PRS Foundation reveals the 21 artists and 7 early… | Arts Council NI (2024)

The 9 artists selected to receive PPL Momentum Music Fund support in the latest round are:

• ARXX – Touring with Fletcher across the UK
• BINA. – Recording, touring, marketing for new EP ‘Chaos is a necessary part of rebirth’
• Dea Matrona – Touring and marketing for debut album ‘For Your Sins’
• Ili – Recording, touring, marketing for new EP
• Kehina – Marketing and short film for new EP ‘If A Tree Falls’ project
• The Gentle Good – Marketing and live show development for new album, ‘Elan’
• Lusaint – Studio, producer and session musician costs for sophom*ore EP
• Still Shadey – Recording, touring and marketing for debut album ‘Glorious News’
• Toya Delazy – Producing, gust features, live shows and visuals for new album, ‘AFRODAVE Vol 2’

PPL Momentum Music supported BINA. said, “The PPL Momentum Music fund will massively help me create a timeless project that I’m proud of and will help me take my storytelling and career to the next level.”

The 5 artists and 4 industry professionals receiving PPL Momentum Accelerator support for the Liverpool City Region are:

Music Creators:

• Bandit - Developing music quality and sound and increasing marketing for a new EP
• Ex-Easter Island Head – Touring and PR support for new album ‘Norther’
• Pet Snake – Increasing the scope of recording for debut album
• SSJ – Time to create and release new music
• Tonia – Developing live performance and booking new tour

Industry professionals:

• Connor Di Leo – Co-founder of the MusicSeen, developing the website and content development of promotional material for live sessions.
• Jenny Coyle – Personal, skills and entrepreneurship development and exploring opportunities for collaboration with fellow industry professionals
• Nina Himmelreich - Co-founder of the MusicSeen, website maintenance training, production of live sessions for the site and local Conference attendance to promote MusicSeen
• Oliver Cash – Developing of record label PLUSH to platform & elevate Liverpool’s underground electronic dance music community

Nat Waters from PPL Momentum Accelerator Liverpool supported Bandit said, “The PPL Momentum Accelerator fund will be pivotal for our career as it will enable us to achieve high quality music and focus on more professional marketing efforts around our next EP. Wanting to develop on our previous sound is a huge part of our next steps and the funding has given us the opportunity to do this.”

The 7 artists and 3 industry professionals based in Wales receiving PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator support are:

Music Creators:

• Aderyn – Recording a new EP in studios in Wales, PR and radio plugging and expand current tour dates
• CHROMA – Time to create and record sophom*ore album
• Cynefin – Time to create and record Welsh language album ‘Shimli’ and marketing support
• Douvelle19 – Collaborating with artists for release artwork, merchandise, recording costs and developing and touring the ‘Locally Sauced’ night
• Lucas Alexander – Expanding the 'Let's Get Jazzy & the Pop Ty Ping Up Tour’ into more towns and cities in Wales
• THE NIGHTMARES – Recording new album at West Sound Studios in Newport, Wales, with producer Richard Jackson
• Ynys – Mixing and mastering new album and the promotion and marketing of the record

Industry Professionals:

• David Acton – Personal development and increasing music industry knowledge through education
• Elan Evans – Setting up and running of a record label and music publisher in Wales to help Welsh artists reach new audiences
• Yasmine Davies – Mentoring and training to increase and develop further skills in music producing

PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator supported Dave Acton said, “Receiving PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator at this point in my personal journey in music has not only been a huge boost of confidence and assure me that previous work has been recognised, it will allow me to get the education I need to elaborate on my work and improve my knowledge of the music industry, hopefully in turn allowing me to assist artists further in their careers.”

PPL Momentum Music Fund is the ground-breaking support for artists who have reached a crucial tipping point, have a team already in place and ready to take the next step in their careers. Managed by PRS Foundation, the PPL Momentum Music Fund awards grants of £5,000-£15,000 using funds from PRS Foundation, PPL, Creative Wales and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

PPL Momentum Accelerator funding supports exciting artists with a growing fanbase and who are working to establish a music industry team. Artists can receive up to £5,000 as well as mentoring from regional and national experts. Early career industry professionals, who play pivotal roles in the local scenes can receive support as combinations of small grants, mentoring or other holistic support. PPL Momentum Accelerator Liverpool City Region is run by PRS Foundation in partnership with, the Liverpool City Region Music Board, Culture Liverpool and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator is in partnership with Arts Council of Wales.

