BBC announces a complementary season of programming across its channels inspired by the opening exhibition at V&A East Museum.
Across TV, radio, iPlayer, Sounds and online, the BBC will reflect and celebrate some of the key genres, personalities, scenes and music that define the last 125 years of Black Music in the UK through a variety of bespoke content and programmes. The season will begin in April and run throughout the summer and beyond.
The project has been shaped in collaboration with the V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition which celebrates the important contributions of Black British music to the UK’s cultural landscape. The BBC has provided access to archive materials and is releasing a season of content across its channels, inspired by the exhibition, highlighting the profound influence of Black British music both nationally and globally across a range of genres.
Highlights include a special Radio 2 show ‘The Music is Black on BBC Radio 2’, staged at the iconic Hackney Empire featuring the Chineke! Orchestra alongside the LJ Singers, directed by Chris Cameron. The show will explore a mix of genres from Funk to Soul and UK Garage with special guest appearances.
BBC Radio 6 Music will shine a spotlight on Black Music scenes, movements and creators across the UK’s dancefloors with special Rave Forever shows broadcasting every Friday in August. In addition, presenters including Jamz Supernova (Saturdays, 1pm-3pm) and SHERELLE (Saturdays, 11pm-1am) welcome special guests across the month to share their reflections on the history of Black British music from the 80s to the present day.
Other highlights include an in-depth visual and audio DJ mixtape, curated by Shortee Blitz and Beat A Maxx for Radio 1Xtra and iPlayer, celebrating 100 years of UK Black music, as well as a bespoke Gospel performance from the world-renowned London Community Gospel Choir for BBC Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 4’s Daily Service, recorded at V&A East Storehouse in East London for Black History Month. BBC Radio 3 will also reflect Black History Month, spotlighting music by Black British composers and performers, including a brand new Radio 3 commission and a new three part Music Matters series.
In addition, BBC Bitesize will be launching a series of resources for secondary school teachers celebrating the contribution of Black Music makers from the 1900s to the present day. These classroom films will cover everything from the popularity of jazz in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s to the evolution of UK Garage and Grime and Stormzy’s headline stage performance at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival, all developed in collaboration with the V&A.
From April to November, East Bank will host The Music is Black Festival at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a major new addition to London’s international cultural calendar. The Festival encompasses an eight-month season of events: four co-curated summer weekends of live music and performance between June and September. It brings together the collective talent and innovation of East Bank’s core institutions and partners with programming led by V&A East, BBC Music Studios, UAL’s London College of Fashion, Sadler’s Wells East and UCL.
This special season of programming across the BBC will be available from April on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds and from the dedicated webpage, www.bbc.co.uk/themusicisblack, which will be available from 8am on Tuesday 14 April and will contain archive pieces as well as all the latest content.
The Music is Black marks the BBC’s unparalleled commitment to reflecting, representing and serving diverse communities across the UK, providing value for all.
Lorna Clarke, Director of Music says: “BBC Music is committed to showcasing and supporting the widest possible breadth of British Music, and this continues with our partnership with The Music Is Black launch. Across TV, radio and digital we have a fantastic range of dedicated programming to excite and inform audiences, celebrating the impact of Black British music and its enduring influence on today’s musical landscape. We are pleased to be collaborating with V&A East Museum on this significant project.”
Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of V&A East said: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with the BBC on this incredible season of programming and education resources, inspired by our inaugural exhibition at V&A East Museum. We look forward to working together to celebrate 125 years of Black music-making in Britain with audiences across the UK, and to tell this important story, not just for Britain and British music, but for Black artistry globally.”
Programmes set to feature in The Music is Black, with more to be announced soon.
TV & BBC iPlayer
BBC One
Morning Live
Morning Live will be showcasing a range of content, including viewers’ stories about what the different music genres and tracks mean to them.
The One Show
The One Show will take an exclusive behind the scenes look at the statement fashion pieces shown in the exhibition and explore the changing fashions of black musicians through the years.
Songs of Praise
To celebrate the V&A exhibition “The Music Is Black: A British Story” BBC Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 4’s Daily Service will be recording bespoke Gospel performances from the heart of the collections hall at V&A East Storehouse in East London. The world-renowned London Community Gospel Choir will be joined by very special guests and a live band. The songs recorded in collaboration with BBC Religion & Ethics Radio will feature in a special episode of Songs of Praise for Black History Month in October and across Radio 4’s Daily Service.
Mastermind
As part of The Music is Black season, there will be a special interactive Mastermind play along quiz available online at www.bbc.co.uk/themusicisblack. The quiz invites music lovers to test their knowledge of Black British music, blending the excitement (and tension) of the iconic Mastermind format with real questions from the series, as posed by host Clive Myrie, alongside a few new questions. Players can choose between two levels of difficulty: Easy mode with multiple choice, and for those who dare, we have Mastermind mode, no multiple choice, no mercy. It’s a chance to put your musical knowhow to the test.
BBC Two and BBC Four
A curated celebration of British Black music will air on BBC Two and BBC Four as part of the season, including iconic live performances and documentaries from the archive as well as new compilations showcasing British Black Music at the BBC through the years.
BBC iPlayer
A specially curated collection featuring new and archive content relating to and inspired by the season will be available on iPlayer from Saturday 18 April. This will include titles like Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande, 8 Bar: The Evolution of Grime, Rudies Come Back: The Rise and Rise of 2 Tone and Labi Siffre – imagine… and performance pieces including the new ‘at the BBC’ compilations.
BBC Radio & Sounds
Special programming and podcasts will be featured under a dedicated collection on BBC Sounds titled The Music is Black.
BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network will host an intimate live event celebrating the creative crossover between Black British artists and classic Asian beats. Curated by Newham born tastemaker and DJ, DJ Limelight, who is known for championing emerging talent, the night will bring together artists delivering exclusive freestyles over legendary Asian instrumentals, highlighting the sounds that shaped the UK’s underground scene.
BBC Radio 1
Radio 1 will celebrate Black music and culture with a series of special programming across the year, including a night spotlighting sound system culture, rap, hip hop and D&B on 12 September, hosted by Jeremiah Asiamah and Kenny Allstar. The celebrations will also include a dedicated show hosted by Vick Hope and a Live Lounge special with Rickie and Melvin, showcasing a curated selection of standout performances which will be available to watch on Radio 1’s iPlayer channel.
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra will kick off their celebrations for The Music Is Black with a special mixtape, The Music Is Black Mixtape – 100 Years of UK Black Music. Mixed by DJs and producers Shortee Blitz and Beat A Maxx, the 60 minutes programme will celebrate 100 years of UK Black music, featuring over 200 artists and tracks. The audio and visual mixtape will cover key genres from Soul to Grime, Lovers Rock to Garage and Funk to 2 Tone, and will feature key personalities, stars and songs that defined, and continue to define UK Black Music including music from So Solid Crew, Jamelia, Lethal Bizzle and Little Simz. The programme will be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds from Sunday 12 April and will broadcast on Radio 1Xtra later that week.
DJ Target will also perform at the launch event for The Music Is Black: A British Story at V&A East Museum with highlights from the night broadcasting in his show on Radio 1Xtra after the event on Thursday 16 April (7pm-9pm)
In October, Radio 1Xtra will reflect Black History Month with special content and programming across the network including special music mixes and playlists.
BBC Radio 2
The Music is Black on BBC Radio 2, live at the Hackney Empire, Sunday 28 June, 8-10pm.
Presented by Trevor Nelson and DJ Spoony, featuring the Chineke! Orchestra
BBC Radio 2 and Hackney’s very own Trevor Nelson and DJ Spoony will host a very special show ‘The Music is Black on BBC Radio 2’. Live at the Hackney Empire, this unique music experience stars Chineke! Orchestra alongside the LJ Singers, directed by Chris Cameron. Our musical mix explores the sounds and irresistible grooves of Funk, Soul, Lover’s Rock, 2-Tone, Jazz and UK Garage. Joining Chineke! on stage are a lineup of legendary British singers including Alison Limerick, Elisabeth Troy, Rhoda Dakar and saxophone legend Courtney Pine.
Their playlist will be packed full of classics from the past 5 decades including Back to Life, Crazy Love, Flowers, Children of the Ghetto, Can You Feel The Force, Where Love Lives, Let’s Do Rocksteady and You to Me Are Everything, spanning the best loved sounds for successive generations of Black British music lovers.
The Music is Black on BBC Radio 2 will be available on BBC Sounds from 22 June, and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 28 June (8–10pm). Tickets to the special event are on sale now – for more information, please visit bbc.co.uk/radio2events.
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 will be marking the occasion with content across the schedule. On Saturday 18 April, Saturday Morning will cover the opening of The Music is Black: A British Story exhibition at V&A East Museum, exploring classical artefacts and their connections to Black musical heritage.
To mark Black History Month in October, daytime programmes will spotlight music by Black British composers and performers, including a brand new Radio 3 commission and Jazz Record Requests and Round Midnight will feature Black British artists. On 4 October, Music Matters presents a new three part series, with more details to follow.
Throughout the year, Radio 3 will continue to celebrate the work of Black composers in Composer of the Week, including dedicated focuses on Fela Sowande (w/c 24 April), Florence Price (w/c 11 May), Miles Davis (w/c 25 May), and more.
