LONDON COLLEGE OF CREATIVE MEDIA HOSTS THE INAUGERAL MATTHEW KNOWLES SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION AT ITS ICONIC MUSIC BOX VENUE

London College of Creative Media (LCCM) recently hosted the inaugural, grand final of the Mathew Knowles Scholarship competition.

Taking place in front of a sold-out audience at the college’s iconic Music Box venue, five students battled it out to win the enticing prize of free tuition for up to three years of studying. The competition is named after Dr Mathew Knowles, the GRAMMY-Award winning US music executive. Knowles is also known as the mastermind behind the success of Destiny’s Child and his daughters Beyoncé and Solange and he is a visiting lecturer at LCCM. After a show of talented performances and a tight competition, the Mathew Knowles Scholarship was awarded to the postgraduate producer Felix Clarke.

“Winning the Scholarship was a huge honour, a bit beyond comprehension. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to study something I’ve dreamt of my entire life.” On receiving the scholarship from Mathew Knowles, he quipped: “It’s crazy. Destiny’s Child was one of the first CDs I ever bought. It’s come full circle!”

The finalists, India Shinton (producer and performer), Angel Seka (producer and performer), Jevon Langridge (drummer), Opeyemi Martins (music business) and Felix Clarke were judged by a top-tier panel of music experts, Columbia Record A&R Lashawna Stewart and songwriter for PINK, Michael Kay, as well as Dr Mathew Knowles.

Commenting on the scholarship and the grand final, host and LCCM creative industries liaison JD Donovan said: “The Mathew Knowles scholarship was a fantastic year-long initiative, with more than 100 young musicians and applicants putting themselves forward. We showcased some incredible talents and provided an incredible final night of entertainment and positivity. How the judges narrowed it down to two finalists, Felix and India, I just don’t know.”

Elsewhere at LCCM in October, the college hosted its first graduation ceremony since the pandemic. Hosted at Hilton London Bankside’s beautiful “Bankside Ballroom,” with more than 100 students and 300 guests, the ceremony was led by LCCM’s Programme Administration Manager and Master of Ceremonies Andres Castellanos followed by Principal Anthony Hamer-Hodges.

Dr Mathew Knowles also took to the lectern, delivering the Honorary Valedictory speech, having earlier hand signed a motivational letter for every graduate.

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LCCM graduates include BRIT Award winner Tom Walker, and fellow artists and writers Rhys Lewis and Chiara Hunter. Other former students making waves include Marie Dahlstrom, JOY (ANONYMOUS), Sans Soucis (just signed to Decca Records) and Nathan Challinor, the latter for his co-writes with BBC Sound of 2022 finalist Baby Queen. LCCM’s custom-built teaching and artist development facility The Music Box in Central London features a 120-cap entertainment venue and multiple recording studios. Major artists including Kojey Radical, Moses Boyd, Amber Run, Novelist and Kara Marni have spent time rehearsing or recording from The Music Box in recent months, as well as meeting with LCCM students.