John Hendrickse, Grants & Programmes Manager at PRS Foundationsaid: “We’re delighted to reveal the latest artists and industry professionals receiving our PPL Momentum Music and Accelerator/ Sbardun support. Huge congratulations to all 28 grantees. Its fantastic to see so much talent across the UK whether already established and at a tipping point to break through to that next step, or those steadily building that early career foundation. We’re also proud to be able to recognise and offer support for those early career industry professionals that make an important contribution to the local music scenes in the Liverpool City Region and Wales. The creative ideas, opportunities and entrepreneurship they bring not only play a vital role in the local and national music ecosystem but also the wider development of the careers of music creators.

Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director of Creative Wales said: “We are so pleased that another eight talented Welsh musicians have been successful in securing PPL Momentum funding. We look forward to seeing how the artists use that funding to further develop and market their music and to hopefully watching them catapult onto the next stage of their careers. The funding and mentoring support provided for industry professionals at the early stage of their careers is also great news, not just for the three recipients, but for Wales’ grass roots music scene more broadly as it continues to strengthen and grow.”

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to partner with PRS Foundation on PPL Momentum Music Fund, a vital initiative which enables our artists to take that all important next step in the development of their professional music careers. We are committed to providing valuable, meaningful opportunities for our artists develop and reach their full potential. Congratulations to all the artists taking part in this current round and to Northern Ireland’s Dea Matrona, who will benefit greatly from this support towards touring and marketing their debut album ‘For Your Sins’.”

Councillor Mike Wharton, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Business for the Liverpool City Region 2023/24 said, “Artists from the Liverpool City Region have been a vital part of the UK and international music scene for the last 60 years, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for young emerging artists to break through and develop sustainable careers in the music industry today.

“That’s why I’ve backed our Liverpool City Region Music Board working with Culture Liverpool to support the inclusive growth of the music sector and the development of our local talent and as such, I’m delighted that we have been able to continue our work with the PRS Foundation on the PPL Momentum Accelerator programme.”

PPL became headline sponsors of the Momentum Music Fund in February 2020. Since then, 193 talented music creators at tipping points in their careers have received this vital support to break through to the next level. This type of support is crucial for both music creators’ careers and the wider industry as the 10 Years of Momentum Report (2013-23) found. To date, the fund has been transformational with over £5.2 million awarded to artists across the whole of the UK, resulting in:

• Helping to generate £22 million for the UK music industry
• Over 500 artists awarded PPL Momentum Music Fund support
• Creation of 275 albums(including Mercury Prize nominated albums and dozens of top twenty chart placements)
• Support for over 300 UK tours and over 1,600 live dates
• Over 7,300 applications received over 40 funding rounds with a 7% success rate of funds being granted

Through a 2018 evaluation of the PPL Momentum Music Fund, and evidence from thousands of applications PRS Foundation receives each year, talent pipeline gaps across the UK were identified. Many music creators show strong musical potential but are unable to capitalise upon this due to financial barriers, gaps in regional infrastructure, knowledge, advice, and access to industry platforms.

PPL Momentum Accelerator was subsequently launched as a targeted scheme to support the development of outstanding artists and bands who are writing their own music, and early career Industry Professionals, outside London and who face additional barriers in reaching a crucial career tipping point based on their location. Launched as a pilot in Liverpool in 2019, PPL Momentum Accelerator, currently runs in Liverpool City Region, Wales and Yorkshire.

PRS Foundation and Arts Council England initiated The Momentum Music Fund in 2013. Arts Council England originally established the need for this specific fund and supported the programme from 2013-18.

The find out who has been supported through the PPL Momentum Music Fund and PPL Momentum Accelerator to date, and for all the latest deadlines to apply, visit PRS Foundation’s website. Successful applicants from the 20^th May deadline will be announced in the coming months.