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Nicola Ward (from the Supergroup - 'Dont Stop Believing')Nicola Ward (from the Supergroup - 'Dont Stop Believing')Nicola started singing aged 4 at a karaoke event in Florida and it soon became apparent that she was born to perform and at 16 she enrolled at The BRIT School where she obtained a BTEC in Dance.

After finishing her course, Nicola started to audition for singing and dancing competitions. One of her early auditions was for Popstars: The Rivals – the show that propelled Girls Aloud to stardom.

After impressing the judging panel throughout the auditions, Nicola was selected as part of the final 10 girls to compete in the live shows for a place in the final group. Sensationally before the live shows were to begin, Nicola pulled out of the competition, ultimately giving up her chance to be part of the group.

Nicola now reflects on this as the worst decision of her life and states there isn’t a day that goes by when she doesn’t regret the decision she made. It was a decision influenced by her then partner who did not want her to take part in the show.

Nicola was replaced by Nicola Roberts on the show who went on to become one of the five members of Girls Aloud. Nicola says her dad Eddie is constantly ribbing her when he sees Nicola Roberts on TV and in the papers and she wants to prove him wrong and be able to show him that she has finally made the big time.

After Popstars: The Rivals, Nicola starting singing locally. She went on tour with Girls Aloud as a support act with girlband ‘Cookie’.
She has been in various girl band line ups over the years but has so far been unsuccessful in finding the right vehicle for her talents.

For more details about Nicola and the show 'Dont Stop Believing' visit http://dontstopbelieving.five.tv/news/nicola-ward

KATE NASH - At the ‘i-Tunes’ Festival July 6^th

ATHLETE - Have a singles collection out in the autumn, with a November/December tour lined up.

ROX - Memoirs album receives positive reviews in the August issue of MOJO magazine

FEMI OYEWOLE - Has recently returned from New York after completing the DV8 Physical Theatre International Tour with ‘To be straight with you’.

THE KOOKS - Perform at The Falls Music Festival in Australia in December/January.

GEMMA BASS WILLIAMS - Currently completing her Masters in Dance Performance and has been identified as an emerging dancer of note

NOISETTES - Perform at the Lovebox Festival on July 16^th at Victoria Park London

DANE BOWERS - Releasing new single, ‘All She Needs’ this week.

SARAH JONES - Now works in production development for Vandal Eyes Media

LENNY BROWN & DEXTER HERCULES - Have been offered places at Berklee College of Music in the USA, they are both now trying to get funding.

SHANE CUSACK, KEMAL DEMPSTER and ABBY GOODWIN - Are all part of the Britains Got Talent group of dancers as well as working with Pixie Lott

KATIE MELUA - New single ‘A Happy Place’ out on July 26^th, latest single ‘The Flood’ is at No. 2 in the club charts

ROX - First album ‘Memoirs’ now out , tour commences on June 17^th and covers the UK, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Norway, Germany and Switzerland. Performs on the Hyde Park bill on June 26^th.

CHLOE BLACKWELL - Performs at Ronnie Scotts on July 27^th; she is now working with Neil Ferris and writing and recording demos with Andy Chatterley & Nerina Pallot.

ROXANNE TATTAI (AKA ROX) - Featured in the February issue of MOJO & will be performing at the Jazz Café on February 8th as part of the HMV Next Big Thing Tour

JOE WORRICKER - Featured in the February issue of MOJO

QUENTIN CLARE (conductor) - April 3rd conducts Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’ in Nancy;  April 29^th-May 9^th tours Austria & Hungary conducting Ravel, Poulenc & De Falla; June 15^th conducts Elgar, Rachmaninov, Wagner and Britten in Nijmegen; October conducts Britten & Handel, December 16^th & 18^th conducts Brahms, Korngold & Strauss in Lieden

THE KOOKS - At present in the studio working on their third album

ALEX GAYLE - Has been headhunted by Bloomberg from the FT to head up their new Customs Events division and has now moved to New York

THE BRIT SCHOOL - will be featured in the Weekend section of the Telegraph on Saturday January 16^th.

