Winner of BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2022 revealed

Alex Green, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Updated

TikTok star PinkPantheress has been named winner of the BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2022 poll.

The 20-year-old singer and music producer, from Bath, was selected by a panel of more than 130 industry experts and artists including Billie Eilish, Sir Elton John, Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall and Ed Sheeran.

She follows in the footsteps of previous winners including Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding and Adele.

PinkPantheress, who has chosen to withhold her real name, began making music under the moniker while at university in London, combining dance music genres such as drum and bass and UK garage with pop and alternative rock.

PinkPantheress
PinkPantheress has been selected as the Sound Of 2022 by a BBC panel of experts (Brent McKeever/PA)

In December 2020, she began uploading clips of her music to TikTok and, 10 months later, the social media platform named her song Just For Me its breakout track of the summer.

PinkPantheress now has more than one million followers and 8.1 million likes on the site and high-profile fans including Coldplay, Grimes and Lizzo.

She said: “Thank you so much! I’m honestly gassed, my dad’s going to be so happy!

“This is kind of the reason I do music – it’s for other people as well as myself. It’s a great feeling and it genuinely does keep me going.”

Second place went to the Isle of Wight art-pop duo, Wet Leg, made up of friends Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, ahead of the release of their debut album in April.

Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball 2021 – Day One – O2 Arena – London
Mimi Webb, who came third, at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball (Matt Crossick/PA)

Canterbury-raised, singer-songwriter Mimi Webb claimed third place after a year in which her music found new listeners on TikTok.

Jack Saunders, host of Radio 1’s Future Artists, said: “It was a fierce year for talent on Radio 1’s Sound of list this year and that shows you the quality of the winner, PinkPantheress.

“Her rise through TikTok came at a time before everyone else had properly realised the app’s potential and she also applied this foresight to her music.

“Stirring a smooth melting pot of UKG, drum and bass and emo, with a good helping of mystery in her persona; everyone wants to be a PinkPantheress fan at the moment.

“She is a pop prodigy and deserved winner of Radio 1’s Sound Of 2022.”

The Sound Of poll started in 2003 and last year Coventry rapper Pa Salieu claimed the top spot.

– The top five artists for BBC Sound of 2022:

1. PinkPantheress
2. Wet Leg
3. Mimi Webb
4. Lola Young
5. Central Cee

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