The Cover Turns 1: NME Marks One Year of Championing Emerging Talent On The Cover with a Month of Celebrations, Including Parties in London and Singapore
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM; 1 MAY, 2024 – Today, NME (nme.com), announces a month of celebrations to mark the first anniversary of its flagship new music editorial property, The Cover, with parties in London and Singapore, and a wealth of new multi-channel content that further reflects NME’s unparalleled commitment to showcasing emerging talent.
The Cover Turns 1 is a month of celebrations that will look back at the incredible new talent NME has championed on The Cover in its first year, with new content that includes Life Since The Cover (exploring milestones artists have hit since their cover debuted), Cover To Cover (cover stars on cover stars) and Behind The Cover (a behind the scenes look at the creative process).
As part of The Cover Turns 1, NME will host two exclusive celebration parties. The Cover Party: Singapore Edition will take place at music retailer Swee Lee Clarke Quay during Branded’s CreatorWeek on May 9th, with whom NME and Swee Lee’s parent company, Caldecott Music Group, have formed a strategic partnership, aligned with their collective ambition to elevate the region’s most promising emerging musical talent. At the heart of CreatorWeek is the 19th edition of Music Matters and Music Matters Live, with highlights including the CreatorWorld Conference, Music Matters Live, Learning Matters music & creator academies, and the It’s A Girl Thing festival for young women.
The Cover Party: London Edition will be hosted at music retailer Dawsons on the iconic Denmark Street in collaboration with Outernet London on May 29th. Outernet’s unrivalled screens will showcase all 50 editions of The Cover, behind-the-scenes artist videos, and exclusive images from the cover shoots – demonstrating the diversity of NME’s cover talent to music fans at scale in the heart of London.
Relaunched on May 29 2023, The Cover is dedicated to championing the most exciting emerging artists on earth and connecting them with NME’s global audience of millions of music fans. From soon-to-be superstars to the unsigned and DIY heroes making waves in their respective scenes, all have a place on The Cover. Artists to have appeared on The Cover since its rebirth include BandLab break-out d4vd, K-pop megastars ENHYPEN, Brit Award winners The Last Dinner Party, and Icelandic-Chinese sensation Laufey.
Meng Ru Kuok, Group CEO & Founder of Caldecott Music Group, added, “We are immensely proud to celebrate the first anniversary of The Cover in both London and Singapore and excited to bring our brands to life across the globe in two of our newest experiential destinations – Dawsons Soho and Swee Lee Clarke Quay. As a group headquartered in Singapore, our mission and responsibility as owners and stewards of such iconic and storied brands is to expand and further showcase the rich diversity and creativity of the emerging artists that we champion, giving them a meaningful platform to connect with fans in every corner of the world.”
Holly Bishop, Chief Operating and Commercial Officer at NME Networks says: “NME is the ultimate destination for new music discovery. Nothing is more important to NME than elevating emerging global artists and connecting them with music fans worldwide. The Cover is central to that mission, and in its first year has been critical in helping emerging artists cut through and find those new audiences. We’ve focused on championing artists that truly reflect trending global music scenes and the diversity of NME’s audience, with every single cover shot by NME – from Towa Bird in Nashville to ENYPHEN in Seoul, Royel Otis in Sydney and Wasia Project in London – we’ve been around the world and back again uncovering the best new talent. We can’t wait for year two of The Cover.”
Philip O’Ferrall, Outernet Global President and CEO, said: “New talent is the lifeblood of the music industry – it’s that simple. NME has championed emerging artists since day one and with The Cover they have taken it to an unprecedented level. Music is an integral part of what Outernet is about from the new venues we have built – at a time when the grassroots scene faces huge challenges – all the way through to preserving the heritage of iconic Denmark Street and welcoming more music stores like Dawsons. The celebration of one year of The Cover is going to look incredible on our screens.”
ABOUT NME
Launched in London, UK, in 1952 as the New Musical Express, NME has grown into a global media powerhouse that creates and curates content, products and experiences essential to fans of music and pop culture today. NME brings together the best writers and photographers to provide a multi-platform editorial offering that is at the bleeding edge of what matters most across the globe — be it music, film, TV or gaming. Intent on shining a spotlight on the artists and stories coming out of the world’s most compelling music scenes via NME.com, NME uses its distinctive voice and point of view to champion and celebrate established and emerging global talent.
ABOUT NME NETWORKS
NME Networks is a global, next-generation media group that views the wider world of pop culture through the lens of music and connects artists and brands to music-obsessed audiences. Our portfolio of popular music-journalism brands, comprising NME, Guitar.com and MusicTech, takes audiences on a lifelong journey through musicianship and fandom. NME Networks is a part of Caldecott Music Group.
ABOUT SWEE LEE
Established in 1946 and headquartered in Singapore, Swee Lee is South East Asia’s leading omni-channel musical instrument and lifestyle retailer and distributor. Committed to community and creativity, the brand’s mission is to be the region’s trusted house of music and expression. Swee Lee is known for curating immersive experiences at their cafes and Local store concepts, and matching customers with the products and services they need throughout their musical journey. With a legacy rooted in thoughtfulness, resourcefulness, and enthusiasm, Swee Lee embodies a passion for music that resonates across the region. Swee Lee is a part of Vista Musical Instruments and has locations in 5+ countries across South East Asia.
ABOUT DAWSONS
Established in 1898 in Warrington, Dawsons is the UK’s omni-channel musical instrument and lifestyle retailer and distributor. Committed to community and creativity, the brand’s mission is to be the region’s trusted house of music and expression. Dawsons is known for curating immersive experiences and Local store concepts, and matching customers with the products and services they need throughout their musical journey. With a legacy rooted in thoughtfulness, resourcefulness, and enthusiasm, Dawsons embodies a passion for music that resonates across the region. Dawsons is a part of Vista Musical Instruments.
ABOUT CALDECOTT MUSIC GROUP
Headquartered in Singapore, Caldecott Music Group is a global music industry investor, innovator, and operator spanning multiple sectors, including digital (BandLab Technologies), media (NME Networks), and manufacturing and retail (Vista Musical Instruments). By integrating the physical, digital, and social supply chain around music, CMG brings together brands and people who are passionate about music, allowing them to deliver authentic content, products, and experiences for all music lovers.