Jamal Edwards, the head of music and youth lifestyle channel SBTV, has received an MBE in the Queens’ New Year’s Honours list.
At 24, Edwards is one of the youngest people to ever receive the honour. He started the channel in 2006, documenting the UK grime scene and going on to work with the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Chipmunk and Tinchy Stryder. The site has recently posted exclusive performances from Jake Bugg, Ed Sheeran, Banks and Clean Bandit and Edwards has an estimated personal fortune of £8 million.
Writing about the accolade on Facebook, Edwards – who is also an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust – commented: “I’m honoured to be one of the youngest people awarded with an MBE on this years New Honours list. Never in a million years did I ever think I would receive such an accolade. For me this is about us the YOUTH, with so much negativity around us it’s hard sometimes to stay positive and fight for your dreams.”
The self-made millionaire added: “I am over the moon to be honoured for my contributions to music, honestly people anything is possible if you stay dedicated. I was forced to carve my own path, taking an untraditional route, part of a digital culture rewriting the rules & breaking down barriers. Growing up I’ve always had a passion for music, I’m privileged to be able to work with singers, rappers & MCs & talented people in general and be able to provide a platform for them to be heard.”