Published: 19 Apr 2018
PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, has today announced a new partnership with Creative Scotland, the public development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland, to support its Momentum Music Fund. Since it was created in 2013, the Momentum Music Fund has established a reputation for funding, supporting and spotlighting talent at crucial tipping points in their careers.
Fully revealed at Wide Days 2018, a forum for Scottish music businesses and artists to connect with the international industry, the new partnership will allow more talented artists from across the UK at the right career stage to apply for vital support to aid their development. The pioneering initiative provides career-boosting grants of between £5,000 - £15,000 to acts at a pivotal time in their professional development.
Until today only artists based in England were eligible for funding, but now, Scottish artists can apply for funding to support activities such as recording, touring and marketing. Artists must be at a tipping point in their careers, showing current progression and growth with significant potential to continue developing.
We’re overflowing with musical talent in Scotland and we want the world to know about it- Alan Morrison, Creative Scotland
The fund boasts huge success stories including Anna Meredith, Years & Years, Little Simz, Public Service Broadcasting, Bugzy Malone, Yungen, Lapsley and Oh Wonder.
Vanessa Reed, CEO at PRS Foundation said, “Thanks to Creative Scotland, we can now offer support to the many talented and independent Scottish artists who need support and industry exposure to take their music to the next level. This is an excellent example of how public funders and industry partners, including PPL and Spotify, can work together in response to the needs of diverse artists and the potential for seed funding to unlock sustainable careers. I look forward to seeing the range of Scottish acts that apply and to combining the expertise of our Scottish partners with input from industry experts when making decisions on who makes it through.”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland said, “There’s so much more to succeeding in the music industry these days than just writing great songs. Musicians today really need to know how to handle a crowdfunding campaign, get access to influential streaming playlists and generally improve their business skills. That’s where the Momentum Music Fund steps in, working with acts who have already got themselves onto the ladder and helping them climb a few rungs higher. We’re overflowing with musical talent in Scotland and we want the world to know about it – that’s why Creative Scotland is delighted to be partnering with the PRS Foundation in this brilliantly innovative programme as part of our aim to promote Scottish music and help grow more sustainable creative businesses in Scotland.”
Since 2013 the Momentum Music Fund has supported over 270 artists, over 160 new albums and more than 170 totalling over 1,000 UK live dates. There will also be a Momentum Music Fund launch at Focus Wales on Thursday 10 May 2018. You can get your Focus Wales delegates pass from focuswales.com.
Managed by PRS Foundation, the Momentum Music Fund awards grants of up to £15,000 using funds from PRS Foundation, PPL and Creative Scotland with funding from The National Lottery. Spotify contributes additional funding and a reward package containing exciting promotional opportunities and a close working relationship between Momentum artists and the Spotify team. The Momentum Music Fund was supported by Arts Council England from 2013-18.
The next deadline for application submissions is 29 May 2018 at 6.00pm
Find out more, including details of how to apply, on the PRS Foundation website.
PRS Foundation is the UK's leading charitable funder of new music and talent development. Since 2000 PRS Foundation has given more than £29.5 million to over 6,300 new music initiatives by awarding grants and leading partnership programmes that support music sector development. Widely respected as an adventurous and proactive funding body, PRS Foundation supports an exceptional range of new music activity – from composer residencies and commissions to a network of talent development partners and showcases in the UK and overseas.www.prsfoundation.com | @PRSFoundation
Founded in 1934, PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation (CMO) for tens of thousands of performers and record companies. We license recorded music in the UK when it is played in public (shops, bars, nightclubs, offices etc.) or broadcast (BBC, commercial radio, commercial TV etc.) and ensure that revenue flows back to our members. These include both independent and major record companies, together with performers ranging from emerging grassroots artists through to established session musicians and influential festival headliners.
PPL has a market-leading international collections business, with 87 agreements in place across 41 countries, helping members to maximise their revenue when their repertoire is played overseas. We collected £212.1 million in the UK and internationally in 2016 and paid over 92,000 performers and record companies.
Spotify is an award-winning digital music service that gives you on-demand access to over 30 million tracks. Our dream is to make all the world’s music available instantly to everyone, wherever and whenever you want it. Spotify makes it easier than ever to discover, manage and share music with your friends, while making sure that artists get a fair deal. Since its launch in Sweden in 2008, Spotify has driven more than US$3bn to rights holders. Spotify is now the second biggest source of digital music revenue for labels in Europe, and the biggest and most successful music streaming service of its kind globally. www.spotify.com/uk
Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, we plan to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk
Arts Council England and PRS Foundation initiated the Momentum Music Fund in 2013.
