Jordan
Kensington
Visionary. Entrepreneur. Cultural Architect. The founder of the Urban Music Awards and UMA Academy — building a global platform for urban music culture since 1999.
Building a Global
Music Institution
In 1999, Jordan Kensington founded the UMA Academy with a single powerful belief: that musicians, artists, and creatives deserve more than just talent — they need the tools, knowledge, and networks to become entrepreneurs and build sustainable careers in the music industry.
From those early days of workshops and seminars, Jordan's vision grew into something extraordinary. In 2003, he launched the first ever Urban Music Awards ceremony at Hammersmith Palais in London — creating a platform that would celebrate the full spectrum of urban music culture and give fans a genuine voice in recognising their favourite artists.
The ethos was always simple: the public votes, the culture decides. No industry insiders. No exclusive committees. Just millions of fans across the world celebrating the artists and music that matters to them.
Under Jordan's leadership, the UMA expanded to the USA in 2007, the Caribbean in 2008, Asia in 2010, South America in 2014, and most recently South Africa in 2025 — making the Urban Music Awards a truly global institution spanning six continents.
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"Urban music is not a genre — it's a culture. A movement. A way of life. The Urban Music Awards exists to honour that culture at the highest level, on a global stage."
Jordan Kensington
Founder, Urban Music Awards
Key Milestones
The UMA Academy
Founded in 1999, the UMA Academy has empowered thousands of artists, producers, songwriters, DJs, and music entrepreneurs to build extraordinary careers.
Artist Development
Mentorship programmes, workshops, and one-to-one sessions for emerging artists at every stage of their career.
Industry Masterclasses
Learn from the best — label executives, producers, managers, marketers, and music industry leaders.
Global Network
Connect with a worldwide network of artists, labels, agencies, and industry professionals across 6 continents.
Entrepreneurship
Business skills, brand building, music rights, licensing, and everything an artist needs to own their future.