Kojey Radical Honored With Trailblazer Award at Billboard U.K.’s Inaugural 40 Under 40 Event

Billboard U.K. hosted its inaugural 40 Under 40 honors event Wednesday (Oct. 7) in Salford to celebrate the young industry leaders shaking up the U.K music scene.

Taking place at Media City, just outside of Manchester, the invite-only ceremony honored the chosen executives for the first-ever Billboard U.K. 40 Under 40 list. The list celebrates talent from across major music institutions, including labels and distributors, management, publishing, streaming companies, the live business, rights associations and more.

The event also saw Kojey Radical, one of the U.K.’s most eclectic and forward-thinking rappers, become the recipient of the Trailblazer Award. His emotional speech was followed by a set from local indie band Bank Holiday. 

During the afternoon’s opening remarks, Billboard U.K. editor Thomas Smith praised the honorees’ “new ideas and new approaches in the way we work.” He continued: “I truly feel like the difference makers in our sector are in this room. The sector thrives on innovation and fresh thinking.” 

“The same old ways of working are gone … so how can we set new standards and encourage and uplift one another? That’s why I love this list; to give young, dynamic people their flowers while they’re still in development phase. Bringing this honors event to Beyond the Music feels like a perfect fit between a shared goal: inspiring the next generation.”

Bev Craig, mayor of Greater Manchester, also delivered a rousing speech celebrating what it meant to see the event — which formed part of the Beyond the Music industry conference’s official programming — take place in Manchester, and her goals for the region’s sector.

“The challenge is to make sure that the world that we’re trying to create is one that treasures creativity. One that gives room for it to grow and space for it to thrive,” she said. “And I say this as a kid from a council estate; we need to give people the opportunities to be able to rise to the top of their game,
no matter their background.”

She continued: “I think there’s a chance for us to kick off a conversation here that is different, one that is special, but one that helps us shape the future and doesn’t just accept our old ways of working.”

Kojey received the Trailblazer Award following a blockbuster 2026. The artist sold out London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall in the spring and released his second LP, Don’t Look Down, which will compete in this year’s Mercury Prize ceremony in Newcastle on Oct. 22.

“Receiving the Trailblazer Award feels particularly emotional because being a trailblazer isn’t about knowing where you’re going,” said Kojey while accepting the award. “Maybe, sometimes, it’s just having enough faith to keep walking when there is no clear path.

“And I definitely didn’t walk it alone,” he continued. “I had a lot of help and a lot of belief from a lot of people in this room and I am totally grateful for that. There are people that believe in me: my family, my friends, my team. Every collaborator that gave me this place to be strange, ambitious and curious, sometimes all at the same time. And the people that have listened to the music and bought a ticket, shared the work … you’ve given me permission to keep going.”

He concluded: “Thank you to Billboard U.K. for recognizing not just the music, but the whole journey, because for somebody who spent a lot of his life being told directly and indirectly to ‘pick a lane,’ there’s something incredibly meaningful about being honored for refusing to. And to everybody on the [Billboard U.K.] 40 Under 40 list, congratulations.”