From presenting backstage at the Youth Music Awards to landing a dream role as a BRITs POV host, NextGen Maya Egbo shares her creative career journey.
Making it in a creative career takes persistence, passion and a knack for seizing opportunities, all of which NextGen Maya Egbo is no stranger to.
Over the past five years, Maya has interviewed countless A list celebs and presented at major cultural events, ticking off presenting bucket list goals some could only dream of.
From working as a Backstage Presenter at the Youth Music Awards in 2023 to landing a coveted spot as a BRITs POV host for 2025, Maya has carved a space for herself in an industry known for its competitiveness, and it's all down to her self-belief, adaptability, and actively seeking out opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear.
We caught up with Maya to hear the lessons she’s learned so far—from handling rejection to building a strong personal brand—and her valuable advice for aspiring presenters looking to grow their profiles. She also lifts the lid on what it takes to land high-profile presenting gigs, the skills that set her apart, and her ambitions for the future, including a long-term goal to break into television.
As she prepares for the BRIT Awards 2025, Maya reflects on the rollercoaster nature of her career and why embracing the journey is just as important as the destination.
Since working as a NextGen at the Youth Music Awards 2023 as a Backstage Presenter, you’ve presented for That Grape Juice, the V&A and are now a BRITs POV host for 2025! What have you learned during your career so far?
I’ve been working in the industry for a good five years now so I’ve definitely learnt a lot! It’s a competitive industry and to be honest, you’ll be faced with a lot of rejection along the way but just keep pushing on! Have so much self belief that you don’t take the lows personally (easier said than done, I know!) and always advocate for yourself. That could look like: posting your work to your socials, accepting jobs that might seem scary, sending around your showreel and actively seeking opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to you.
Unfortunately this career path is not linear- (it would make things a lot easier if it was!) but it’s more like a rollercoaster, however, if you love what the outcome could be, keep riding it!
How did the Youth Music Awards role open up doors for you?
It’s always good to get your face out there. The more work you do = the more work you get, so having opportunities like working at the YMA’s on my profile is great. Plus, any job you get, no matter how big or small, gives you valuable experience.
Where did you find out about the BRITs presenter role, and what do you think helped you to stand out?
The great thing about the BRITs role is that it was an open call so anyone could have applied! Obviously that also means that the competition is fierce but usually presenting opportunities to work with big brands like this only come around if you've got an agent or ‘know someone who knows someone.’ They’re not usually advertised to all so I knew this was one of those opportunities I had to grab by the neck!
When presenting, you just have to use your personality to stand out. Be exactly who you are and show off your skills- don't try and be someone else or a version you think they’d like. Me and the two other girls that were chosen are completely different and have completely different styles!
Also, for this job it was required that you knew how to self shoot and edit as we create a lot of our own content so showing off those skills and making your audition video look and feel ‘BRITs ready' was important!
What has the BRITs experience been like so far, and what has the role involved?
I’m one of three BRITs POV presenters- we create weekly videos for the BRITs social channels centered around music news and pop culture. We also go on shoots such as ‘The Rising stars’ and ‘Bring on the BRITs’ where we’ve interviewed talent and done some BTS style videos.
And of course the actual ceremony, The BRIT awards 2025 is coming up… can’t say too much, but exciting stuff happening there!
*Hey Google, play ‘Crazy Tings’ by Tems.
What advice would you give aspiring young presenters looking to grow their profile?
This is such an important question and one of the most asked in my DM’s lol!
- Get creating content that shows off your skills and passions - You may not get the big clients or celebrities to interview straight away so what can you do in the meantime? The reason I have my following on Tik Tok is because I used to create videos from my bedroom talking about celebrity culture. From athletes to musicians to what’s just happened on Love Island! I was showing my passion and love for Entertainment by making those kinds of videos for fun… now I get paid for them!
- Your brand is important - Show people what you want to do via your social media. If you're an ‘aspiring anything’- I should know from your bio and your feed. It should all align! Think about it like this, let’s say your dreammm brand comes across your socials- would they consider hiring you for a job? Can they see your previous work, your personality, your vibe? If the answer is no, spend a bit of time this week working on it.
- Build your showreel - You need proof of work. Build your showreel because people need these sort of examples before they hire you. Your showreel can be you talking to camera, street interviews, interviews you’ve made with a friend. It doesn't matter if you're starting at the beginning- anything that shows your presenting style off will do! I promise no one is needing it to be perfectly polished at the beginning stages. Progression is better than perfection.
Where should people look to find presenting jobs and opportunities?
Outreaching is actually your best friend here! Find people on LinkedIn or at networking events that work at the companies you’d like to present for and email them your showreel and your bio! I’ve had people get back to me straight away about a specific event or six months later down the line when they need a presenter for something. It varies but put yourself out there and plant the seed!
I also pay a monthly subscription to ‘Presenterly’ which has a database of Presenter opportunities that are added as and when they pop up. From time to time there’s some good jobs on there that you can apply for.
What are your presenting dreams for the next few years?
One of my biggest goals within the next few years is to get TV work! I work a lot for brands and social content but I’m yet to make my Presenter TV debut!
I would also love to work at/ around the Women’s EUROs this year and other major sporting events such as The Olympics and Fightnights!
One of my presenter idols is my namesake, Maya Jama, I would love to do the kind of things she does!
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