BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders has taken Music Week behind the scenes of his award-winning radio show.
In the latest edition of the magazine, the host of Radio 1’s New Music Show spoke about his approach to broadcasting and supporting new music.
Saunders triumphed in the Radio Show category at the Music Week Awards 2025.
With British music riding high once again, the DJ and tastemaker discusses his broadcasting career and ambitions for the Radio 1 show…
Has your first award win made you pause and take stock of your Radio 1 journey so far?
“Massively. I’ve wanted to do this since I was 14 or 15. When you’re that age, all you can think about is being on Radio 1 – that is the goal. When I got there, that was enough for me. I’m doing the show I’ve always wanted to do, so there’s not much more that I can tick off, in that sense. But to be recognised for doing it so well came with an extra level of achievement and satisfaction. To know it’s impacting and having an influential effect on not just the listeners, but also the music industry, is amazing.”
In a previous Music Week interview, you credited BBC Radio 1 head Aled Haydn Jones for affording you the “freedom” to do what you want. What did you mean exactly?
“Radio needs to be more watertight than ever. There’s more music being played, so to be afforded the ability to talk after every song in that environment – and have the freedom to express myself around the music in the way I want to – is incredibly valuable, and I wouldn’t be able to do that anywhere else. It’s huge, and it helps make the show what it is.”
What do you want the show to represent, for artists and the industry alike?
“For artists, I want it to be somewhere they can strive to be a part of. I never want an artist to feel like they don’t have the opportunity to be on the show. For the industry, I want it to be a point of difference. I think the music industry – probably any industry, actually – gets sucked into trends a lot of the time, but those trends are often very short-lived. True success is measured in longevity. What does every artist want? A long, fruitful career. But that doesn’t happen in five years; it happens over 25-30 years, and so it takes time to build. I want the show to be there to support and provide a platform for an artist to spring from.”
How do you think you and the show are perceived by the wider business?
“Well, I think the Music Week Award reflects that it’s a positive perception, first off, and that the industry sees the show as a great platform for showcasing and breaking artists. You’re in a funny position when you do this job – you don’t really hear anyone talk negatively about you because you’re in this supposed position of ‘power’. But I never really see it like that and I certainly don’t wield it in that sense either. The reality of the situation is that we’re all working together. Really, we all want the same thing: for artists to have their moment.”
We make it feel exciting and give people a reason to listen and care about music
Jack Saunders
And when it comes to the artists themselves, what is the key to interviewing them and getting inside their heads?
“It’s about thinking about things from their perspective. It’s almost about thinking and talking about the music as ‘them’. That really helps gain the artist’s trust. Some artists can be a little prickly and difficult to deal with, but there are different ways to win them over. Just like in life, when you’ve found a new group of people, you’re not going to get on with absolutely everyone, but you have to find common ground. So, being flexible with personalities and characters is a very important trait for any interviewer. It’s your job to bring out the best in them and I really enjoy the challenge. I love interviewing; it’s one of my favourite parts of the job.”
What are your on-air highlights from the past year?
“Three come to mind. When Bon Iver came to the UK to begin his press run for Sable, Fable, it was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with any artist. I didn’t have to work to gain his trust because I think the questions that I asked did that straight away. We were on a level immediately, and the interview ended with him saying, ‘If you’re ever in Los Angeles, let me know and we’ll catch a Lakers game together and grab a beer.’ When things end like that, you know you’ve really hit the nail on the head.
“[The second highlight] was launching Jade’s comeback. We did Angel Of My Dreams as Radio 1’s Hottest Record. Everyone had only ever known her as part of Little Mix and I understood the gravity of this moment for Jade. The music was undeniable – we’d been prepped on that by the label – and we knew it was going to be this really big moment. All it needed was to reflect that and give Jade the platform to be able to talk about it. We played it three times in a row and I probably would have played it five if I could have! It felt like such an important moment in her career and really launched her solo moment.
“The other highlight was doing Hottest Record with Fred Again.., Kettama and Shady Nasty for Hardstyle 2. Fred had put an Instagram Story out a few months before, detailing his enjoyment of the show, so we reached out and said, ‘Would there be any chance of you wanting to launch a song as part of your USB002 promo?’ So, three different artists and styles, but all very satisfying.”
It seems pluggers and teams all want to be on your show – why do you think that is?
“Because we do it differently. We make it feel exciting and give people a reason to listen and care about music. Hearing it in the daytime, there’s lots of background listening, but come six o’clock, you’re cooking dinner or you’re on your journey home and you want to focus on something different; all of a sudden, Radio 1’s New Music Show comes exploding through your speakers. I think people are excited to have their artists on our show because we make [their artists] feel exciting.”
My plans revolve around Radio 1’s New Music Show and making sure that continues to be a big centre point in the music industry
Jack Saunders
Would you ever consider moving to an industry role, such as A&R?
“No, no! I think I am an A&R, in a sense, just on the radio. I love entertaining and fading that mic up and talking to over a million people every single night too much to give up and do something behind the scenes. I don’t think I could ever give up broadcasting; it’s too valuable. It’s what I am, and when I’m having a bad day and I walk into that studio and fade the mic up at six o’clock, I instantly feel better. If I didn’t have that, I’m not quite sure how I’d fix my mood if I needed to, or where I’d be able to truly express myself.”
So, what are your grand plans?
“Well, my grand plans all revolve around Radio 1’s New Music Show at the moment, and making sure that continues to be a big centre point in the music industry. There are other ideas flying around for bits outside that could enrich me visually. But those take time and require commitment from other people to get behind and believe in. But we’re getting there, and I think something will happen, which is cool. So, I’m always thinking of ideas, and 95% of them never get off the ground. But that’s what having an idea is – the one that clicks is the one that you need to focus on. Every idea that doesn’t take off brings you one step closer to having the one that does.”
Finally, at a time when the future of the licence fee is being questioned, how would you sum up the importance of the BBC and Radio 1?
“There aren’t many other places in the world that have a publicly-funded broadcaster on the scale of the BBC. It’s a broadcasting network that is for the people in every sense. I think if, God forbid, we lost the BBC, we would be living in not just a different country, but a totally different world. It should be cherished, loved, supported and celebrated, because it has given rise to so many amazing music artists. It would be utterly devastating to lose it on so many levels; that feels almost dystopian. Radio 1 is such a focal point, because the BBC has to keep evolving for its audience. Lose Radio 1, and you lose that tangible touchpoint between the BBC and new generations.”
Subscribers can read the full Jack Saunders interview here.