It is my greatest honour to receive the DJ Mag Top 100 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. After 30 years continuous play in the dj business with no interruptions, over three countries and behind the scenes work with labels like Azuli, Defected and Nervous Records, radio with Radio One, 6 Music, Worldwide FM, Reform Radio, Radio FG and a global residency, pandemic streams with Stream GM, Glitterbox, Beatport, DJ Magazine, TV with Granada, Channel 4, MTV and lots of stuff around it with organisations like Meet A Mentor, shesaidso, NCS The Challenge and The Musicians Union it feels good to get a little sunshine. As you can see from this list I haven’t done any of this alone and there are so many people to thank – old and new.
Thanks to my family, Manchester, Paul Cons and Lucy Scher (RIP), The Hacienda, Granada TV (Juice), Radio One (Loud and Proud 1993), DJ Magazine, Gordon Knott, Chris Coco, Mark Ovenden, The Zap Club (Brighton), James Horrocks and Thomas Foley (React Records), Heaven, Caroline Prothero, Anna Goodman, Gladys Pizarro, Judy Griffith, The Ministry of Sound, Nicky Trax, Marcia Carr, Gilles Peterson, Eddie Gordon, Judge Jules, Kiss FM, Ministry of Sound Radio, Mercury Records, Talkin Loud Records, Manifesto Records, Faith, Junior Boys Own, Terry Farley, Stuart Patterson, Azuli Records, Defected Records, Nervous Records, Claudia Cuseta, Maxi records, Kim Benjamin, Miami WMC, DMC Worldwide Magazine, Music Week, Dotmusic, Billboard Magazine, Technikart, Karim Ech-Choaby, Ministry of Sound International Tours, BBCM, David Perusse, Caroline Rousse, Dave Kendrick, Lee Baxter, Charlotte Lions, Didier Sinclair, Ludovic Menard, Le Redlight, Mix Club Paris, Solidays, Technoparade, Radio FG, Antoine Baduel, Xavier Paufichet, Cocoon, FAKE party, Marco Sonke, Daniel Walther, Virgin Radio, Queen Club, Pacha, Space Ibiza, Privilege, Amnesia, Hi Ibiza, Glitterbox, Pikes Ibiza, Kamila Rymajdo, Ant Owen, Reform Radio, Sam Oliviera, Rachel Roger, Jemma Tanswell, Intern Magazine, Ace and Tate, Stamp The Wax, Block 9, NYC Downlow, Gideon Berger, R3 Soundsystem, We Out Here festival, Worldwide Festival, Dekmantel Selectors, Anton Stevens, Hidden, Luke Cowdrey, Justin Crawford, The Unabombers, Homoelectric, Homobloc, Gina Breeze, Will Tramp, Jamie Bull, Chris Massey, Sophie Bee, Katharine Warburton, Natalie Lea, Albert Hall, Albert’s Schloss, Mission Mars, Rowetta, Paul Fletcher, James Masters, Yvonne Shelton, Peter Hook, Sacha Lord, Stream GM, Anz, Red Bull, DJ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, Jaguar, Funk Butcher, Lakuti, DJ Flight, Jamz Supernova, Helena Star, Niks Delanancy, Black Artists Database, Baby K, Manchester University Press, Warehouse Project, Escape To Freight Island, Steve Machin, Nick De Sousa, Tariff and Dale, Tim Levy, Preeti Mistry, the Musicians Union, shesaidso, Cornish Tim, Chris Xtance, Neuron … this is just a very small sample – there are so many more.
I accepted this award on behalf of Manchester – it’s such a rare occasion when anything like this is awarded North of Watford plus I have a sneaking suspicion that I am the first woman (black woman) to win it which makes it even more special and historic. This is also to prove that you don’t have to be an Instagram influencer with millions of followers to make your mark. If you can make a difference, be fearless and make a difference. This is also for anyone who gets knocked down nine times and stands up ten. I see you. And so do they.
For more of the story – I’m finalising the book ‘Welcome to The Club – The Life and Lessons of a Black Woman DJ which will be published in Autumn 2023. Get your pre-orders in… And don’t forget to watch the live set that accompanied the award that was filmed at the iconic Albert Hall in Manchester.
Thank you to everyone who has danced to my beat, listened and watched my shows and followed me on social media. My gratitude is never ending.
On to the next chapter.
