Since it was revealed that she is related to Julia Donaldson, the author of the famous children’s book ‘The Gruffalo’, some have questioned whether this could have given her a leg up in her music career.

In a new interview with Capital Buzz, the South London songstress said: “People are saying I’m a nepo baby because my great aunt wrote The Gruffalo. I mean what kind of rubbish is that? I have so much to say on that which I can’t even talk about. But I’m not a nepo baby, I’m not an industry plant, there we go I said it. I’ve cleared that up for all those losers that want to comment rubbish on the internet. Just find something better to do, you’re sad, you’re lonely.”

“The thing is industry plant is just a term for other artists and other people to use who just don’t know what they’re doing in life and feel upset that someone else is having their moment. And if you are an industry plant, you’re not going to have your moment for that long, unfortunately. And maybe sometimes you will, it just doesn’t matter, none of these things matter. If someone’s got talent, then they’ve got talent.”

She also defended her education at the prestigious BRIT School, a London performing and creative arts school that has produced stars such as Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, Imogen Heap and Rizzle Kicks to name a few: “It’s a normal school and I went to a really like rough school before that and you have to audition to get in,” she added.

Lola’s childhood was filled with creative endeavours. As a youngster, she appeared in a couple of television shows that followed young performers, one of them being CBBC’s Got What It Takes? – a musical bootcamp set to test a group of talented performers and their mothers.

Some fans branded her a ‘nepo baby’ after it was revealed that her great-aunt is Julia Donaldson, author of ‘The Gruffalo’. Also the 2011-2013 Children’s Laureate, Donaldson wrote songs for children’s TV before finding success with her books.

But she’s always given credit to her family for allowing her to pursue her passion for music. ‘Coming from an artistic family was really helpful because they understood that music is a real job, that I can make money from it,’ she told the Telegraph in 2022, claiming that she’d ‘never had a plan B’.

Lola’s popularity reached new heights when her single ‘Messy’ became a viral success on Tik Tok. The single reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January, making her the youngest British female artist to score a solo No. 1 since Dua Lipa in 2017. She’s recently made TV appearances with Jimmy Fallon and Graham Norton, as well as being nominated and performing at the Brits 2025 ceremony.

Lola is set to perform at Glastonbury 2025 later this year – you can see our write-up on that here.

In the interview with NME, CMAT delved into her admiration for this year’s BRIT nominees, particularly The Last Dinner Party, who have put a new face to indie music – having won both the BRIT Rising Star award last year and Best New Artist at this year’s award ceremony.

The ‘No More Virgos’ performer shared: “I’m very openly a big fan of The Last Dinner Party, they’re such a beacon for me. Back in the day, there was not a woman to be seen for miles. There were no women in indie music because they weren’t allowed to be visible.”

She continued: “they weren’t put to the forefront at a time when guitar music was starting to die a death, and [the industry] didn’t think they should revitalise it by encouraging women to get involved… So to now see so many women, not just being here, but being the best at what they do to the point they’re winning great awards, it makes my heart sing.”

As topics of independent artists and venues, and women being at the forefront of the industry were pertinent themes at the BRITs last night (1 March), CMAT’s comments are even more resonant, especially in her discussion of removing barriers for women to inspire other women within the industry.

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In both interviews, the indie-country singer was also eager to discuss her upcoming new material.

When speaking to Rolling Stone UK the ‘California’ singer shared: “There’s something very big that’s maybe in the shape of an album that’s coming very soon. The announcement is coming very soon. It’s all done and dusted.”

Continuing: “It was a really really difficult album to make, and it took all of my creative juices. I locked myself in a studio in New York for four months and got a bit of scurvy. It sounds really different to the other two, but it is very connected spiritually to everything happening in my life right now. I’m really proud of it. I think it’s my best record so far.”

Releasing her first album ‘If My Wife New I’d Be Dead’ in 2022 and her second album ‘Crazymad, For Me’  in 2023, CMAT showcases an enticing glimpse into her world through pop-culture references, high emotions alongside an extraordinarily outlandish funk of country-pop. She recently performed at Jools Holland’s annual Hootenanny, where her quirky and captivating performance style left a lasting impression on viewers. CMAT’s appearance at the BRITs coincides with her upcoming schedule supporting Sam Fender on his European Tour next week.

Find our full report of the BRITs 2025 here.

Arguably one of the most exciting acts to be confirmed is JADE, who will be making her solo debut at the BRITs. This follows her performance of ‘Woman Like Me’ with Little Mix in 2019 and her last award at the ceremony in 2021, when the group won ‘British Group’ as a trio, being the first girl group to ever win the award. Following a monumental resurgence to the industry as a solo artist, the singer is up for ‘Pop Act’ and her debut single ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ is up for ‘Song Of The Year With Mastercard’.

Regarding the recent announcement JADE commented: “I’ve honestly manifested every day since the release of ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ to perform at the BRIT Awards. I cried when I found out. I can’t wait to bring a huge, chaotic pop moment to the BRITs stage!”

Joining JADE is this year’s winner of the BRITs Rising Star award, Myles Smith. The rising star is nominated in three major categories, including: ‘Best New Artist’, Song Of The Year’ with ‘Stargazing’ and ‘Pop Act’. Smith began performing covers on social media and now five years later will take the stage at the BRITs. His breakthrough hit, ‘Stargazing’, peaked at No. 4 on the UK Official Singles Chart and has over 640 million streams on Spotify.

