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  • PTCL Outlines Acquisition Strategy for Telenor Pakistan Before CCP Panel

    PTCL Outlines Acquisition Strategy for Telenor Pakistan Before CCP Panel

    Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has presented its case before the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) as part of a regulatory review under Section 11(6) of the Competition Act, 2010, regarding its proposed acquisition of 100% shareholding in Telenor Pakistan (Private) Limited and Orion Towers (Private) Limited.

    The senior leadership of PTCL appeared before the CCP bench, chaired by Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, with Member Salman Amin and Member Abdul Rashid Sheikh, to explain the scope of the deal and its expected efficiencies and to provide regulatory documentation, including the company’s business plan.

    PTCL executives were questioned thoroughly about the merger’s competitive implications, especially in terms of market share, infrastructure ownership, and the consumer impact. The Commission has sought additional clarifications before it reaches a final decision.

    PTCL’s Move Toward Market Consolidation

    PTCL’s interest in acquiring Telenor Pakistan is part of a broader strategy to consolidate its position in the mobile and telecom space. If the deal is approved, PTCL will gain complete control of Telenor Pakistan, the country’s second-largest telecom operator by subscriber base, a move that could significantly shift the market’s power balance.

    This acquisition is being pursued through PTCL’s parent company, e& (Emirates Telecommunications Group, formerly known as Etisalat), which has also been in advanced talks with Telenor Group, the Norway-based telecom giant that owns Telenor Pakistan.

    Telenor has been gradually pulling back from several Asian markets in recent years to focus on core European operations. As part of this global realignment, Telenor Group has been exploring exit options from Pakistan, and PTCL emerged as the most viable buyer due to its local footprint and strategic alignment.

    While PTCL owns Ufone, it has historically struggled to gain a substantial mobile market share. Ufone has faced stiff competition from dominant players like Jazz and Zong, primarily due to limited 4G spectrum and underinvestment in infrastructure. The company has also recorded frequent losses in recent years, making profitability a challenge.

    By acquiring Telenor Pakistan, PTCL seeks to instantly boost its mobile business capabilities, network strength, and subscriber base. Telenor’s nationwide 4G coverage, active user count, and established tower infrastructure (through Orion Towers) offer significant synergies for PTCL’s struggling mobile segment.

    Industry insiders view this as a potential game-changer, one that could revive PTCL’s competitive edge and possibly reshape Pakistan’s mobile telecom landscape.

    Regulatory Oversight and Future Outlook

    The CCP now holds a critical role in determining whether the proposed merger would harm market competition or consumer interest. Mergers of this scale require careful assessment of market dominance, anti-competitive risks, and the potential for price control or service quality issues. The Commission has not yet given a final verdict and has requested further documentation and analysis from PTCL before proceeding.

    If the acquisition is approved, it would not only create one of the largest integrated telecom entities in Pakistan but could also signal the beginning of a new consolidation wave in the industry. As the telecom sector faces growing pressure from rising operational costs and declining ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), strategic mergers like this could become more common.

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  • Justin Timberlake describes the physical and mental toll of Lyme disease

    Timberlake’s symptoms

    The 44-year-old singer shared the news in an Instagram post, explaining that the disease had taken a toll on him behind the scenes.

    “If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has — then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically,” Timberlake wrote. “When I first got the diagnosis, I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness.”

    According to People, Timberlake initially believed his symptoms were related to aging and the physical demands of performing. “He’s not 20 anymore,” a family source said. “But when his symptoms worsened, he realized something deeper was going on.” The source added that Timberlake had “pushed through for months before finally getting answers,” and that the diagnosis “brought clarity to a series of unexplained issues that he’s been quietly dealing with.”

    Jessica Biel, Timberlake’s wife, “felt like something was off” and encouraged him to seek medical help, the source told People. “She could tell that he wasn’t himself. She’s incredibly supportive.”

    Following the end of his tour, Timberlake is now focusing on rest and recovery. “He’s taking it seriously,” the source added. “The plan is to rest, spend time with Jess and the kids and do everything he can to heal … Now he can focus on his health.”

    Timberlake also acknowledged his reluctance to share his diagnosis publicly. “I was always raised to keep something like this to yourself,” he wrote. “But I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted.” 

    What is Lyme disease?

    Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick. According to CDC, it is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States, with an estimated 476,000 people treated for it in annually. In 2023, more than 89,000 cases were officially reported.

