04/03/2025
Against All Odds – Thank You! 🙏🏾❤️
This year’s Beacon Urban Music Awards was by far the most challenging yet. What was supposed to be a defining year turned into a relentless battle—venue cancellations, false labels of being “illegal,” threats to venues that dared to host us, and fear-mongering tactics aimed at shutting us down. It felt like everything that could go wrong was going wrong.
As the founder of BUMA, I truly feared that another cancellation—on top of the original postponement—would kill the awards altogether and damage the credibility we’ve worked so hard to build. But against all odds, we refused to back down. We pushed through, and despite every obstacle, BUMA 2024 happened! (in 2025, eventually)
This would not have been possible without the support of some incredible people and businesses who stepped in at the last minute to make the night unforgettable:
✨ Shika Lounge – A black-owned business in Bournemouth that took us in on short notice, allowing us to build within the venue and create something special. Your hospitality and belief in us will never be forgotten!
✨ Nativ Bournemouth – For stepping in last minute and helping push us over the line. Your support meant everything.
✨ Glenn from Uncle Glen's Caribbean Restaurant – Who not only helped host and DJ the event but stepped in when we needed it most.
✨ Tina of Teeglanny's Cuisine – Who took a last-minute catering order and still came through with incredible food for the night!
✨ DJ Style & BBC Bristol – For giving us a platform to speak about the awards when it felt like so many doors were closing on us.
✨ And most importantly, YOU! Every single person who still believed in us, showed up, supported, and tuned into the live stream (while it lasted). After all the setbacks, I truly believed we had to stand our ground and hold this event. Even if just two people showed up, it would have been enough for me to keep going—but the love and support we received went beyond that.
To those who had to make alternative plans after the original cancellation and requested a refund, I am working on this, and all refunds will be honoured. If you’d like to keep your ticket valid for our next event, we are more than happy to accommodate that too.
From the bottom of my heart—thank you. This was a fight, but we made it. And we’re only going to get stronger from here.
Enoch Kwoffie (Founder, Beacon Urban Music Awards)
