Tinie Tempah has opened up to NME about being committed to supporting the UK’s grassroots venues, and plans to drop what could be his first new album in nearly 10 years.
The London singer, rapper and producer caught up with us on the red carpet for the 2026 Ivor Novellos, where he is a member of the Ivors board and works to “continue to uplift and promote and protect songwriters” across the country.
He was awarded his own trophy back in 2011 after winning in the Best Contemporary Song category for his hit debut single, ‘Pass Out’, which he recorded alongside Labrinth.
Speaking about how the industry has changed since then, the rapper – real name Patrick Okogwu – explained how he and countless others owe their success to the grassroots venues across the country.
As a longtime supporter of the Music Venue Trust and their efforts to help protect grassroots gig spaces, Tempah has joined their bill for Everywhere At Once – a festival taking place at hundreds of vital venues across the UK next month.
“When I think about my time coming up, I think about the 10,000 hours that I put into going around the UK and performing in all the small venues from 100 capacity to 500 capacity,” Tinie said. “I think of all the times I got cheered, all the times I got booed, all the times there was no one there, or when there was one or two people in the crowd.
“I think it was really my rite of passage, because it helped me to build a core fan base, most of whom have stuck with me to this day,” he added. “Obviously we now have social media and you can cast your net out into the wider world, but there is something so important about being in front of people in real life.
“Think about all the scenes that the UK has been able to bring to the forefront over the years – they typically start underground and they typically start in places and spaces like that. So if we lose these spaces, I worry for the next generation of artists.”
He continued: “On top of that, live music is where a lot of musicians make the lion’s share of their income, so if we don’t have these venues to perform in, we’re screwed. Considering how much UK music has impacted around the world, it’s almost our duty as the British population to preserve some of these venues and spaces. Some of them should be institutions.”
Despite years of hard gigging, he has not released any new music since 2020, when he dropped the single ‘Top Winners. His last album was 2017’s ‘Youth’.
Speaking to NME at the Ivors, the ‘Written In The Stars’ singer revealed that he has finally completed work on new music with a renewed and sharpened focus.
“I took a long hiatus and I just went to figure out my life. But I’m definitely back now,” he shared. “There’s a lot of new music coming your way. I’m going to drop the project in September, so I’m super excited for people to hear that and take it in.”
“A lot of it is inspired by what I was just talking about: nightlife culture,” he continued, adding that it will be an album that takes listeners “on a journey through the night from the start – when you even have the idea of wanting to go out – all the way to the messy 4am that we all know and we’ve all experienced.”
“I’m super excited for people to hear it. I’ve worked super hard on it. I’m super proud of it as well.”
More details about the new release are expected to be shared soon, with Tinie Tempah playing at intimate venues across Newcastle, Norwich and Southampton as part of the Everywhere At Once festival next month.
Others on the bill include Becky Hill and The Lathums, and the festival is being spearheaded by Music Venue Trust, The National Lottery, Save Our Scene, and Association of Independent Promoters. Audiences will be given the opportunity to help support various music charities too, with donations distributed to War Child, Nordoff and Robbins, Help Musicians UK and Teenage Cancer Trust. Find remaining tickets and more information here.
The news of the festival’s launch arrived at a vital time for the UK’s live music sector, as reports show that 30 grassroots venues were lost forever between July 2024 and July 2025 – and last year alone saw more than half of those remaining making no profit, with over 6,000 jobs lost.
There is currently an ongoing push for a ticket levy to be introduced, which would see smaller venues and rising talent across the country receive a contribution from arena and stadium gigs to ensure their survival. The pressure is now on for the live music industry to ensure that 50 per cent of these shows are voluntarily paying in by June 2026, or else the government will step in to make it mandatory by law.