    “In the U.S., Lyme disease is most commonly found in the Northeast and upper Midwest — in a belt stretching from New England to Wisconsin — with peak transmission from late spring to early fall,” MedPage Today reports.

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  • Shop Funko Pop, Voluspa, Lego

    Shop Funko Pop, Voluspa, Lego

    We’ll keep you updated on all the latest ‘Wicked’ drops, from Lego sets to candles.

    If Cynthia Erivo’s version of ‘Defying Gravity’ plays on a constant loop in your head like it does mine, then you’ll be delighted to know that we’re finally just a few months away from the release of the highly anticipated “Wicked” sequel, “Wicked: For Good.” The bewitching follow-up to last year’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical hits theaters on Friday, November 21 and following in the footsteps of “Barbie” and most recently, “F1 The Movie,” the collabs are showing up in a big way for fans.

    In the lead up to the film’s November 2025 release, tons of brands are already releasing special product collaborations that pay homage to the enchanting world of “Wicked,” with limited-edition launches from Funko Pop, Voluspa, Lego, Roots and plenty more set to go live in the coming months.

    To help you gear up for the new film, we’ll be keeping a running list of the best “Wicked” product launches that are worth shopping—no matter if you’re a good witch or a bad witch:

    MORE: New ‘Wicked: For Good’ LEGO sets are gonna be Popular. Preorder yours today

    Shop all the best ‘Wicked’ product collabs: Funko Pop, Voluspa and more

    When does “Wicked: For Good” come out?

    The highly anticipated “Wicked: For Good” film is set to release on Friday, November 21, 2025. The film will serve as a follow-up or ‘part 2’ of the first “Wicked” film, which was released on November 22, 2024.

    The musical film will feature the same primary cast members, including Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and more.

    Streaming guide: Deals, bundles and free trials on Disney+, Apple TV+, Sling TV

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  • Steps Count, But Not to 10,000

    Steps Count, But Not to 10,000

    This transcript has been edited for clarity. 

    Hello, everyone. It’s time for Toby’s evening walk. You probably go for walks to get healthy, and you absolutely should. Regular physical activity is absolutely good for you, but you probably think that you need to get 10,000 steps a day. You absolutely do not.

    The 10,000 number is not based on science. It’s a marketing slogan that got out of hand. One of the first step counters was made by Japanese company Yamasa Tokei Keiki Co, and called manpo-kei, which meant 10,000 step meter. Their marketing slogan was, let’s walk 10,000 steps a day. 

    Now, there’s nothing wrong with walking 10,000 steps, but you would get the same benefit if you walked 9,000 steps if your baseline was to only walk 5,000.

    I’m not here to debunk walking, but you don’t need a step counter, a pedometer, a smartwatch, or any other wearable technology. You just need to move more because the 10,000 number isn’t really based on science. 

    For Medscape, I’m Christopher Labos, with Toby.

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  • ‘Flyovers can be incredibly beautiful!’ Long Blondes singer Kate Jackson’s new career as a motorway artist | Painting

    ‘Flyovers can be incredibly beautiful!’ Long Blondes singer Kate Jackson’s new career as a motorway artist | Painting

    As the singer in cult indie band the Long Blondes, Kate Jackson experienced all the thrills of the mid-00s music scene: chaotic gigs, hedonistic parties, an abundance of winklepickers and angular fringes. But years later, when she went back over all the photographs she’d taken during that period, things looked rather different. “I’ve got tons of photos of airport lounges and long stretches of road in Europe,” she says with a shake of the head. “Lots of German service stations. Nothing of the band! No backstage fun, no frolics!”

    Jackson may regret not capturing more of the band’s short but spectacular heyday, but the road has always been important to her. As a Pulp-obsessed teenager in Bury St Edmunds, she would gaze out of the kitchen window and dream of escaping small town life via the A14. The Long Blondes track Separated By Motorways told the story of two girls doing a runner down that exact road (“​​Wipe your eyes darling, it’s OK / Meet me on the dual carriageway”). And over the last decade or so, roads have become a central feature of her second career in visual art.

    Using bold, pop art-inspired colours and sharp geometrical lines, Jackson’s paintings transform parts of our unloved motorway network into dazzling scenes of romance and possibility. Think Ed Ruscha’s gas stations propelled along by the motorik beat of Kraftwerk’s Autobahn. The service station at Leicester Forest East has never looked more beautiful.