For the second year running, the Kickz programme, which gives 12-18 year olds the opportunity of positive activity in their community through professional football clubs, has been given a boost to its music programme by The BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the British recording industry trade body BPI.

As a result, hundreds more young people attending Kickz projects in challenging communities across the country will soon benefit from the powerful combination of music and football.

Six innovative schemes linked to Kickz projects - delivered by Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Brighton and Hove Albion, Millwall, Oldham Athletic and Southend United - are the latest beneficiaries of the partnership between Kickz and the BRIT Trust.

The BRIT Trust offers young people the opportunity to enhance their lives through music. This makes it a perfect fit with the award-winning Kickz programme, whose primary partners include The Football Foundation, Premier League, Metropolitan Police and other police forces across the country. Through the power of football, Kickz aims to ‘build safer stronger, more respectful communities, through the development of young peoples’ potential.’

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive of the BPI and trustee of the BRIT Trust said:

“Music and football are really important to young people and we’re delighted to be working with Kickz and the Football Foundation to give young people in disadvantaged communities access to better facilities, equipment and mentoring – and to discover the positive role music can play in their lives.

“Record companies – like football clubs – invest heavily into new talent every year and give thousands of young people the chance to pursue a career doing something they love. Whether it is Leona Lewis at the top of the US charts or three British clubs in the Champions League semi-finals – Britain is outstandingly successful at music and football.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said:

“One of the main reasons that Kickz has been such a success is the strength of the partnerships that underpin its development and delivery. So it is excellent news that the Brit Trust have pledged to continue to play their important part, funding innovative music sessions at many of the projects. Football and music connects with young people and this powerful combination is being used to make a major difference in areas that need it most.”


The BRIT Trust’s new grants are helping a diverse range of music projects, all addressing young people’s needs in their local communities. This ranged from Blackburn Rovers combining South Asian and Western musical genres to help break down racial barriers in the community, to Millwall’s ‘It Kickz’ project, which gives young people the chance to work with a variety of experts including guitarists, drummers and DJ’s, as well as getting music industry advice from other music professionals such as sound engineers, researchers and project coordinators. Many of the projects give the opportunity for young people to gain qualifications and even perform on the radio, or at professional football club stadia.

The overall initiative builds on the work that football industry and UK record labels already do to invest in young British talent. On the football side, clubs’ academies identify and develop young talent, leading many players from grass-roots through to the top of the professional game. In the music world, record labels perform a similar role; discovering and nurturing new artists and helping them to achieve their full potential. The BRIT School (a free state performing arts school, partly funded by donations from the BRIT Trust) provides training in a range of professional skills in the music world, and has taught many successful artists such as Adele, Leona Lewis, Katie Melua, the Kooks and The Feeling.

The first Kickz club to benefit from Brit Trust grant were Manchester City, whose project participants will soon be performing their positive lyrics to a crowd of 5,000 people in Manchester. Their headline track "Why Music?" describes how football and music can be 'ways out' for the majority of young people who, unlike the media often portray, would rather give something positive to the community than join a gang.

The annual music awards show took place at Earls Court on the 20th February; all of the proceeds from the show benefit the BRIT Trust. At the BRIT Awards Launch in January we announced that over £1.65 million had been donated to the Trust. To find out all the gossip from the show go to www.brits.co.uk

Amy Winehouse has been nominated for 3 MOJO Awards

Following her success at The BRIT Awards 2007 former BRIT School student Amy Winehouse goes on to receive 3 nominations at this years MOJO Awards.

On the 18th June Amy will be in the running to win the gongs for Song of the Year, Best Album and Best Live Act.

See the full nominations list at www.mojo4music.com

The annual music awards show took place at Earls Court on the 14th February; all of the proceeds from the show benefit the BRIT Trust. At the BRIT Awards Launch in January we announced that over £1.5 million had been donated to the Trust. To find out all the gossip from the show go to www.brits.co.uk