Punch's 2025 Rewind: 7 Highlights & Stories Behind the Year
#1 collaborations & partnerships
“2025 has definitely been one to remember for me at Punch...
We spent 2024 bringing LEGACY to life, and in May this year we finally made it happen - bigger than any of us first imagined. What started as plans for a 25-piece orchestra with a handful of rap artists grew into a 75-piece orchestra and 25 of Birmingham's most renowned rappers, including Jaykae, Leshurr and MIST. True to the nature of the music and the art, there were a few surprises along the way; we even managed to up the ante with a second show at London’s Southbank Centre, and the feedback was incredible. Seeing local rap icons perform alongside Birmingham’s world-renowned orchestra genuinely felt legendary.
Another huge moment for me was Equalize, mainly because of its impact. Equalize was a research project delivered as a School Holiday Camp, commissioned by Westminster University and Young Sounds. They asked us to bring to life a camp that would help gather evidence for why Black and Electronic Music should be included in the national curriculum. It was a real eye-opener for me and the team. As a parent, I know how important good school holiday provision is, but knowing that the work happening in that camp could influence education on a national scale was genuinely inspiring, and it will definitely shape my work going forward.
I also want to give a nod to our growing relationship with ACM. This year they collaborated with us on Community Routes and Equalize, while also welcoming a second recipient of the Punch Records Scholarship.
I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved this year - in music, in art, and in removing barriers to entry for anyone in the region with a passion for the industry.”
- Nikki Riggon, Head of Programme
#2 audience connection
“It’s great to celebrate and reflect on some of this year’s big wins such as 1.5 million+ views across social media, 100+ talented young people supported, 11,000+ attendees across 15 events (with five completely sold out), and countless other highlights. But for me, the real magic came from connecting with the humans behind those numbers.
LEGACY at Birmingham Symphony Hall felt like the truest reflection of the city I’ve ever seen. Grime fans beside Classical lovers, tracksuits next to shirts and ties, gun fingers next to finger clicks - and every single person was connected - screaming, singing and cheering as loud as the next. The city was celebrated, history was made, and the audience made the night feel that extra bit unforgettable.
We also met an exciting new wave of emerging talent through our development programmes. We typically work with young people aged 18-30 on projects such as Community Routes and Gallery37, but Equalize opened the door to a younger group, so we visited secondary schools across the city to recruit. After each presentation we asked, ‘Who wants to take part?’, unsure what to expect, until a sea of hands shot up. It fills me with excitement (and a bit of relief) to see so many school-age young people eager to explore Music and the Creative Arts.
My most touching moment of the year also came at Equalize. During the final sharing, I turned around briefly and caught the eye of a parent with tears streaming down her face - so proud of her child. Moments like that remind me exactly why this work matters.”
- Bradley Morrison, Head of Marketing & Communications
#3 pr & activations
“This year has really shown me how powerful partnerships can be in bringing creative projects to life. One of my biggest highlights was leading the Ayetian tour campaign. Working with MyBlaqbook in particular felt like a turning point, not just because of the incredible results, but because it reminded me how impactful it can be when the right partners come together around a shared vision. Seeing our campaign stretch across national magazines, brand collaborations, BBC1Xtra and KISS FM interviews, and even a pop-up with ChipnJerk made the whole experience feel bigger than a marketing plan.
I also found myself really enjoying the work I did around brand partnerships more broadly. With the LEGACY tour, for example, I loved being able to build genuine relationships with influencers and companies who truly understood what we were trying to achieve. Creating content, finding new angles to tell the story, and reaching audiences we might not have reached otherwise reminded me why this type of work matters so much within this industry.”
- Sannah Sajid, Digital Marketing Co-Ordinator
#4 supporting local artists & creatives
“Some of my highlights of the year have been Legacy and the Parlay A&R academy.
Legacy was a really inspiring project for me as I got to see artists I have listened to since I was a teenager, perform their songs live. The way that Birmingham showed out for their city was very inspirational to me and gave me a feeling of determination to keep pushing the Birmingham narrative further.
As well as this, the Parlay A&R Academy has been a really big highlight for me, to see other female creatives in the music scene that want to pursue a similar career to me. Being introduced to women who are also doing the things that I aspire to do has been really important not only in terms of connection to more people in the industry but learning from their experience and getting their full attention to ask whatever we wanted about the industry we are all interested in has been really helpful. This is a programme that I am very grateful to be a part of.”
- Anusha Chandra, Content Creator
#5 sold out shows
“The highlight of my year is easily the Ayetian tour.
It was my first time tour-managing independently and although there were many lows along the way, none of them outweighed the highs.
Being able to navigate the challenges on my own, watch the vision come to life, and see the product of what the team worked so hard to create was incredibly rewarding.
The connections I made throughout the process and the friendships that came with them are genuinely priceless.”
- Lamar Riviere, Creative Producer
#6 investments
“The highlight of my year has been securing substantial investments from a number of partners to help sustain the work we do.
Small arts organisations operate in a precarious landscape, and securing vital financial resources is essential to support the communities we represent and the practitioners we employ.
I’m proud to have played a part in making this possible.”
- Fahmida Choudhury, Insight Producer
#7 audience & Label growth
“Our partnership with Belly Deep has been pivotal in helping shape a bold new Black sound including Afro House, Tribal House & Amapiano - building space to support and advance new Black audiences.
At the same time, Parlay has entered its second phase of growth, which has forged exciting new partnerships with the likes of Absolute and label signings such as A Class, marking a major step forward in the evolution of the label.”
- Ammo Talwar MBE, CEO & Founder
