Jamal Edwards, known for founding media platform SBTV, which helped catapult grime and a wave of new artists to a global audience, died on Sunday morning aged 31.

Edwards was also a director, author, DJ, entrepreneur and designer, and was awarded an MBE in 2014 – when he was 24 – for his work in music.

This British entrepreneur and YouTube star was the founder of SBTV, an online urban music platform which helped launch the careers of artists like Dave, Ed Sheeran and Skepta.

Edwards is the son of singer and Loose Women presenter Brenda Edwards. Born in Luton, Edwards was appointed an MBE for services to music in 2014.

A pioneering figure in British rap and grime music, he also became an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, a youth charity run by the Prince of Wales which helps young people set up their own companies.

He attended the Brit Awards earlier this month and was understood to have performed as a DJ at a gig in north London on Saturday night. No details have been released about his death, other than it happened on Sunday morning.

Edwards was born in Luton in 1990 and grew up in Acton, west London. He received a BTec diploma in media moving image from Ealing College and worked at retail chain Topman to financially support himself while developing SBTV.

Edwards first got into film-making after his parents gave him a video camera as a Christmas present when he was 15. His mother said he was an "inspiration".
Jamal Edwards’ SBTV platform has more than 1 million subscribers. SBTV arrived at a crucial time, showing that grime could thrive online. To an extent, SBTV was formed out of frustration. "Everyone in my area was an MC and I remember thinking, 'Why can't I find these online? He said once.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that British music and entertainment "has lost one of its brightest stars".

Presenter and comedian Mo Gilligan, who hosted this year's Brit awards, tweeted: "A truly humble and blessed soul. Your legacy will live on for years & you've inspired a whole generation."