Jessie Ware

Originally starting out as a backing singer for close friend Jack Penate, Jessie Ware lent her soulful vocals to tracks by a number of underground dance producers before becoming an electro pop diva in her own right. The daughter of BBC Panorama reporter John Ware, Jessie appeared on SBTRKT's debut album and worked with dubstep stars Joker and Sampha as she steadily built a reputation for turning 1990s R&B into understated, emotional, dance floor anthems. After singles Running and 110% became club hits and received plenty of airplay from BBC 1Xtra, debut album Devotion (2012) shot to Number 5 in the UK charts and was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize. Produced by Dave Okumbu from The Invisible, it showcased Ware's growing songwriting talent while drawing comparisons with Katy B, Sade and Grace Jones and earning two BRIT Award nominations for British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist.