Music / IncomingOn the Panel: Mary Anne HobbsTaking a rare break from hunting out the freshest talent, this highly respected radio DJ / journalist explains what grabs her attentionShareLink copied ✔️August 21, 2012MusicIncomingTextDazed Digital To encourage the next generation of creatives and athletes, G-Shock and Dazed have teamed up this year for the Casio G-Shock 30th Anniversary Awards, which celebrate and reward aspiring individuals in fashion, art, music and sport. Renowned radio DJ and journalist Mary Anne Hobbs is one of the music judges, alongside The Big Pink's Milo Cordell, Dazed deputy editor Tim Noakes and music journalist Hattie Collins, and will be nominating and judging emerging music talent to determine a winner for the category's £3,000 reward. Here we speak to Hobbs about what she's looking for... I listen to music on average for about ten hours a day, a rainbow spectrum of different textures and flavours, so I have a complex knowledge of where the bars are set Dazed Digital: How did you get involved in the project and why did it appeal to you? Mary Anne Hobbs: It's exciting to find a project genuinely committed to giving a platform to new talent, especially when times are so testing, with over a million young people unemployed. Hopefully awards like this can be a real spur and an inspiration, as well as rewarding the winners with the kind of practical prizes that can really boost their careers. DD: What do you think you bring to the judging panel as an experienced DJ and music journalist, and will you be aiming to reflect your personal tastes? Mary Anne Hobbs: I listen to music on average for about ten hours a day, a rainbow spectrum of different textures and flavours, so I have a complex knowledge of where the bars are set. I won't allow my personal tastes to interfere with the judging process! The winner should be chosen on merit alone. DD: As a long-time champion of new musical talent, what are you looking for in the winning entry? Mary Anne Hobbs: Something that strikes at the very core of my soul. DD: Have any of the entries caught your eye so far, and if so, why? Mary Anne Hobbs: Thefft, Paleman and Royce Wood Junior are all artists that I feel are uniquely gifted. I haven't heard any other entries yet. DD: What else are you working with/on that you're most looking forward to next? Mary Anne Hobbs: I'm writing again. I thought I should capture some of the stories of my life before they become very fuzzy in the ether! Not certain yet what I'll do with them... Photography by Devin Blair Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREArabic shoegaze duo Kiss Facility speak a language deeper than words‘Nazis can’t dance’: Photos from London’s House Against Hate protest raveOnMeet the creatives turning up the heat in Lagos with Burna Boy and On5 tracks you can’t miss from March 2026ADL: The best and worst tracks on Yeat’s new album‘A cig in one hand and an inhaler in the other’: Fcukers know how to partyThis book looks inside the mad world of Lee ‘Scratch’ PerryDazed Mix: Lauren AuderZaylevelten is leading a Gen Z Nigerian rap revolutionBillionhappy is the ‘king’ of the Nu China rap sceneWhat makes a good sex song?Rap band WHATMORE are the sound of New York adolescence Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy