The British R&B/soul scene has grown exponentially over the last few years, as is evident in our annual list of emerging talent. When we first launched the series in 2016, it was fair to say that the scene, while growing, was only operating at a local, underground level. Fast-forward to 2020, and many of the singers that have been featured have broken through and achieved mainstream success—not just in the UK, but globally—which is a true testament to the talent that's coming through each year.
It was only recently that four Brit-R&B/soul acts were climbing the Top 20 of the Billboard R&B Chart simultaneously, with Tiana Major9, Mahalia and Ella Mai (from our 2019, 2018 and 2017 lists, respectively) being joined by soul singer Samm Henshaw. Aside from this success in the world's leading music market, of course there have been many highlights on home soil too. Since 2016, there's been plenty of chart success and an overabundance of recognition from The BRITs and annual BBC Sound poll, for the likes of NAO, Mabel, Izzy Bizu, Jorja Smith, RAYE, IAMDDB and Ray BLK, which only paves the way for the next crop of rising stars.
Here are 10 new names you need to know in 2020 and beyond.