[News] BBC Sound of 2014 Winner Announced

Each year, the BBC rounds up a list of who they think are going to be the big names in the year. They do this by asking a vast range of 170 UK tastemakers including DJs, critics and bloggers to choose just three acts they believe will leave a big mark on the year to come. Previous winners include Adele, Haim, Ellie Goulding, Little Boots and 50 Cent. This year I was kindly asked to take part, and the list put forward by myself and the other pundits was an eclectic mix of genres and artists across the board. The longlist can be seen over here, but today, the winner was announced as the 21-year-old singer, Sam Smith. He made his mark on 2013, when in May, he appeared on Naughty Boy's huge number 1 single "La La La" along with Disclosure on their track, "Latch". I've got to say I've been excited by him since I first heard his voice. It's damn unique and oh so soulful. 

He's set to release his debut album, In The Lonely Hour later in the year but for now, props to him and let's see if his year is as big as expected. You can pick up his EP Nirvana on iTunes now.

The full top five:

1.      Sam Smith

2.      Ella Eyre

3.      BANKS

4.      Sampha

5.      George Ezra

In the coming weeks, myself and Kibbe will be picking our personal top picks of who to look out for in 2014 and why we're pretty damn excited for the year ahead in music. Watch this space.