Huw Meredydd Stephens (born 25 May 1981) is a Welsh radio and television presenter, currently broadcasting on
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is a Welsh radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the 'Radio 4 Wales' opt-out service (previously the Welsh Home Service). Radio Wales b ...
,
BBC Radio Cymru and
BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
.
Stephens founded the
Sŵn music festival with John Rostron and the yearly showcase
Welsh Language Music Day.
Stephens produced the 2018 documentary film ''Anorac'' about the
Welsh language music scene. He presented the ''
Cofiwch Dryweryn
(English: "Remember Tryweryn") or (English: "The Remember Tryweryn Wall") is a graffitied stone wall near Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, Wales. Author and journalist Meic Stephens originally painted the words onto the wall of a ruined cottage in the ...
'' documentary for
S4C, following the history of the graffiti that his father painted in 1963, and ''The Story of Welsh Art'', a 3-part documentary series for the BBC. He also presented ''Cymru Rising'' on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, documenting the Welsh language music scene.
Career
Stephens joined Radio 1 in 1999 at the age of 17 as part of the station's new regional output, where he hosted the
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
opt-out with
Bethan Elfyn and became the youngest ever Radio 1 presenter. Before this he was a DJ on
Rookwood Sound
hospital radio in
Llandaff
Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and '' Taf'') is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, whose ...
, Cardiff. In 2015 he became a joint patron of Rookwood Sound.
In 2005, Stephens gained a UK-wide slot when he became one of the replacements for the late
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
as part of Radio 1's One Music strand, which was intended to keep the spirit of Peel's show going with DJs
Rob da Bank
Robert John Gorham (born 24 June 1973 in Portsmouth, Hampshire), known by the pseudonym Rob da Bank, is an English DJ and co-founder of music festivals Bestival, originally on the Isle of Wight and now moved to Lulworth, Dorset and Camp Bestiv ...
and
Ras Kwame
Ras Kwame is a British musician, record producer, radio DJ and presenter of Ghanaian heritage."'We ...
. He went on to present the weekend afternoon show and a two-hour new music programme on Thursday evenings, as well as being regular daytime cover. Stephens presented the 22:00–01:00 show, Monday to Wednesday. He currently presents on Sunday evenings, concentrating on new music championed by ''BBC Introducing''. He also presents regularly on BBC Radio 6 Music, deputising for
Steve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
Early life
He attended The Ramsey Academy ...
,
Lauren Laverne
Lauren Cecilia Fisher (née Gofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock ba ...
,
Mary Anne Hobbs
Mary Anne Hobbs (born 16 May 1964) is an English DJ and music journalist from Lancashire, England. She currently hosts the BBC Radio 6 Music weekday mid-morning show, Monday to Friday, 10:30am1pm, and her ''6 Music Recommends'' show, Wednesday ...
,
Marc Riley
Marc Riley (born 10 July 1961 in Manchester) is an English radio DJ, alternative rock critic, musician, and former music businessman. He currently presents on BBC Radio 6 Music.
Formerly a member of the Fall, he co-owned a record label, In-Ta ...
and
Gideon Coe
Gideon Jon Quantrill Coe (born 22 September 1967 in Canterbury, Kent) is a radio DJ, presenter, sportscaster, voiceover artist and journalist.
Early career
He began his broadcasting career in 1976 as a child presenter on the BBC One TV program ...
.
Stephens is a fluent Welsh speaker and has long presented an evening show on
BBC Radio Cymru, formerly part of the
C2 music strand; originally on a Monday evening slot, his show currently runs on Thursday evenings under the name ''Byd Huw Stephens''. Stephens also presented ''
Bandit
Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...
'', a television show on Welsh-language channel
S4C which showcased Welsh language music talent, until it was taken off air in December 2011. He founded the "Boobytrap Singles Club", which released limited singles by
Mclusky
Mclusky (often stylized as mclusky), originally known as Best, are a Welsh three-piece post-hardcore group formed in Cardiff. The group originally consisted of Englishman Andrew Falkous (vocals, guitar) from Newcastle upon Tyne, Geraint Bevan ...
, The Keys and
Zabrinski
Zabrinski were an alternative rock band from Carmarthen and Cardiff, Wales. They formed in the late 1990s and released four albums before splitting up in 2007.[Mr Huw
''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...]
,
Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg).
The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
and
Threatmantics
Threatmantics are a Welsh band from Cardiff, Wales. The band's current members are Heddwyn Davies (vocals, viola), Andrew Lewis (guitar), Gareth Middleton (bass) and Huw Alun Davies (drums). Their first album '' Upbeat Love'' was recorded whil ...
. In 2009 he released a compilation called "Music Sounds Better With Huw Volume 1" via
Wichita Recordings
Wichita Recordings is an independent record label located in London, founded in 2000 by Mark Bowen and Dick Green. Its most notable signees include Bloc Party, The Cribs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Ye ...
on iTunes. It featured 21 up and coming artists including
Gold Panda
Derwin Schlecker (born Derwin Dicker, 1980), professionally known as Gold Panda, is an English electronic record producer and songwriter.
Early life
Derwin Schlecker was born as Derwin Dicker in 1980 in Peckham, London and was raised in Chelmsf ...
, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Banjo or Freakout and
Young Fathers
Young Fathers are a Scottish band based in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2014, they won the Mercury Prize for their album ''Dead''.
