UK music industry grieves SBTV founder Jamal Edwards, who has died aged 31

Tributes are being paid this morning to SBTV founder and entrepreneur Jamal Edwards, who died yesterday aged just 31. 

Jamal's mother, comedian and Loose Women panelist Brenda Edwards, confirmed that her son died following a sudden illness. 

"It is with the deepest heartache that I can confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness," she said in a statement. 

"Myself, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the centre of our world."

Thank you for everything🙏🏿❤️ words can’t explain pic.twitter.com/24zqPJoW5X

— SANTAN (

@Santandave1) February 20, 2022

Jamal was perhaps best known for founding media platform SBTV, designed to provide a platform for emerging UK talent, which was fundamental in helping share up-coming urbans artists, and especially the genre of grime, to an entire global audience. 

SBTV's launch as a YouTube channel was instrumental in helping acts such as Dave, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Emeli Sande in gaining some of their first big breaks, many before being signed to major label deals.

Due to his work for the UK music industry, Jamal was awarded an MBE aged just 23 in 2014 for services to music. 

As such, tributes have flooded in to the businessman following the news of his passing, lead by rapper Dave, who said: "Thank you for everything, words can't explain."

AJ Tracey added: "RIP Jamal Edwards, West London legend status."

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A post shared by Clara Amfo 💛 (@claraamfo)

RIP Jamal Edwards. Giving God thanks that you did what he sent you to do ❤️ So many of us owe our careers to you bro. Thank you for everything pic.twitter.com/ZXkz1dqJvB

— George The Poet 🇺🇬 (@GeorgeThePoet) February 20, 2022

Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfro posted on Instagram, saying that Jamal "was fuelled by nothing but a pure and truly admirable passion for the culture he LOVED.

"A passion that launched a platform that set the levels for many of the UK outlets we enjoy today and introduced millions of music fans to their forever artists. His legacy is real.⁣⁣"

Rita Ora added: "the belief you had in me and so many of us before we even believed in ourselves. I’m devastated. No words can describe how grateful I am to of been in your presence."

"So many of us owe our careers to you bro," George the Poet said. "Thank you for everything."

Jamal Edwards' passion for spreading the word on underrepresented UK music and its brightest talents helped birth the careers of some of our country's biggest stars. His legacy will live on in the music he helped to reach the widest audience possible, and he leaves behind a music industry undeniably changed by his passions. 

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