Annie Nightingale is best known as Britain’s first female DJ on Radio 1. She is now the Radio 1’s longest serving broadcaster and remains the only female DJ in the world to have been honoured with an MBE by The Queen.

Her career has been a fantastical musical journey beginning with hanging out with the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who, becoming a journalist and TV presenter, whilst furthermore becoming co-owner of a chain of fashion boutiques. Having cracked the all male preserve of DJs at Radio 1, she began a long and dedicated career in broadcasting at the BBC. Always insisting to choose her own music, Annie championed dozens of artists who later became world wide successes.

In 1978, Annie’s career diversified and she began a second career in television as the solo presenter of the BBC’s ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’. Annie brought her irreverent humour and respect for original music to the show at the most relevant time of the punk revolution. She had always broadcasted underground and new music with enthusiasm and continues doing so to this day.

Throughout her career, Annie has built an iconic reputation through championing new music, specifically break beat, and is consequently now recognised as ‘The Queen Of Breaks’. As a DJ, still remaining in high demand, Annie, has taken music across the globe, and regularly DJ’s in Paris, Los Angeles, New York and Barcelona. She has taken new music to some of the world’s diverse musical frontiers including Russia, China, India and Chile, making radio programmes and documentary films. A woman of the world, Annie has also toured with the world’s most notorious rock legends such as Primal Scream, The Who and The Rolling Stones.

Living an exciting and controversial life, Annie has experienced being bugged in Russia, drugged in Iraq and mugged in Cuba, the last with nearly fatal consequences! Known as the ultimate party animal, she claims to be most proud of winning Muzik Magazine’s “Caner of the Year” award, among other more formal achievements.

She has since added more strings to her highly acclaimed professional bow and has written two autobiographical books; ‘Chase the Fade’, and more recently ‘Wicked Speed’, of which the foreword was written by ‘Trainspotting’s Irvine Welsh. This is in addition to a number of eccentric events, such as motor racing at Silverstone and Brand’s Hatch as part of a Radio 1 racing team, appearing as a runway model at a Paris fashion show, and once featuring in a soft porn movie “I kept my clothes on, though” she commented.

Annie’s two compilation albums, ‘Annie On One’, and ‘Y4K: Annie Nightingale Presents’ have both received critical acclaim and she is currently working with the BBC to create a series about her unique life and all it’s inherent shenanigans.

Awards include:

• Outstanding Contribution to Breakbeat (Breakspoll 2009)
• PRS/John Peel Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music Radio (2008)
• Outstanding Contribution to Dance Music nomination DJ Magazine Awards (2007)
• Best Radio Show Breakspoll Awards (2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009)
• Broadcasters’ Broadcaster nomination The British Radio Academy Sony Awards (2007)
• Best Radio Show: International Breakspoll Awards (2006-2009)
• MBE for services to radio broadcasting (2002)

"I am as enthusiastic as always at discovering new music talent. I look forward to hearing and seeing all the finalists at Live and Unsigned, and will do my best to encourage them on their way to an exciting and successful future. Bring them on!" Annie Nightingale, Radio 1 DJ Legend.