Norwich rapper and producer Context has been crowned winner of MTV’s Brand New For 2012 unsigned competition, joining Clement Marfo and Charli XCX on the channel’s hotly tipped list.
It’s the first time an unsigned artist has been included in MTV’s annual new music shortlist and Context was chosen from more than 2,500 unsigned acts who entered the contest last November.
Context’s winning song Listening to Burial caught the judges and public’s imagination, and follows previous track Off With Their Heads, which boasts a cameo appearance from Ed Sheeran.
Drawing on dubstep and hip-hop influences, Context’s music is inspired as much by the low-key Bristol sounds of Portishead and Massive Attack as London-based producers such as James Blake and Burial. He has also been compared to Mike Skinner's The Streets.
The final MTV Brand New For 2012 shortlist includes; singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and R n B producer Angel, electro-goth artist Charli XCX, Clement Marfo & the Frontline, Delilah, BBC Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka and US blog hit Lana del Rey.
Voting has now opened to pick a final winner from MTV’s 12-strong list, and the results will be announced on 1 February. For more information, visit www.mtv.co.uk/brandnew.
To read M’s Sounds of 2012: Tastemakers’ Tips Revealed article, click here.
MTV's Brand New Unsigned competition was powered by social media analysts Musicmetric and the winner was decided by taking fans’ online response to each artist into account.
Matt Cook, Director of Talent and Music Programming, MTV UK said: 'We've broken new ground this year with the inclusion unsigned acts in our Brand New for 2012 campaign - and the ability to measure and analyse online buzz was critical to our selection process.'
It’s the first time an unsigned artist has been included in MTV’s annual new music shortlist and Context was chosen from more than 2,500 unsigned acts who entered the contest last November.
Context’s winning song Listening to Burial caught the judges and public’s imagination, and follows previous track Off With Their Heads, which boasts a cameo appearance from Ed Sheeran.
Drawing on dubstep and hip-hop influences, Context’s music is inspired as much by the low-key Bristol sounds of Portishead and Massive Attack as London-based producers such as James Blake and Burial. He has also been compared to Mike Skinner's The Streets.
The final MTV Brand New For 2012 shortlist includes; singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and R n B producer Angel, electro-goth artist Charli XCX, Clement Marfo & the Frontline, Delilah, BBC Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka and US blog hit Lana del Rey.
Voting has now opened to pick a final winner from MTV’s 12-strong list, and the results will be announced on 1 February. For more information, visit www.mtv.co.uk/brandnew.
To read M’s Sounds of 2012: Tastemakers’ Tips Revealed article, click here.
MTV's Brand New Unsigned competition was powered by social media analysts Musicmetric and the winner was decided by taking fans’ online response to each artist into account.
Matt Cook, Director of Talent and Music Programming, MTV UK said: 'We've broken new ground this year with the inclusion unsigned acts in our Brand New for 2012 campaign - and the ability to measure and analyse online buzz was critical to our selection process.'
