![Alter Ego finalists all on stage as the host announces the winner and confetti is falling down onto the stage.](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/Untitled-design-min-1.jpg?w=1156&h=500&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721038985&s=c15ee24bf77494949b0741351f8c71cc)
![Alter Ego finalists all on stage as the host announces the winner and confetti is falling down onto the stage.](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/Untitled-design-min-1.jpg?w=375&h=375&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721038985&s=24213139f607c82c9a8651f4c2a3ccd4)
News Story
We brought Alter Ego back with a bang on Fri 16 Feb with the best 14 – 18 year old singers, rappers, dancers and spoken word artists East London has to offer. Our winner on the night was Rain!
Rain is an actress, script-writer, spoken-word artist and musician based in London. Her work focuses on topics that spark conversations and encourages her audience to prioritise and embrace the community around them. Everyone was captivated by her performance.
Alongside Rain the finalists for Alter Ego included singer-songwriters Blewska, Rayanna and Yaz, rappers D1GSZ, DDONEIT and LJ, dance group Dynamix, girl vocal group FCA and musicians Tobz & Slimz, who all performed alongside unbelievable music and dance headliners including DJ Teej, Mnelia, M24, Suli Breaks, Boy Blue and special guest on the night Ivorian Doll. The event was hosted by BBC Introducing’s Jess Iszatt.
I’m forever grateful for the support I’ve been blessed with throughout Alter Ego from Yamin, Fatima, the Hackney Empire Young Producers and the outstanding fellow young Artists that I had the upmost privilege to work alongside and to see them shine within their work. Thank you to all that attended that night and I’m glad I got to share such a special moment with beautiful people.”
Rain
“Alter Ego is an incredible and vital space as a programme and as a show. Recently we’ve seen a rise in young artists finding themselves on massive stages after songs they’ve made in their bedroom explode in popularity on the internet. However, alongside this there has been a real decline in the training and artist development available to young people, and that is what this programme provides. It’s a magical process watching these young artists go through the diligent training that prepares them to take on the 1200 seat venue that is Hackney Empire, and when the community shows up to support them and bring the place to life, it’s nothing short of electric.”
Fatima Sheekhuna, Learning & Participation Producer
Image gallery
![Group image of all the finalist that participated at Alter Ego 2024 with the red curtain as the background](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-199.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039014&s=8f794ff851e2ee98bb5faef08af4fa3d)
![Rayanna is wearing a white leatherjacket and is singing on stage](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-22.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039010&s=741489170e908f1f88848e2215de1c9a)
![Ivorian Doll on stage singing while holding the mic out to the crowd.](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-156.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039005&s=7bd68366affa749a04e62181fcf78ee2)
![2 members of the Skaduces dance group captured on stage. one has his arm around the the girls shoulders while her left hand is in the air.](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-111.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039005&s=4fc41c73a78e1853ae6ce73363e64883)
![Blewska has blue hair and is singing into the microphone](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-68.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039019&s=eb760d7f1792fb95c258866cd0387e92)
![Girl group FCA on stage talking to the host Jess Iszatt about their performance](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/FCA.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721038992&s=791dd75fc5fc01ec0eb051c95a348ccf)
![Suli Breaks is wearing a green jump and is holding the microphone up to his mouth while on stage](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-118.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039005&s=50fcd5692c03de0824ee66241f76e2a0)
![LJ rapping on stage while looking out to the audiences](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/lj.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721038986&s=2f69320293eb112b015aa400bea40934)
![D1GZ on stage performing to the crowd with his arm pointed to the audiences](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-91.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039020&s=7dd463264bd2104b4f8b16561ac10702)
![Dance group on stage preforming while the screen above them is showing the Alter Ego title](https://hackney-empire.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/Show-images/2024/JAN-APR-2024/@ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY_alterego_2024-129.jpg?w=600&h=358&q=100&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1721039005&s=c25c97fc4e371a216bb27da8a74a168b)