    ‘It changed everything’ … Jackson on the DRAW! project. Photograph: courtesy of the artist

    Jackson lists Andy Warhol, Australian surrealist Jeffrey Smart and printmaker Paul Catherall as influences – but also the lyrics of Jarvis Cocker. “I love how he could write about the interior of a bedroom and make it seem like the most exotic, romantic place in the world,” she says. “I try to do the same thing with my paintings of flyovers and bridges. Nobody really takes any notice of them. You’re always whizzing by. But there’s always a moment when the light catches them in a particular way and makes them seem incredibly beautiful.”

    This month, Jackson has been selected to pick the theme for DRAW!, a nationwide drawing project backed by David Hockney that is part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. She has chosen “landscape”, and will be on social media encouraging people of all ages to pick up a pen or pencil or iPad and sketch something fitting. The project’s aim is to get people to pause and reflect on their surroundings, and it’s already having an impact – on Jackson herself.

    “It’s funny,” she says. “You spend years trying to develop your own style, to make your work recognisable. But then you get stuck in that style. You stop experimenting and you stop being playful. And art is all about experimentation and being playful. So this has made me go back to my sketchbooks and try different things.”

    Jackson is actually creating a new body of work as we speak, saying she’s “completely changed everything” as a result of DRAW! “I’m using a celestial astrological wheel, drawing the symbols that represent the star signs and bringing some animals in.”

    Giddy Stratospheres, a 2004 single by Jackson’s former band the Long Blondes.

    She has drawn and painted since she was young, sketching boats on the harbour with her “very talented” artist mother. She would have completed a fine art degree in Sheffield had the Long Blondes not taken off during her final year – even then, she carried on making art for their record sleeves. In fact, she thinks a painting of Diana Dors made in her student bedroom may have helped the band crystalise their aesthetic: a mixture of retro glamour, film and literary references, and spiky guitars.

    With her neck scarf and beret, Jackson added some much-needed style and intellect to the era’s male-dominated indie scene. The band earned a devoted fanbase and wrote one of the defining anthems of the 2000s: the disco-punk single Giddy Stratospheres. But after two albums, guitarist and songwriter Dorian Cox had a stroke and was left unable to play the guitar. The band called it a day.

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    Darkness on the edge of town … Nightdrive. Photograph: Courtesy the artist

    Jackson released a solo album in 2016: the excellent British Road Movies, written with Bernard Butler. But that record’s painful gestation convinced her to redirect her attention towards painting. She spent four years refining her style in Rome, and has developed an eye for brutalist landmarks as well as all the motorways and bridges. More recently, though, she has caught the music bug again. During lockdown, and with her then two-year-old son asleep next to her, she found herself messing around with Logic on her iPad and began pushing herself to compose electronic music. Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware was impressed with the results and offered to produce them, and a Terry Farley remix of her track Don’t Doubt Your Power (recorded under the name Corselette) will hit clubs later this year.

    It took a while before Jackson could look back fondly on the Long Blondes’ time in the spotlight. “We didn’t make Kaiser Chiefs money,” she says with a wry smile. “But I think [debut album] Someone to Drive You Home still stands the test of time.” And despite the lack of photographic evidence, Jackson knows she had a lot of fun too. “Oh definitely,” she says. “In terms of getting to be in a band, that whole period was really the last hurrah.”

    DRAW! a Landscape with Kate Jackson at bradford2025.co.uk


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  • The Official Lions Watch has arrived

    The Official Lions Watch has arrived

    In the wake of an unforgettable Lions tour, one moment stands above the rest; Hugo Keenan crossing the try line in the final seconds at the MCG, sealing a dramatic series win for The British & Irish Lions against Australia. Moments like these define rugby, and they deserve to be remembered in style.

    The British & Irish Lions are proud to announce an exclusive collaboration with Christopher Ward, the UK’s largest independent watchmaker, to commemorate the 2025 Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions series. The result: the C63 Lions Chronometer – an officially licensed timepiece that blends Swiss watchmaking expertise with British design, and pays tribute to a Tour like no other.

    Don’t miss out – pre-order the C63 Lions Chronometer now!

    Christopher Ward has spent nearly two decades earning a reputation for precision, innovation, and incredible designs at exceptional value. It’s a name trusted by watch enthusiasts around the world – and now by the Lions.

