Jamaican-Irish rapper JayaHadADream has described winning the 2024 Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent Competition as “completely surreal,” speaking to NME. In beating eight acts to triumph at Pilton’s Working Men’s Club, the Cambridge-born artist has earned a £5,000 PRS Foundation development prize, as well as a spot on one of the festival’s main stages alongside Coldplay, Dua Lipa, SZA, Shania Twain, IDLES, The National and Disclosure, among others.
“It feels completely surreal also heartwarming and reassuring. There are so many emerging artists doing amazing things, so to feel this seen and heard in such a busy climate is incredible, especially in hip-hop where women are so underrepresented,” said Jaya. She added that the funding would be crucial to help her take the next step in her career.
On the line-up she’ll be joining, Jaya noted: “We’ve got a lot of idols and favourites on there, so we’re just really excited to be sharing a space with them.” During the final, the rapper performed two tracks, which included her latest single ‘Force’, tackling issues of growing up in deprived areas and inspiring young people to keep going despite adversity.
“No matter your circumstances, everyone has the power to draw strength from their struggles,” noted Jaya, who started making music at 16. For the Emerging Talent Competition, eight acts made it to the final, with runners-up soul artist Caleb Kunle and singer-songwriter Nadia Kadek each receiving a £2,500 Talent Development prize from the PRS Foundation. All eight finalists will also be awarded a slot at this year’s festival.
Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis spoke to NME back in 2022 about the Emerging Talent Competition, which has long been a journey for new artists. “There’s been such a shortage of live music and new bands have really suffered as a result. So to be able to offer something really solid and give an opportunity to play at the finals and potentially at the festival is really exciting,” she said. “The new music side to the festival is something I’m really passionate about and I love opening that up to the new talent.”
Jaya is excited to showcase some surprises and featured artists at Glastonbury 2024, which will run from 26 to 30 June. She is also confident that she will bring something new and unique to the sound at the festival
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