The music industry gathered to honour Jamal Edwards MBE at the MITS Award last night (November 7th).
The music mogul started SB:TV with a basic camera gifted to him by his mother, but the channel grew to become one of the most important platforms in British music. Helping to launch everyone from Stormzy to Ed Sheeran, SB:TV entertained countless millions around the globe, with Jamal continually reinvesting back into the communities and culture that he grew up alongside.
Sadly, Jamal Edwards passed away earlier this year, and he became a posthumous winner of the MITS Award – Music Industry Trusts Award – at a moving ceremony in London’s Grosvenor House Hotel last night (November 7th).
Mother Brenda Edwards accepted the award, flanked by her daughter; Brenda read a poem specially written for the ceremony, before commenting:
“I want to say thank you to Dan and Toby and the MITS Committee for acknowledging Jamal with this prestigious award. It’s been a real honour to hear so much great talent in one room. I’m overwhelmed and Jamal would be blown away by tonight.”
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Guests included BRIT Award winning artist Jorja Smith, who performed acoustically in front of awed guests. Mahalia also performed, and offered words of tribute to Jamal Edwards – who she first met as a precocious, unsigned 13 year old vocalist.
Mercury winner Little Simz closed the evening, a punchy performance that honed in on the joy Jamal Edwards brought to people’s lives. She commented onstage: “We’re gonna have a party in here and celebrate this man, everything he’s done and everything he’s accomplished. He was a go-getter, someone that had a vision… This song makes me feel like that…”
Guests included Enny, Pete Tong, Eliza Rose, and Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan, Linda Robson and Jane Moore.
Co-chair of the MITS Award committee, Toby Leighton-Pope says: “It was an incredibly special room to be in tonight with the music industry coming together to honour Jamal Edwards. Thank you again to the Edwards family for accepting the MITS award on his behalf, and to Little Simz, Jorja Smith, Mahalia and Max Cyrus for their spectacular performances. We’re proud to continue to raise funds for the MITs charities, The BRIT Trust and Nordoff Robbins and to, this year, donate funds for The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust.”
Fellow co-chair of the MITS Award committee Dan Chalmers adds: “We are very humbled to award this year’s MITS to Jamal Edwards. He was a visionary – brilliantly creative and ahead of his time, making space for rising stars and talented artists, launching so many impressive careers. Thank you to his family for their involvement and to the amazing artists who helped make tonight so special. We hope both Jamal and SB.TV’s legacy can live on and help inspire future generations.”
For more on the MITS Award visit the website.
