed or unsigned – are welcome to submit, as long as they are not widely known to mainstream British audiences.
Brit List is about supercharging the campaigns of emerging British artists at just the right tipping point in their career - a long-term partnership aimed at accelerating progress from ‘20 to 100’. The next three successful applicants, like the first nine, will have enjoyed some success already. The guidelines here are there to help you decide when to pitch. The submission window for the next three Brit List acts closes at 5pm on Friday 24th November.
Good luck!
Chris Price, Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra