Day: 2 August 2022

What an incredible night at the annual GRM Daily #GRMGala

GRM Daily is a platform that started in 2009 just after other online music platforms like SBTV and LinkUp TV and to date have over a 5million subscribers on YouTube.

GRM Daily (stands for “Grime and Rap Music”), they were formerly called Grime Daily, and they are a British black/urban music outlet and entertainment platform.

It’s also an outlet celebrating and amplifying UK rap and its various genres, such as UK drill, afroswing, trap, and British hip hop. The platform also serves electronic genres such as UK garage and grime.

GRM Daily produce news, interviews, music videos and other top quality content covering UK rap, drill, grime and popular culture.

The annual GRM Awards-The Rated Awards, and now the annual GRM Gala are two of the most coveted events to be at for young pop culture and black excellence talent. Their cocktails list is my favourite thing as it’s always based around the music, genre and artistic talent.

This years GRM Gala was hosted at Kensington Palace HRP Kensington Palace!

So many people encompassing excellence were in the room, from music stars, actors, social media stars, online content creators, new music acts, legendary old skool UK music acts – it was a great turnout!

There were so many people there, just some of those i spotted and spoke to included actor Daniel Kaluuya, presenter and broadcaster Maya Jama, music manager Kwame Kwaten, George The Poet, presenter and broadcaster ZeZe Mills, musician and author Wretch32, musician and actor Kano, multi-media broadcaster Julie Adenuga,music stars Krept & Konan, 0207 Def Jam UK Co- President Alex Boateng, actor and musician Ashley Walters, A&R at 0207 DefJam Char Grant, musician and producer Shystie, Lethal B, George The Poet, Ivorian Doll, Michael Dappah and so many more.

It was a stunningly affluent room!

Slay In Your Lane authors Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinene were regal.

DJ Pretty Hoodh showed me how to work the camera for the must-do whizzy digital tech camera excitement

The evening was full of great music, the MOST superb fashion looks, breathtaking Kensington Palace gardens and green twinkling lit archways, a heaving red carpet, a string quartet, delicious #GRMgala cocktails, a cigar bar all sponsored by Meta and HennessyAu VodkaRed Bull

I loved the string quartet on the outdoor platform facing the Kensington Palace gardens.

Here there were cigar bars, and cocktail barsSo much fun was had by everyone including @MayaJama Julie AdenugaEddie Kadi @KwajoHousing and ZezeMillz People were congratulating each other on all their various achievements this past year

It was all smiles for @kreptplaydirty @konanplaydirty @AmieDibba @yomiadegoke @lizuvie Irene Ttya

The guys looked so dapper in a variety of textured black tie suits, velvet blazers, yacht deck shoes, pastel suits…

Here are some of them including GRM#GRMgala founder @PostyOfficial Daniel Kaluuya @buckotb @femioyeniran and more

Music industry key players like @DjFirestarr Kwame Kwaten and Jade Richardson were chatting, laughing and dancing up a storm.

The string quartet was competing with the dj’s, the chatter and the sparkle from so much gold guest energy…..

The Kensington Palace gardens location is so pretty! All I could do was imagine Princess Diana wandering around here years ago…and now it was hosting the black cultural excellence brand that is the GRM Daily #grmgala

#LoveIsland2022 contestant ( and my pal Tonia Buxton daughter) Antigoni obviously didn’t mind missing the Love Island Final as she was having the time of her life with friends.

TV/radio presenter Snoochie Shy was rocking her white Crocs

The gardens, the food and the fashion at the 2022 GRMDAILY #GRMgala were stunning

One of the bespoke unique elements I love about the GRM events is the beautifully crafted, blown up, stunning photo prints of the cultures key faces, which are always dotted around the venues.

Here are a few images by the professional photographers!

Until 2023 – it’s a wrap!

Congratulations to all who continue to champion, contribute and raise up black excellence!

Thanks for continuing to allow me to be a guest at your table – One Love!

So, onto the 2nd event of July 30th 2022!

After our amazing first half of the Day at the Lux Afrique Polo , we travelled across the country nearly 100 miles, to get to another fabulous party

….. it’s often described as the media party of -well -I would say the year….. but it’s every two years….. and it’s the fab party hosted by my two first ever genius bosses in television – the bosses of Planet 24 – who created genius TV like the Big Breakfast, The Word, Survivor and more….and has a guest list of media folk, a sprinkle of politicians, actors, arts talent, family, friends and neighbours!

A beautiful farm all in the country , with fields for camping, fields covered with bands and dancing people.

Fields filled with giant haystacks and a fairground with carousel, bumper cars, big wheels , ghost train, karaoke, ferris wheels, ice cream vans and a hot air balloon!

Other fields with karaoke…. outdoor areas with swimming pools, indoor areas with swimming pool and pizza oven, limitless good and drinks catering and a hot air balloon and just lovely friendly people!

We hung out having fun until 3am – at 2am we were still on the dodgems – and then camped in their field before breakfast was served on the lawn at 9am.

We stayed overnight and camped with silk pillows, cashmere blankets and we had breakfast on the lawn this morning with yoga stretches and stunning views of hills and fields dotted around with giant Bale’s of hay….(so we also had some hay rolling fun)…..before we drove back home 100miles to London… what an incredible weekend

A magical day surrounded by wonderful, talented, generous people.

It was just incredible -🔥🎶👏🐴💃🎬🎂🍾📸

This past weekend three of my favourite annual events all happened in the same 72 hour period!

1- Lux Afrique Polo

2- Charlie and Waheed’s summer country home party

3 – The GRM gala

My squad and I packed up the cars with our favourite pillows, blankets, wet wipes and emergency croissants for a 200 mile #GirlsTrip 

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Firstly it was the annual #LuxAfriquePolo where we were be treated to two polo matches, black opera, carnival dancers, drummers, camels, super cars, summer cocktails, african music, food and fashion!

#LuxAfriquePolo is created by my friend Alexander Amousu. We met when we were kids. Me on MTV/ ChoiceFM, and he had created the R&B Ringtones brand.

Then over the years when I was at MTV, he created excitement by manufacturing gold threaded suits, gold plated phones and tablets and more. He is the king of luxury energy, events and vision! For all his consistent vision, entrepreneurial spirit and putting so much African culture on the British map, I think he deserves an honour – MBE incoming surely!?

My fave- the author and presenter Yomi Adegoke – won the best dressed competition in hot pink!

He’s created his Lux Afrique Polo event over the past 5 years and it’s grown to be a coveted event every summer, bringing together crowds who are celebrating black cultural excellence with mouth watering food, delectable cocktails and more.

The one thing that every event planner now values is numerous photo opportunity spots across the location and Lux Afrique is no different.

The live performances were hosted by my friend, former tap dance partner (when we were kids at the Stratford Theatre Royal), and TV presenter (one of my presenters at MTV Base) – Kat Boyce!

Also in the platinum area was Michael Pussey- otherwise also known as DJ CK Flash and the man who founded the Peckham BMX Club which has nurtured and developed world class Olympians like Kye White.

Performers included Singer Shola Ama and my favourite – Pegasus Opera Company.

For almost thirty years, Pegasus Opera Company has been the home for singers, composers, instrumentalists and directors predominantly, but not exclusively, from diverse African and Asian heritage.

Established in South London and grown from solid and credible roots, they still work out of their home in Brixton. The Company has held true to their founder Lloyd Newton’s credo of ‘harmony in diversity’. They have inspired many to love opera; and they celebrate the music of rich African, Asian and Caribbean diasporas whilst weaving into the fabric of the British performing arts, using creativity to challenge and advocate for positive change.

The food at #LuxAfriquePolo was mouth watering!

– 4 super talented chefs cooking up an African infused culinary storm for the platinum VIP guests 

BIG UP Victor Okunowo, Elody Kolden, Vivian John, and Louis Ashok!

The Ferraris, camels, helicopters, ponies galloping, stunning black women in high end unique African fashion, bespoke cocktails and a great atmosphere continued well into the evening, but we had to leave at 4pm to make an 80 mile ride for the second event of the day – Charlie and Waheeds (my first TV bosses), country summer party.

I remember when black and brown people used to leave their cultural identities at the door, but now we all joyously embrace our various global backgrounds, cultures and traditions. In that spirit, many guests wore traditional African outfits and the effect was a spectacular community of colour, energy and spirit!

Good Morning Britain producer Funmi Olutoye- who was once upon a time a trainee, training in TV Production with me at Media Trust looked glamorous!

Congratulations Alex, on another year of bringing people together proudly showcasing heritage, culture and unity!

#LuxAfriquePolo #african #polo @luxafriquepolo @alexamousu @luxafriquepolo