 | This article needs to be updated.(July 2023) |
The UK Beatbox Championships (UKBC) are hosted every year in London, England. This historic annual all-day event, which brings together the country's top beatbox artists for gladiatorial knock-out of face to face beatbox battles, in five different categories solo, female, team, loopstation and under-18. The 2019 UK Beatbox Championships was held on 23 and 24 November 2019.
The UK Beatbox Championships are one of the major tournaments in British Hip Hop music scene, and has been held at various venues in its history that include the Scala at Kings Cross, [1] the O2 Academy Islington, [2] the Garage, Highbury [3] the Grand Theatre, Clapham, London and the Battersea Arts Centre [4] The first ever UK Beatbox Championship took place in 2005 in London, England, hosted by UK Beatbox Championships. [5] Qualification for the UK Beatbox Championships consists of geographical heats held around Britain, which are contested from February through to June in London(South-east), Bristol (South-West) (Bristol heats), Nottingham (Midlands) and Liverpool (North). [6] Beatboxing is the art of producing percussion, rhythm and musical sounds using only parts of the human body, namely the mouth, lips, tongue, vocal cords, nasal passage and throat. [6] The event attracts around 1000 spectators and is live streamed to around 90 countries globally. [1] A panel of highly respected judges include former winners and international judges from the beatboxing fraternity. [6] The judges listen for originality, musical composition, technique, clarity, complexity, timing, rhythm, flow, and performance. They look for witty response in battle, ingenuity, endurance and intelligence. [7]
In 2020, because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the UKBB championships were successfully held online, the judges included Chiwawa, Chris Selez, D-Low, Kim, Sizzler, Frosty, Inkie and Rythmind.
| Solo | ||||||
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Semi-Finalist | Semi-Finalist | Video/Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Faith FSX | Beardyman | MC Zani | Dr Badfunk | [9] | |
| 2006 | Beardyman | Pikey Esquire | Foz | Dr Rhythm | [10] | |
| 2007 | Beardyman [11] | MC Zani | Bellatrix | Talisman | [12] | |
| 2008 | MC Zani | Reeps One | Lippicool | ThePetebox | [13] | |
| 2009 | Reeps One | ThePetebox | Layth | Big Taj | [14] | |
| 2010 | Reeps One | Hobbit | Layth | Yasson | [15] | |
| 2011 | Ball-Zee | Reeps One | Hobbit | Beatfox | [16] | |
| 2012 | Ball-Zee | BeatFox | Experimental | Griff | [17] | |
| 2013 | Ball-Zee | Hobbit | Minamus | Raw Element | [18] | |
| 2014 | Contrix | Hobbit | ABH | Big Taj | [19] | |
| 2015 | Contrix | BeatFox | Trey Qua | Cull | [20] | |
| 2016 | D-Low | ABH | Contrix | Beatfox | [21] | |
| 2017 | Frosty | D-Low | ABH | Renegrade | [22] | |
| 2018 | D-Low | Frosty | BeatFox | Graycloud | [23] | |
| 2019 | ABH | Bass Ventura | Kimmybeatbox | Epos | [24] | |
| Women | ||||||
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Semi-Finalist | Semi-Finalist | Video/Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Women | Grace Savage | Dana McKeon | - | - | [17] | |
| 2013 Women | Grace Savage | Dana McKeon | MC Lycan | Ness | [18] | |
| 2014 Women | Bellatrix | BeBox | Dirty Gut Bucket | J9 | [19] | |
| 2015 Women | Event abolished | - | - | - | ||
| Teams | ||||||
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Semi-Finalist | Semi-Finalist | Video/Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Teams | IllBits | Minamus & Raw Element | - | - | [17] | |
| 2013 Teams | IllBits | Minamus & Crumpets | TyTe & Bevis | SoundByts & Feman | [18] | |
| 2014 Teams | IllBits | ABH & Contrix | MicB & Subsonic | Grace Savage & Bellatrix | [19] | |
| 2015 Teams | BURD | ABH & Contrix | A-Cloud | The Foosa | [20] | |
| 2016 Teams | BURD | A-Cloud | Waveless | ABH & Contrix | [21] | |
| 2017 Teams | Kotcha | A-Cloud | Ultragrade | BPM | [22] | |
| 2018 Teams | Kotcha | A-Cloud | BPM | Intensifree | [23] | |
| 2019 Teams | A-Cloud | K-A-Pow | Throwback | Bassacre | [24] | |
| 2020 Teams | Cancelled due to | Covid-19 Pandemic | ||||
| Loopstation | ||||||
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Semi-Finalist | Semi-Finalist | Video/Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Loopstation | Hobbit | Mr Phormula | - | - | [18] | |
| 2014 Loopstation | Hobbit | Oxbox | Ram Z | Mr Phormula | [19] | |
| 2015 Loopstation | Oxbox | Ram Z | Frack | Motormouf | [20] | |
| 2016 Loopstation | Bellatrix | Heavy Treble | Oxbox | Motormouf | [21] | |
| 2017 Loopstation | Balance | D-Low | Frosty | Bowl | [22] | |
| 2018 Loopstation | Balance | Oxbox | Frosty | D-Low | [23] | |
| 2019 Loopstation | Frosty | Guuru | Oxbox | TMY | [24] | |
| 2020 Loopstation | Epos | TMY | Clockworx | Domtapper | ||
| Under 18 | ||||||
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Semi-Finalist | Semi-Finalist | Video/Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Under 18s | D-Low [25] | Redbeard | Scorch | FrostyFX | [19] | |
| 2015 Under 18s | Redbeard | Lewie G | Epos | Scorch | [20] | |
| 2016 Under 18s | Frosty | Epos | Maish | Droplet | [21] | |
| 2017 Under 18s | Epos | Maish | Sonorous | Crocs | [22] | |
| 2018 Under 18s | Jeddzino | W1sh | Sonorous | Mozzie | [23] | |
| 2019 Under 18s | Kyle ESHvans | Mozzie | Chewis | Marcus Bush | [24] | |
| 2020 Under 18s | Cancelled due to | Covid-19 Pandemic | ||||
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines, using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve vocal imitation of turntablism, and other musical instruments. Beatboxing today is connected with hip-hop culture, often referred to as "the fifth element" of hip-hop, although it is not limited to hip-hop music. The term "beatboxing" is sometimes used to refer to vocal percussion in general.
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