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Bugzy Malone’s contribution to the city of Manchester recognised with inaugural B. Inspired award

Legendary grime artist and ‘King of the North’, Aaron Davis, better known as Bugzy Malone, has been recognised for his success and contribution to the city of Manchester, with an inaugural award, aptly named after his latest album B. Inspired

The City of Champions Hall of Fame recognition is awarded through a partnership between Manchester City Council and The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation (DMSF), a foundation which champions young people from disadvantaged areas in the North-West and aims to help empower them in all areas of life.

Bugzy has achieved incredible success as one of the UK’s biggest independent grime artists. He gave Manchester a voice in the London dominated grime-scene, being the first grime artist from the city to have commercial success in the UK. His Mancunian accent is a trademark of his vocal style.

The grime rapper has had four Top 10 EPs, earned a MOBO nomination and his ‘B Inspired’ tour is the biggest headline tour to date by any grime artist. In 2017 he performed in his home city at ‘We Are Manchester’, a gig which saw the reopening of the Manchester Arena after the tragic terrorist attack in the city.


Bugzy’s lyrics describe harsh realities he has faced. Born in a poverty-stricken household in Crumpsall, Manchester, Bugzy has described himself as a ‘creative’ child, who became involved in law-breaking behaviour at a young age, before turning his life around and channelling his energy into the sport of boxing and later, music.

The City of Champions gala dinner will be a star-studded event that aims to acknowledge and celebrate the success of people in the areas of sport, education and business, who are giving back to the next generation of champions.

Three new individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame; Bugzy Malone, Former Chief Executive of Manchester United and Vice-President of the Football Association, David Gill and Olympic gymnast, Beth Tweddle MBE. They will stand alongside previous inductees including Dame Kelly Holmes, Rio Ferdinand, Tracey Neville MBE, Sir Chris Hoy and Mike Summerbee.

Organised by Olympian Diane Modahl MBE, the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation and Manchester City Council, the event offers local businesses the chance to rub shoulders and dine with an array of stars who are hugely successful in a number of fields.

Commenting on his induction, Bugzy commented:

“Receiving the B. Inspired award is extremely important to me. The fact that my hometown has recognised me for doing the unthinkable means a lot. To me, this is groundbreaking.

“I’m a believer in accolades that actually matter – to me this is one of them.”

Councillor Rahman of Manchester City Council commented:

“We’re proud to announce Bugzy Malone as the first-ever recipient of the B. Inspired award alongside the inductees into the City of Champions Hall of Fame.

“Bugzy takes great pride in his roots and is a great ambassador for Manchester, consistently sharing how great this city is!

We have now announced three people, with very different career paths, who have all inspired the next generation of champions. They all contribute something amazing to Manchester, in areas of sport, business and culture and help to make this city the wonderful place that it is.”

Co-founder and CEO of DMSF, Diane Modahl MBE, also commented:

“I know that I can say on behalf of our team and young people at DMSF, that we’re delighted to announce Bugzy Malone as the first-ever recipient of the B. Inspired award at this year’s City of Champions gala dinner. You only have to meet Bugzy once to realise he is the epitome of resilience and aspiration. He is the next generation of hope and ambition.

This recognition is extremely fitting as Bugzy’s mission to inspire and promote self-belief is a huge part of DMSF’s own mission. We want to inspire young people to be the best version of themselves, regardless of their background.”

“Bugzy is the perfect recipient to inspire young people across the North-West to reach their own goals, no matter how big their dreams are. His story shows that there are always different paths to success.”

The gala will take place at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on 1st November and will be hosted by BBC broadcaster Will Perry.