‘BBC Introducing One To Watch for 2026’: RIYA has received continued support from BBC Radio 1, BBC6, BBC Introducing and BBC Asian Network for her latest release ‘Encore’.
She’s been championed by the likes of Rolling Stone, ITV & Urban Asian. Featured as ITV’s ‘One To Watch’ in the ‘Granada Introducing’ series, Riya was named a ‘Future Star’ with her songwriting compared to that of Taylor Swift by Elaine Willcox, live on ITV News.
Most recently, she performed live on BBC One’s Sunday Morning Live, her debut TV performance, and BBC 4’s Loose Ends. She’s also been selected for the Factory Sounds Cohort 2025, supported by Adidas, and spent time at the Adidas X Abbey Road Studio in the COOP Live Arena, Manchester.
She performed as the solo act for ‘The Hundred X BBC Introducing Stage’ at Headingley Stadium in front of 30,000 people & headlined the ClimateLive stage at Latitude Festival. Other notable performances include COOP Live Arena, Bentley Record Room, Beyond the Music Festival, Manchester International Festival, Sound From The Other City, The Bridgewater Hall & Manchester Museum.
Most recently, she was invited to attend the BBC Introducing X PRS songwriting camp hosted by JINJIN (Jess Glynne, Raye and Jax Jones) where her song and social media assets were shared across BBC and PRS’ instagram pages.
She attended the BRITS25 afterparty with Youthmusic and LEVIS, as well as being invited to speak on the panel at The Great Escape with BBC Introducing and Youthmusic.
Riya secured a place in the Abbey Road Studios Amplify
A&R sessions & was invited to the iconic Studio 2 Control Room to meet with one of the UK’s leading A&Rs.
Hailed by Youth Music as ‘One To Watch 2024,’ she’s backed by the ‘NEXTGEN’ fund and luxury fashion brand ‘COACH’. She’s one of 12 artists selected to attend BMI’s songwriting camp.
A force to be reckoned with, RIYA writes and produces all her music, collectively amassing over a million views. She’s trained in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz and piano with distinction in classical singing up to diploma level.