The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Chris Cameron will also present The Music is Black: Live, a landmark collaboration with the V&A and Friday Night is Music Night, celebrating the impact of Black British music on British culture.
BBC Proms, London Orchestras & Choirs
The BBC’s London Orchestras and Choirs will collaborate with V&A East’s Learning team to offer a Professional Development session for secondary teachers focusing on The Music is Black. The filmed session will be available as a digital resource. In Autumn, a BBC Young Composer workshop brings together young people interested in developing their own music, and the content will be linked to the exhibition, helping to open up the competition to a wider range of young composers.
BBC Radio 4
Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe host a recording of Add to Playlist, Radio 4’s award-winning weekly music programme, in front of a live audience at V&A East Museum. Joined on stage by top British musicians, they dissect five key tracks of Black British Music from the past 125 years, finding surprising musical connections along the way. The programme will be available on Friday 14 August, 7.15pm.
BBC Radio 6 Music
Every Friday in August (7am-7pm), in partnership with The Music is Black, BBC Radio 6 Music will shine a spotlight on Black Music scenes, movements and creators from across the UK’s dancefloors with Rave Forever.
Each Friday will celebrate a different decade – the 1980s (7 August), 90s (14 August), 00s (21 August) and 10s (28 August), with presenters championing pioneering Black British artists and DJs, as well as unsung heroes, and bringing listeners a mix of new and archive guest mixes. Expect to hear lovers rock, dub, reggae, two-tone, UK house, jungle, techno, trip hop, UK garage, dancehall, bassline, dubstep, grime, UK funky, UK hip-hop and much more. In addition, presenters including Jamz Supernova (Saturdays, 1pm-3pm) and SHERELLE (Saturdays, 11pm-1am) welcome special guests across the month to share their reflections on the history of Black British Music from the 80s to the present day.
The season will conclude with 6 Music’s annual All Day Carnival on Monday 31 August (7am-7pm) – an on-air celebration of sound system culture during the Notting Hill Carnival weekend, featuring guest mixes and more.
BBC Children’s and Education
Bitesize for Teachers
Bitesize for Teachers is creating resources for secondary schools celebrating the contribution of Black British music makers, spanning the period of 1900 to the present day. Our classroom films cover composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the popularity of jazz in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the musical impact of those who arrived in Britain following World War Two, the growth of home-grown British musical styles like Lovers Rock, the evolution of UK Garage and Grime, their use of modern technology and independent media to Stormzy’s headline stage performance at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival.
BBC Local
BBC Local Radio is helping to celebrate 125 years of Black music-making in Britain.
As part of a BBC-wide initiative, Local Radio will shine a spotlight on the regional roots of eight genres of black music featured in the V&A East Museum exhibition, exploring what these sounds meant to the communities where they were created and how they shaped local identity.
From skanking to 2 Tone in Coventry, to raving with jungle and drum and bass crews of Bristol and London, BBC Local Radio will take listeners back to the UK’s regional roots of black music across all 39 stations.
We’ll tell these stories through the voices of the artists, fans and community members who were there and the people who helped define these scenes and keep their legacy alive. Audiences will also be invited to share their own memories and experiences.
Coverage will run throughout the summer, from June to August, coinciding with Carnival season and adding an extra layer of celebration to the storytelling.
BBC Scotland
BBC Introducing in Scotland will curate four 30-minute programmes where regular guest Mobo Agoro joins presenters Phoebe I-H and Stephanie Cheape to celebrate black creatives making music across Scotland today.
BBC Wales
BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru will both be marking the season with content in their schedules.
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle will be delving into the archives to play past performances across station’s daytime schedule and specialist music content, featuring everything from jazz and hip-hop to soul and house music.
BBC Northern Ireland will also celebrate the current scene and new artists establishing their name through BBC Introducing.
BBC Introducing is delighted to be working with V&A East Museum, celebrating the opening of The Music Is Black: A British Story by hosting a BBC Introducing stage at the launch event featuring three of the most exciting up-and-coming artists from across the UK. On the night, there will be special performances from Welsh rapper Mace the Great, Indie Soul duo MRCY from London, and alternative R&B singer Becky Sikasa, winner of BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year 2025. BBC Introducing is proud to be a part of this landmark exhibition by shining a spotlight on the bright future of Black British music.
BBC archive images will feature in The Music is Black: A British Story exhibition with additional audio, footage and images from the archive being featured across BBC content and programming.
GD2
The collaboration has been established through the BBC partnerships department, with the project led by Faron McKenzie, working with the team at the V&A.