History
Formed in Edinburgh in 2008 by Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham 'G' Hastings, the group starte ...
.
Stephens is a curator of the BBC Music Introducing Stage, which showcases new unsigned and emerging music at the Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, Radio One's Big Weekend and T in the Park festivals. He has also invited bands and artists to play at Sonar, Groningen and the SXSW music festivals. Since its inception in 2006 he has curated the Lake Stage at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, inviting The 1975, Cate le Bon, The xx, Sam Smith, Catfish and the Bottlemen amongst others to play. Stephens has been the opening presenter on the Mountain Stage at the
Green Man Festival
The Green Man Festival is an independent music, science and arts festival held annually in mid-August in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Green Man has evolved into a 25,000 capacity week long event, showcasing predominantly live music (in particular ...
, and DJ's there regularly onstage and on Green Man Radio.
In 2005 Stephens became the compere and DJ for the main stage of
Reading Festival
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
. He hosted the NME Awards from 2014 until 2018 and has DJed at Green Man,
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
, Camp Bestival, Bestival, Big Chill, Field Day and the National Eisteddfod of Wales, where he also presented the Gig y Pafiliwn with the Welsh Pops Orchestra. He has contributed to the ''Western Mail'', ''Kruger Magazine'', ''The Independent'', ''The Mirror'' and ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', and guest-edited the ''Guardian'' music blog. He was the voice of the Discovery Shed television channel.
In 2007 he established a new music festival for Cardiff. The first
Sŵn festival took place on 9–11 November across 13 venues in the city and has occurred yearly since (with the exception of 2020). Sŵn (pronounced "soon") is the Welsh word for "sound", and the festival brings new bands, DJs and performers from Wales, the UK and elsewhere together with art and films in Cardiff city centre's venues. Clwb Ifor Bach currently runs the Swn Festival.
In 2015 Stephens began co-presenting the
RTÉ
(RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
music show ''
Other Voices'', featuring performances from the Irish festival, alongside regular presenter
Aidan Gillen
Aidan Murphy (born 24 April 1968), better known as Aidan Gillen (), is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of three Irish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for a British Academy Television Award, a British Independent Film Award, a ...
, Annie Mac and MayKay. He was also the host of that year's
BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru (or BAFTA in Wales or WAFTA) is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and was founded in 1987. awards ceremony, which took place at
St. David's Hall in Cardiff in September, and has presented it yearly since. Huw has presented the Glastonbury Festival coverage for BBC 1 and 2 television since 2015, and Reading Festival on BBC4 television.
Stephens was a member of the jury for the 2017 . Huw has also been a judge for the AIM Awards.
In November 2020, it was announced that Stephens would be leaving Radio 1, but will continue broadcasting on 6 Music and Radio Cymru.
In March 2022 Stephens was confirmed as the new regular presenter of the weekday evening show at
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is a Welsh radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the 'Radio 4 Wales' opt-out service (previously the Welsh Home Service). Radio Wales b ...
on Monday to Wednesday evenings, with ''Byd Huw Stephens'' continuing on Radio Cymru on Thursdays. The Radio Wales show had previously been hosted by
Janice Long
Janice Berry ( Chegwin; 5 April 1955 – 25 December 2021), known professionally by her first married name Janice Long, was an English broadcaster who was best known for her work in British music radio. In a career that spanned five decades, s ...
prior to her death at the end of 2021. The show on Thursday would be presented by Welsh-Jamaican Reggae artist, Aleighcia Scott.
Personal life
Stephens was born in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, the son of the author and literary journalist
Meic Stephens
Meic Stephens (23 July 1938 – 2 July 2018) was a Welsh literary editor, journalist, translator, and poet.
Birth and education
Meic Stephens was born on 23 July 1938 in the village of Treforest, near Pontypridd, Glamorgan. He was educated at ...
. He married his longtime girlfriend, Sara, in 2012; they met at
Clwb Ifor Bach
Clwb Ifor Bach (, meaning ''Little Ivor's Club'') is a Cardiff nightclub, music venue, Welsh-language club and community centre. It is known to the Cardiff Welsh-speaking community as Clwb ( en, Club, italic=yes) and is often known by others on t ...
in Cardiff.
In July 2015, Stephens received an Honorary Fellowship from
Bangor University
, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007)
, image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg
, image_size = 250px
, caption = Arms
...
. Among those also receiving the honour that day was his cousin, musician
Gruff Rhys
Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...
. Their mutual grandfather had been president of the students union at the University. In 2011 he was awarded an honorary degree for services to education and culture from the
Open University
The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...
.
In 2012 he received an honorary fellowship from the
University of Glamorgan
, image_name = University of Glamorgan arms.png
, image_size = 220px
, caption = University of Glamorgan coat of arms
, motto = Success Through Endeavour
, established =
, closed =
, administrative_staff =
, chancellor = John Morris ...
.
References
External links
''Huw Stephens''(BBC Radio Wales)
''Byd Huw Stephens''(BBC Radio Cymru)
*
Huw Stephens interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Huw
1981 births
Living people
BBC Radio 1 presenters
BBC Radio 6 Music presenters
Welsh-language broadcasters
Welsh-language television presenters
British radio personalities
Welsh television presenters
Mass media people from Cardiff
People educated at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
Other Voices presenters