    Limited to just 1888 individually numbered pieces – a tribute to the year of the Lions first tour – this isn’t just a collector’s item. It’s a symbol of pride, performance, and legacy. From the deep red dial featuring the official 2025 tour pattern, to the Lions crest on the subdial and the deep-stamped badge on the caseback, every detail honours the team.

    The C63 Lions Chronometer is also a powerful timing device. Its COSC-certified quartz movement delivers accuracy of +/-10 seconds per year, while providing a range of stopwatch functions ideal for match days or everyday wear.

    You might expect a watch of this calibre to cost a small fortune. But in keeping with Christopher Ward’s mission to democratise luxury watchmaking, the C63 Lions Chronometer is available for £815 with 2 straps; Christopher Ward’s signature Bader Bracelet and a special edition red Aquaflex rubber strap (for the days when you need extra Lions red in your life).

    This is your chance to own a genuine piece of Lions history – crafted with care, built to last, and made to be worn with pride.

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  • NWSL players showed out in international tournaments  | National Women’s Soccer League Official Site

    NWSL players showed out in international tournaments  | National Women’s Soccer League Official Site

    It was a long few weeks without NWSL action, but even though the league was on summer break, players showed up and showed out on the international stage. In the three big global tournaments – UEFA Women’s EURO, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and Copa América Femenina – the NWSL was represented.

    And all three champions – England, Nigeria, and Brazil – had at least two NWSL players on their roster.


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  • Sharjeel Memon praises Sindh Police for exemplary role in restoring law and order

    Sharjeel Memon praises Sindh Police for exemplary role in restoring law and order

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    KARACHI, Aug 05 (APP): Senior Sindh Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, lauded the Sindh Police for their historic and courageous role in maintaining law and order, saying their contributions deserve greater recognition and appreciation.

    Speaking during a session of the Sindh Assembly, Memon said that while law and order issues are a persistent challenge for the public, ensuring safety and protecting life and property remain the core duties of the police force, according to a news release on Tuesday.

    He noted that despite being frequently criticized and accused, the police, particularly constables, continue to risk their lives for modest salaries without due acknowledgement. “The police have always been an easy target for blame, but we fail to consider the hardships faced by those who serve on the ground,” he said.

    Highlighting the police’s efforts since 2008, the minister said the Sindh Police had played an outstanding role across the province, especially when empowered by a people’s government. He recalled that many areas previously deemed unsafe after dark had since returned to normalcy due to effective policing.

    Sharjeel Memon also commended the police for their bravery in confronting major threats, including terrorist attacks. He cited the Karachi Airport assault, during which then IG Iqbal Mahmood personally led from the front, as well as the attacks on the Karachi Stock Exchange and Central Police Office (CPO), where the force responded with professionalism and courage.

    He further mentioned the successful investigations into high-profile cases such as the Safoora incident and university attacks, asserting that no other provincial force had resolved such complex cases with similar expertise.

    Sharjeel Memon emphasized that the police remained active on multiple fronts, from securing religious events to combating street crime and narcotics. Despite resource constraints, he said, the force continued to fulfill its duties with commitment.

    While acknowledging that more facilities should be provided, he said the Sindh government was doing its best to support and equip the force. “The capacity of the Sindh Police is not the result of any special privilege, it is inherent and earned,” he added.

    Calling for collective appreciation of the force, Memon said, “We must all salute the Sindh Police. Their historic and unmatched role in protecting the public deserves the highest recognition.”

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  • King of the Hill review – this charming comedy returns after 15 years … and it’s more welcome than ever | Television

    King of the Hill review – this charming comedy returns after 15 years … and it’s more welcome than ever | Television

    It’s been 15 years since we last enjoyed the company of Hank and Peggy Hill. Barack Obama had just entered the White House, Hank was a younger man with an exciting adventure ahead of him and all was, if not quite well with the world, certainly at least explicable. But now? Season 14 of this revived, beloved animated sitcom is upon us, feeling anachronistic yet also oddly timely. It’s like reconnecting with a group of old friends and realising that, while they are much as they always were, the context in which you now see them has altered beyond all recognition.