When the announcement was confirmed, Smith said: “Performing at the BRITs is such an incredible honour, and it feels surreal to even say it out loud. To think I was sitting at home watching it last year, and now I’m performing the very next year… it’s just insane. Grateful for this opportunity ad can’t wait to step onto that stage”.

The Last Dinner Party have been confirmed alongside JADE and Myles Smith. The group were catapulted into the spotlight when their single ‘Nothing Matters’ gained considerable traction on TikTok early last year. Their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, selling over 32,000 copies in its opening week and was shortlisted for the 2024 Mercury Prize. The ‘Sinner’ performers have secured four BRIT nominations making them more than worthy performers at this year’s ceremony.

Singer-songwriter Shaboozey will also be taking the stage on March 1. The singers amalgamation of country and hip-hop, as seen in his hit track ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’, which achieved No. 6 on the Singles Charts, has earned Shaboozey a nomination in the ‘International Song of the Year’ category.

Shaboozey spoke on the news of his performance and nomination, stating: “I’m beyond grateful and humbled to not only be nominated for a BRIT Award but to take the stage. This past year has been huge for me with my records getting love from all over the world and now I can celebrate with my friends and fans in London”.

With euphonically powerful vocals which seamlessly blend R&B, soul and pop, Teddy Swims, concludes the first set of performers to be announced, and will be riding the wave of his continued success with a performance at this year’s BRITs. His debut album ‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)’  features many multi-platinum hits including, ‘The Door’ and ‘Lose Control’, the latter of which features within the ‘International Song Of The Year’ category.

The five artists confirmed to be performing at the BRITs (thus far) summarise the previous year of music within the UK. With exciting announcements already made, stay tuned for more updates on this year’s BRIT Awards.

February 17 – Cat Burns – MOTH Club, London

The London-born singer has rose to popularity after her song ‘Go‘ went viral on social media, and peaked at number two on UK charts. She has, since then, released her debut album ‘Early Twenties‘ in 2024, which debuted and peaked at number seven in the UK. MOTH Club, situated in Hackney, has a capacity of 300 standing.

February 18 – Joy Crookes – Islington Assembly Hall, London

Joy Crookes will be playing the 890 capacity venue in Islington. Joy Crookes begun her career uploading covers on social media, and published her debut single ‘New Manhattan’ at age seventeen. The artist’s album ‘Skin‘ debuted at number seven in the UK in 2021, and earlier this month, a new single ‘Pass the Salt’ was released.

February 20 – Rachel Chinouriri – Omeara, London

Rachel Chinouriri begun her career uploading songs on SoundCloud, and successively turned, in 2018, to mainstream streaming platforms. Her second full length album ‘What a Devastating Turn of Events‘, peaked at number seventeen in the UK. South London’s Omeara, one of the most iconic venues in the city, has a capacity of 320.

February 21 – Frank Turner – 93 Feet East

English songwriter Frank Turner will be overtaking the 93 Feet East stage, situated in Brick Lane and with a capacity of 320. The artist has spent almost two decades on the UK music scene, debuting on UK charts in 2008 with “Long Live the Queen’, which peaked at 65. His latest album ‘Undefeated‘ was released in 2024 and peaked at number three. This won’t be the first time Turner collaborates with War Child, as he was revealed as one of War Child Presents Secret Seven earlier this month.

February 24 – Nova Twins – Omeara, London

The English rock duo appeared on the UK music scene in 2014, releasing their first EP in 2016. They first appeared on UK charts with the single ‘1×1′ which peaked at number 55. In 2022, their second full length album ‘Supernova‘ peaked at 27 in the UK and charted for a week.

February 25 – Kasabian, supported by Blossoms – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

The rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 and released their first studio album in 2004. They have collected seven number one albums, the most recent being ‘Happenings‘, released in 2024. Kasabian will be playing the 2,000 people venue in West London with special guest Blossoms, formed in 2013 in Manchester.

February 28 – Clean Bandit and Friends – The London Palladium

Clean Bandit will be performing at the London Palladium, a theatre in Central London with a capacity of 2286 people. The band has has seventeen singles charting in the UK, and two albums which achieved the top ten. Their latest single to chart in the UK was ‘Cry Baby’, which peaked at number 49.

March 3 – Tom Walker – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

Scottish songwriter Tom Walker rose to fame in 2018 with single ‘Leave a Light On’, which peaked at number seven in the UK. The following year his debut album ‘What a Time To be Alive‘ achieved the number one position; more recently, Walker peaked at four with the album ‘I am‘. The Glasgow venue has a capacity of 300.

March 4 – Soft Play – Village Underground, London

English punk duo Soft Play released their first EP in 2012 and their first studio album ‘Are You Satisfied?’ peaked at number eight in the UK. They were previously known as The Slaves, but changed their name in 2022. Their latest album ‘Heavy Jelly‘, their first under their new name, peaked at number three. The Shoreditch venue hosts 700 people.

March 5 – Rag‘n’Bone Man – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill

Rag’n’Bone Man will be gracing the theatre right on the coast of East Sussex, with a capacity of 1000 people. The artist was placed second in the BBC Sound Of 2017 list and his debut album ‘Human‘, released in the same year, peaked at number one. The artist released three more albums, of which the latest titled ‘What Do You Believe In?‘ peaked at three in the UK.

You can enter a ballot to win tickets for an artist if your choice here, by making a small donation to War Child.