Pen in hand, ribbon in hair, 19-year-old singer-songwriter Isabel Maria has been shattering expectations since 2021. Having recently won a North East Culture Award—to join the Alan Hull and Northern Writers Awards—Isabel’s alternative pop dialogues of mental health, human relationships, and self-deprecation have earned her international praise from BBC Radio 1 and Rolling Stone Español. Based in Sunderland, UK—a recently coined ‘music city’—Isabel’s career had humble beginnings with secret songs written on her grandad’s old Casio. After generous support from the city’s Young Musicians Project, those songs hit the ears of the public, earning hundreds of thousands of collective streams and a frequent run of shows across the nation and beyond. For fans of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Gracie Abrams, Isabel’s music is a true showcase of her emotional vulnerability and biting wit. Fresh off a huge national run of shows—from major festivals like Kendal Calling and support slots with Tom A Smith to a miniature USA tour.