My first thought when I got my invite to the Radio 1 Teen Awards was… What am I gonna wear? How am I gonna have my hair and makeup? Being me, I went for it… Maybe even slightly overdid it, let’s leave it at that! But being a performer and musician, I was super excited to be part of such an amazing cause, and the atmosphere and crowd that came with it. What’s more worth getting dressed up for than to celebrate amazing young people who have done such outstanding, brave and selfless things?
Amber Donoso enjoyed being a part of this year's Radio 1 Teen Awards
I had an incredible first time at Radio 1 Teen Awards to say the least! I love to spend time with my sister so I was very pleased to be able to bring her with me. Both my sister and I have been raised to be strong women by both my parents, so I was especially looking forward to seeing young female artists such as Rita Ora and Camilla Cabello performing. In the current social climate, I feel it’s super important for women to not only have a voice, but to inspire other women and girls everywhere, no matter what field they’re in, [and prove] that no dream is too big and that us girls CAN!
The event began with Rita Ora singing her newest single ‘Anywhere’ joined by her 10 dancers. To be one person in a crowd of 7,000 – joined by millions watching online and at home – and to see one woman not only hold the space but to inspire many young girls and boys was mind-blowing. When you’re part of a crowd that big, you can’t help but think how powerful music and performance can be. This, for me, is a real driving force behind why I do what I do – I often feel so empowered by the passion of other performers that I can’t help but want to share my own passion for music and performance with everyone.
At a big event like the Teen Awards, where everyone from Rita Ora to The Vamps and even you and I are celebrating inspiring young people who have achieved such greatness in their lives, it’s really important to remember that there is a bigger message behind everything – especially music – that we often forget alongside our day-to-day pre-occupations. For me, this is something I strive to get across in my own music. I want my debut single ‘Get Off’ to be fun and positive but also empowering. I wrote this song after a break-up with an ex-partner, which is something that can make or break us all – we choose our own positivity! I take a lot of mine from music, and I want my own music to inspire the same feelings of empowerment and strength into other young people.