Up to now Reuel Elijah has already been showcased on BBC 1Xtra for DJ Target, had extensive support via BBC Introducing, he has been playlisted on BBC 1Xtra which made him the first Welsh artist through Horizons Cymru to do so, Reuel also performed as part of BBC Introducing for Radio One's big weekend, and has supported Stormzy in Ayia Napa, Greece.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/44YTyqvJFP13pcXnRqhpXkC/reuel-elijah
Now he has beaten 10,000 other entrants and won Open Mic UK!
Reuel Elijah was crowned champion in front of a capacity crowd and a prestigious music industry judging panel at indigo at The O2 on Sunday 27th January. His original song called “Nah Tek Body” impressed the competition industry judges making him the overall winner of Open Mic UK.
Speaking about the competition, Reuel said:
“Being at Open Mic UK was such a great journey. The stages & platforms we were given really gave us the opportunity to perform at our highest levels, which in return gave us the chance to be open to the biggest amount of exposure possible, and the fact that the grand finale was in the O2 was the cherry on top for me. I loved every second.”
The national singing competition is brought to you by Future Music - the company behind the discovery of so many top UK acts. Artists such as such as Jacob Banks, Lucy Spraggan, Union J’s Jaymi Hensley and Karen Harding have all been previous past winners or participated in the competitions. And of course, the first ever Open Mic UK winner, Warner Music’s Birdy.
Music Industry Judges at the National Grand Final
After impressing the judging panel at the auditions, Reuel battled against more than 10,000 acts that had entered Open Mic UK this year across the UK. He went on to perform in the Open Mic UK live showcases, battling through both Regional and Area Final heats to make it to the national Grand Final.
The judging panel for the Grand Final included:
CeCe Sammy – Celebrity vocal coach and TV judge who has worked with many top names, including Will Young, Leona Lewis, and The Spice Girls.
James Ellet – Artist Manager and A&R Manager at Modest! Management, the team behind One Direction, Little Mix, Olly Murs.
Leon Haynes – A&R Manager at Polydor Records, whose artists have included Girls Aloud, The Saturdays, Take That and Ellie Goulding.
Barney Addison – Head of talent at Syco Music, the record label founded by Simon Cowell.
James Sinclair – A&R Manager at Atlantic Records, who’s worked on albums with Jess Glynne, Clean Bandit and Marina.
Laurence Hobbs – Producer and songwriter signed to Notting Hill and 23rd Precinct Music, who’s worked with many acts including Sam Smith and Pixie Lott.
Jayne Collins – Artist Manager and founder of the very successful pop groups, including The Wanted and The Saturdays.
Chris Grayston – Music consultant for Sony, Thames TV, The Voice.
Open Mic UK Winners Prizes
As well as being crowned ‘UK’s Best on the Mic’, the Reuel Elijah will receive recording studio time to record his album and a video of the best single.
Entries are now open for Open Mic UK 2019.