    Playing slightly against cartoon convention, the Hills’ lives have moved on. Unlike, for example, the ageless Simpsons, everyone is visibly older. In the intervening years, the propane industry has taken Hank and Peggy to Saudi Arabia. As we rejoin them, they are on the plane home. Hank has been in the toilet for hours because, as Peggy sees fit to inform the other passengers, “he now has the urethra of a seven-year-old”. When they touch down in Texas, Hank kisses the ground. But will he recognise the place?

    As they drive around their neighbourhood, Hank has a realisation. Their gated community in Saudi Arabia was “more Texan than Texas”. The US has exported an idealised version of its past especially for the ex-pats, even as the country itself has transformed beyond all recognition. King of the Hill always did subtle political messaging, wrapping pointed observations in the gentleness of the comedy.

    Hank is quickly back on familiar territory, standing by the fence outside his home, sharing a beer with his old pals. Bill has let himself go, badly. Boomhauer is still mumbly, but now has a similarly mumbly child. He greets Hank with a slightly surprising hug. As a man who still expresses his love for his son by offering to check the oil in his car, Hank finds this awkward. But as ever, the writing brings a remarkable amount of nuance to these simply but carefully constructed characters. Even in retirement, Hank is working through a few things.

    Dale, though, is a different keg of beer altogether. He hasn’t learned anything; instead the world has come around to him. Back in the day, Dale’s fondness for conspiracy theories made him the butt of the jokes. He doesn’t seem like such a harmless eccentric any more, though. Needless to say, he references “the pandumbic”. Hank, though, is old school and old media; he had access only to Fox News and CNN while in Saudi Arabia – although he feels he has to apologise for having watched CNN.

    Hank is a Republican – during the show’s original run, his response to learning that he was driving through Bill Clinton’s home town was to lock his car doors. But this adds real poignancy to the new iteration of the show. Much has changed in the US and not everything to Hank’s satisfaction, with one of those things being public discourse.

    At one point, Hank, Peggy and Dale go on a museum tour themed around George W Bush during which they are offered the chance to role-play a cabinet meeting. However, it degenerates into wild fiction as participants start ranting about “Obama’s Kenyan handler”. Dale is no longer an outlier – he’s now a thought-leader. Mike Judge’s and Greg Daniels’s writing perspective is evident here: Hank longs for an old, moderate America that couldn’t always agree, but could at least accept shared terms of reference within which they could argue.

    There is, however, a kindness to King of the Hill, which finds equal expression alongside the show’s occasional disquiet. There is charm and progress in its apparently changeless setting. The Hills’ son, Bobby, was once a chubby, geeky misfit. Happily, he has been given an upgrade that feels at once generous, eccentric and earned. He is a chef at a Japanese restaurant and Hank’s and Bobby’s familial battles are now fought via the proxies of food and drink. Hank and Bobby enter a brewing contest. “It’s just a friendly contest between father and son,” says Hank. “Where the father will kick his son’s ass.” Father and son receive a necessary lesson in humility.

    There remains a lightness and ease to these exchanges. Fittingly, as is the case with most longstanding relationships, the old rhythms return almost immediately, for the Hills and for viewers. Often, King of the Hill drifts toward the neat and the saccharin. It’s not a show that will ever hold back on the hugging and learning. But that feels entirely deliberate; at the moment, a show prioritising modesty, tolerance and gentle revelation feels more welcome than ever.

    King of the Hill is on Disney+

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  • Fontaines D.C., Bon Iver, More

    Fontaines D.C., Bon Iver, More

    The U.K.’s Association for Independent Music has revealed the first nominees for its upcoming awards ceremony, including Fontaines D.C. and Bon Iver.

    Now in its 15th year, the Independent Music Awards celebrates artists and labels operating in the indie music sector. The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony to be held at London’s iconic Roundhouse venue on Sept. 23. 

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    Over the course of its history, a number of huge names have collected prizes from the Independent Music Awards. 2024’s victors included Jorja Smith, Sampha, Barry Can’t Swim and Neneh Cherry, with previous winners including Adele, RAYE and Stormzy.

    In 2025’s list, jazz collective Ezra Collective (Partisan Records), NYC dance act Fcukers (Ninja Tune), London singer-songwriter Hope Tala (Big Family Music) and French-Senegalese experimental artist anaiis (5dB) each earned two nominations.

    Ten albums are competing for the best independent album prize. They include Bon Iver’s Sable, Fable; Ezra Collective’s Dance, No One’s Watching; Fontaines D.C.’s Romance; Hope Tala’s Hope Handwritten; and John Glacier’s Like a Ribbon.

