Tanisha Edwards Leads SBTV’s 20‑Year Celebration and Talent Hunt
SBTV marks two decades with a comeback of freestyle formats and a star‑studded O2 show, while sister Tanisha Edwards steers the platform forward.
SBTV celebrates 20 years of shaking up the music scene, and its sister‑run revival promises fresh talent and a nostalgic live show.
In 2006, pioneering DJ and entrepreneur Jamal Edwards founded the grime and rap platform SBTV after receiving a camcorder for Christmas and filming friends on his west‑London council estate.
The channel, launched in YouTube’s early days with homemade videos, quickly became a springboard for emerging artists, later helping launch the careers of Dave, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Skepta.
By age 23, Jamal was a multimillionaire and was awarded an MBE in 2014 for services to music. He died aged 31 in 2022 of cardiac arrhythmia following drug use, sparking a flood of tributes.
Now, as SBTV marks its 20th anniversary, the platform is reviving some of its freestyle formats in the hope of discovering a new generation of rappers.
Tanisha Edwards, Jamal’s sister, has taken over as CEO. A singer‑songwriter and producer herself, she says the platform must remain curated by music lovers amid algorithm‑driven listening.
“I know how it feels as an artist and trying to put yourself out there and break through those doors,” she explains. “So I think it’s very key to still have a platform that does want to help up‑and‑coming talent, that does want to go to places on the map that you wouldn’t mainly really go to.”
To mark the milestone, a one‑off show at London’s O2 arena will feature early SBTV stars Tinie Tempah, Lady Leshurr and Tinchy Stryder, alongside Dappy, Headie One and Ms Banks. The concert will raise money for the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust.
Rapper Nolay voiced support, calling Jamal a “catalyst” in her career and a friend, pledging to back any tribute to his memory.
With Tanisha at the helm, SBTV aims to keep its founder’s spirit alive, offering a platform where new voices can be heard beyond the reach of streaming algorithms.
The upcoming O2 event and the revived freestyle series signal a bold step toward that goal, ensuring the legacy of SBTV and Jamal Edwards endures for another generation.
