Sounds of Success: December 2024
We’re incredibly proud of all the BIMM students and graduates who are making waves in the music industry.
Our Sounds of Success series is all about highlighting the achievements of these wonderful people. This month, we’ve seen prestigious awards, massive tours, and even a Eurovision announcement!
Toshín open for Gregory Porter at Cork Jazz Festival
Toshín, a six-piece band led by frontwoman Tosin Bankole, made several appearances at Cork Jazz Festival this year. They opened for Gregory Porter twice, at Vicar St in Dublin and Cork Opera House, and finished the weekend by supporting Staples Jr. Singers.
Earlier in October, Tosin presented the fourth installment of BIMM Tastemakers FM—you can catch the episode here.
Elisha Djan’s work with Le Pub earns her an MVT award
Elisha Djan, who studied Events Management at BIMM, recently received Music Venue Trust’s Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Music Award. The award recognised her hard work for The Paris House (Le Pub) in Hove. Elisha urges others to support the charity:
“MVT works tirelessly to protect, secure, and improve UK grassroots music venues for communities and emerging artists. Support their mission however you can!”
Five BIMM students feature in Home of Happy’s Artist in Residence album
Students across all BIMM colleges submitted their tracks for inclusion on the Home of Happy x BIMM album, released in November 2024. Comprising five innovative compositions, the album features four students/graduates from BIMM London, plus another from BIMM Brighton. Available via BMG’s music library, the tracks may end up being synced to adverts, films or TV shows—exciting stuff!
Isabel Torres tours Australia with Declan McKenna and Two Door Cinema Club
BIMM London Popular Music Performance graduate Isabel Torres has been smashing it lately as Declan McKenna’s guitarist. She has just returned from Australia, where Declan was on a co-headline tour with Two Door Cinema Club. Check out Isabel’s latest Instagram post to see how it went.
BIMM students help run Manchester’s Un-Convention music conference
At the end of November, 10 BIMM students helped to deliver the 112th Un-Convention showcase and music conference in Manchester. They were responsible for accreditation, speaker liaison and stage management, and one of our alumni even helped manage the event. We also saw performances from various BIMM students and alumni, including Hungry, Moss Side Sauna Club, and Phoebe Green.
Karum Cooper wins big at the UK Festival Awards
BIMM Bristol alumnus Karum Cooper (Webmoms) is not just an artist—he is also Director and Production Manager of Burn It Down Festival, an indoor alternative festival that takes place in Torquay. His amazing work was recognised at the UK Festival Awards, where Burn It Down won the prize for Best Metropolitan Festival.
A Eurovision star in the making?
We’re beyond proud of BIMM London graduate Adam Pavlovcin (Adonxs), who will represent Czechia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. We very much look forward to seeing him on our screens in May.
Hope James receives award for expert artist management
Since graduating from BIMM Brighton, Hope James’ career has gone from strength to strength. After a couple of years working at Northpole Management, she landed a job at Atlas Artists and became Artist Manager for singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri. At the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards, run by the Music Managers Forum, Hope won the Secret Weapon Award, which recognises someone who has made invaluable contributions within a management company. Congratulations, Hope!
Jamie Porten manages RY X’s European tour
After studying Event Management at BIMM Bristol, Jamie Porten spent a couple of years working at festival sites across the UK. His career reached new heights when he took on the role of Tour Manager for Australian singer and musician RY X. The tour spanned 17 dates across iconic venues in Europe, including the Compensa Concert Hall in Lithuania, the Sala Apolo in Barcelona, and the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan.
From star-studded performances to exceptional events management, BIMM students and graduates continue to blow us all away with their achievements.
For more inspiring stories about our BIMM community, head to our Alumni and Student Success page. Keep an eye out for next month’s edition of Sounds of Success, where we’ll share all the exciting things our students and alumni have been up to.
