Toby Amies
An accomplished presenter, broadcaster, filmmaker, writer and photographer, Toby is perhaps best known as the host of The Rough Guides on Five and Lonely Planet TV (Discovery Channels worldwide), as well as for his work with MTV both in Europe and the USA. He has hosted shows on HBO, BBC2, BBC4, Radio 4, VH1, ITV, Sky One and 93.7 KRQ – Tucson’s only hit music station! He is also an award-winning filmmaker and his photographs have been widely published and exhibited.
In 1995, Toby was poached from MCA Records by MTV, and spent 3 years working as news anchor, producer and presenter. He hosted the critically acclaimed specialist music show Alternative Nation as well as the channel’s flagship film programme The Big Picture. During this period, he also co-created the gossip/review show Hot , which launched in both Germany & Italy following its success in the UK, and he also presented the BAFTA award-winning Short Change for BBC2.
In 1998 Toby moved to MTV USA to launch their first live programme MTV Live and subsequently produced, directed & hosted the infamous and innovative US Top 20 (notorious for being the show that measured Long Island to check that it actually was long!).
Whilst in New York, Toby formed the band Genius Steals and directed pop videos as well as an award-winning short film The End of The World Again (winner of the ‘Dali Award’ at the International Surrealist Film Festival). Along the way, he acted in the film Brown Paper Wrapper alongside Moby, reported on Michael Moore’s The Awful Truth, enjoyed a supporting role in a TV drama for the Fox Network, hosted an HBO Sopranos Special and worked as a presenter for Film Four,
In 2002, he returned to the UK and the work has continued to flood in! He is a regular contributor to Radio 4 (his last documentary was nominated for the 2008 Prix Europa), hosted all three series of the Discovery Travel Channel’s people-based travel show Lonely Planet’s Six Degrees, presented on Kirsty Wark’s Tales From… for BBC4, and continues to work as a director for Channel 4 and The Arts Council, and as a photographer for the likes of Saga Magazine, BBC Music, Plan B and NME – to name but a few!
View Toby’s showreel here