    Artists nominated in the best independent track category include Jim Legxacy (“Father”), Wet Leg (“Catch These Fists”), Jorja Smith (“Loving You”) and Wunderhorse (“The Rope”). 

    U.K. indie labels Ninja Tune, Transgressive and Believe secured the most nominations, with three each, while 5dB, Communion, Domino, FAMM, Partisan, Technicolour, XL and Young earned two each.

    Two categories will involve public participation: best independent record store and best live performer will both accept nominations from the public. Fans can submit their nominees for the categories on the award’s website. 

    Nominees in a number of categories, including best independent label and music entrepreneur of the year, are still to be announced. Winners will be selected by a judging panel made up of music industry and media professionals.

    “As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Independent Music Awards, I’m inspired by the extraordinary creativity flowing from the U.K.’s independent music community,” Gee Davy, chief executive of AIM, said in a statement. “Every year, our sector delivers music that speaks to hearts, minds and dancing feet — and this year’s nominees are no exception. Our panel of tastemakers has curated a spectacular selection from the vast array of submissions. This is only a glimpse of the immense talent and variety within the scene, but showcases the fearless artistry that defines this community.

    “Independence in music means freedom to create, innovate and build careers and businesses on our own terms. The independent sector is where culture meets commercial success, and our 2025 nominees perfectly embody that intersection. I look forward to celebrating their achievements at what promises to be a truly special edition of the Awards.”

    Here’s the full list of 2025 AIM Independent Music Awards nominees.

    Best independent track

    anaiis, Grupo Cosmo, “B.P.E” (5dB Records)
    Ezra Collective, Yazmin Lacey – “God Gave Me Feet for Dancing” (Partisan Records)
    JIALING, “Freaky Horns” (Clasico Records)
    Jim Legxacy, “Father” (XL Recordings)
    Jorja Smith, Maverick Sabre, “Loving You” (FAMM)
    Miso Extra, Metronomy, “Good Kisses” (Transgressive Records)
    Orla Gartland, “Mine” (New Friends Music)
    Wet Leg, “Catch These Fists” (Domino Recording Co.)
    Wunderhorse, “The Rope” (Communion Records)
    Yannis & The Yaw, Tony Allen, “Rain Can’t Reach Us” (Transgressive Records)

    Best independent album

    Bon Iver, Sable, Fable (Jagjaguwar)
    Ezra Collective, Dance, No One’s Watching (Partisan Records)
    Fontaines DC, Romance (XL Recordings)
    Hope Tala, Hope Handwritten (Big Family Music)
    John Glacier, Like a Ribbon (Young)
    Maverick Sabre, Burn the Right Things Down (FAMM)
    Moonchild Sanelly, Full Moon (Transgressive Records)
    Nala Sinephro, Endlessness (Warp Records)
    Oklou, Choke Enough (Oklou / True Panther Records)
    TAAHLIA, Gramarye (untitled (recs))

    U.K. independent breakthrough (in association with Amazon Music) 

    corto.alto (Ninja Tune)
    Fat Dog (Domino Recording Co.)
    Glass Beams (Ninja Tune)
    Hope Tala (Big Family Music)
    Sara Landry (HEKATE Records)

    Best independent EP/mixtape

    Fcukers, Baggy$$ (Technicolour Records)
    MRCY, VOLUME 1(Dead Oceans)
    Nectar Woode, Head Above Water (Communion Music)
    Shygirl, Club Shy Room 2 (Because Music)
    Zino Vinci, The Late Bloomer (Bawne London / Believe)  

    Best independent remix

    Aluna, “Heatstroke” (Paul Woolford remix) (Mad Decent / Because Music)
    Home Counties, TATYANA, “Uptight” – TATYANA remix (Submarine Cat Records)
    Koreless, “Seven” (Jorg Kuning Bicton Barns Remix) (Young)
    Nilufer Yanya, “Just a Western” (Boy Harsher Remix) (Ninja Tune)
    Rosie Lowe, “Gratitudes” (D’Monk remix) (Blue Flowers Music)

    One to Watch

    anaiis (5dB Records)
    BINA. (TLD Records)
    Chloe Qisha (VLF Records / Believe) 
    Cristale (Believe)
    Fcukers (Ninja Tune)

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