| Main Performers | Hollie McNish,
David Lee Morgan - speakers
Semi-Finalists:
Shade Joseph,
Gevi Carver,
Soloman OB (WINNER),
Michael Clarke,
Caroline Teague,
Riaz Moola,
Caleb Oluwafemi,
Ken Rich - speakers |
| Set List | 17:30 Steve Larkin and Sam Berkson introduce event
17:35 Team Plate Final:
Forth Place Team Round 1A, Third Place Team Round 1B, Third Place Team Round 1A
18:00 Round 3A:
Riaz Moola, Melanie Branton, Round 2D Winner, Caroline Teague, Round 2A Runner Up (Two Qualify for Semi Final)
18:30 Round 3B:
Daisy Thurston Gent, Round 2A Winner, Tim Knight, Round 2C Runner Up, Ken Rich (Two Qualify for Semi Final)
18:55 Guest Performer: David Lee Morgan
19:05 Break
19:20 Round 3C:
Round 2C Winner, Chris Parkinson, Jake Wild Hall, Round 2B Runner Up (Two Qualify for Semi Final)
19:50 Round 3D:
Michael Clarke, Round 2D Runner Up, Round 2B Winner, Soloman OB (Two Qualify for Semi Final)
20:15 Guest Performer: Hollie McNish
20:30 Break
20:45 Semi Final 1:
Round 3A Runner Up, Round 3B Runner Up, Round 3A Winner, Round 3B Winner (Two Qualify for Final)
21:10 Semi Final 2:
Round 3C Runner Up, Round 3D Runner Up, Round 3C Winner, Round 3D Winner (Two Qualify for Final)
21:30 Final:
Semi Final 1 Runner Up, Semi Final 2 Runner Up, Semi Final 1 Winner, Semi Final 2
21:50 Winner announced |
| Performance Notes | This year the Royal Albert Halls Elgar Room will play host to one of the UKs biggest spoken word and poetry events.
Poetry slam champions from Edinburgh to Brighton will compete for the title of National Poetry Slam Champion in a two-day extravaganza which will see you, the audience, decide who gets crowned the master of spit and wit.
Expect entries from groups and individuals as well as special guest artists; comedian Simon Munnery, and musical lyricist Zena Edwards. On Sunday 10 January we welcome the boundary-breaking Hollie McNish and spoken-word veteran and political activist David Lee Morgan.
"Hammer & Tongue have reinvented the medium for the hip hop generation" (The Guardian)
"The best live poetry is to be found at The Hammer & Tongue Slams" The (Sunday Times)
A poetry slam is a live democratic spoken word competition where random audience members judge three minute scripted spoken word pieces from contestants.
It was 24-year-old Solomon OB who was victorious after the closest final in Hammer & Tongue history with 0.1 of a point between winner and runner up. Solomon, who was born in Hackney and lives in Bristol, is soon to release his debut solo EP 'The Writing is Real' and has been chosen as one of the final six of BBC1Xtra and Roundhouse London's nationwide Words First Campaign.
'It's still a surreal experience being crowned champion. I came into the competition with the intention to win but to actually win feels pretty amazing! The fact that I won by such a small margin is testament to the quality of the competition. Anyone could have taken it!'
(Solomon OB, National Poetry Slam Champion 2016)
'After a year of poetry slams all over the UK the people have chosen their poetry champion and I'm over the moon that it is Solomon, as I'm sure he will be an inspiration to many in this rapidly growing genre which is aching to be exposed to the mainstream. Solomon is a great champion because he creates intelligent, emotionally sensitive dramatic work. There wasn't a dry eye in the house!' (Steve Larkin, Founder of Hammer & Tongue) |