Loyle Carner

A musician, writer, director, producer, entrepreneur and actor, Loyle Carner first emerged with 2013’s A Little Late EP, and has since forged a signature blend of unflinching, diaristic lyricism with ambitious, genre-disruptive sounds. His debut album, 2017’s Yesterday’s Gone, untangled personal experiences of grief, and the pressures of coming-of-age; 2019 follow-up, Not Waving, but Drowning, further showcased Loyle’s ability to set lithe rap against old-soul wisdom. A cathartic turning point proved to be 2022’s hugo: a taut, textured exploration of Black identity and anger, which also secured his second Top 3 album. Having been twice shortlisted for the Mercury Prize - and scored further BRIT and NME Award nominations - Carner has earned an impassioned worldwide following, with 1.1B streams, campaigns with global brands (YSL, New Balance, Nike) and sold-out shows including Alexandra Palace, Wembley Arena, Eventim Apollo, O2 Academy Brixton and Royal Albert Hall in his beloved London hometown alone.  This journey climaxed in a headline appearance at All Points East’s 35,000 capacity Victoria Park last summer, which hopefully ! emerged in the wake of.

Sunlight streaming through the window, hopefully ! signals a new era in which Loyle Carner continues to push the boundaries of his art (and himself). A passionate advocate around his experiences of dyslexia and ADHD - notably founding the Chilli Con Carner cookery workshops - last year he received an honourary doctorate from UAL in recognition of his powerful rise thus far. He was also recently confirmed to make his acting debut in Mint, a BBC drama from BAFTA-nominated Scrapper director Charlotte Regan, with further exciting visual projects to follow. In an always-unpredictable career, Loyle Carner’s work has remained as affectingly personal as it is uplifting and universal. Now a decade in, his impact has never been clearer: the same local hero, now rightly regarded as one of the UK’s most vital voices.