26. Amajit Talwar, Punch

Amajit Talwar, known by all as Ammo, is the founder and chief executive of Punch.

Having qualified in Civil Engineering, he left the world of engineering to pursue a career in music. He opened Punch Records in Birmingham, UK in 1997.

Quickly establishing itself as the key hub in Birmingham for black music DJs, the organisation branched out to organise large scale music events across the region, DJ competitions and finally began delivering educational workshops in 1999.

In this early period of growth Ammo still found the time to organise some of the biggest music events of the 1990s in the midlands.

With a dedication to demonstrating the contribution and relevance of music and culture to mainstream education he regularly speaks at festivals, conferences and seminars across the world.

As a consultant for a range of national and international organisations, including Bass Music Festival, Acfest and Arts Council England, he has been instrumental in developing the profile and infrastructure for artists based in the West Midlands & UK. He also regularly consults for the commercial sector around cultural tourism. In 2007 he helped to produce the world's first book on bhangra Music.

Ammo is a member of the Council of Arts Council England, West Midlands and continues to lead all aspects of Punch's expansion. He was also honoured by the Queen in the 2008 Honours List and can now boast an MBE among his achievements.