Member Article

Three Yorkshire music acts get government funding to promote worldwide

Thirteen music acts, including three from Yorkshire, are set to receive support to sell UK music abroad and promote their careers overseas, Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced.

Through the Music Export Growth Scheme, each artist will be able to put the funding towards tour support, overseas venue costs, international travel costs, marketing, promotion and PR costs.

Yorkshire acts receiving their share of the funding are:

• Sheffield’s’ Philippa Hanna, whose fusion of modern Gospel, Soul and Country is thrilling audiences. Philippa is currently supporting Britain’s Got Talent 2014 winners Collabro on their UK tour.
• Leeds five piece band Hookworm, whose second album is earning rave reviews with an impressive 9/10 from NME.
• Singer/songwriter Sam Genders, known as Diagrams, also from Sheffield. Diagrams alternative pop has seen him partner with producers such as Leo Abrahams (David Byrne, Brian Eno, Marianne Faithful et al)

The scheme is run by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) – the Government department that helps boost the exports of UK companies – and UK music trade body BPI. In the latest round, 13 independent UK music companies behind the careers of British talent have been awarded grants of between £5,000 and £30,000.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Britain’s creative industries are the envy of the world. You only have to look at the success of Sam Smith at the Grammys earlier this month to see British music is still very much striking a chord with music fans across the globe.

“The Music Export Growth Scheme has provided help to some of the UK’s most promising stars, continuing our strong musical heritage while boosting the UK economy through increased ticket and music sales.

“This latest round of winners has something for most musical tastes and I wish them well as they launch their talents onto the global stage.”

Other latest recipients of MEGS funding are: 2:54 (London), Futuristic Polar Bears (Manchester), Kate Tempest (London), Mallory Knox (Cambridgeshire), Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (London), Public Service Broadcasting (London), You Me At Six (Surrey), Kindness (London) , Dan Croll (Liverpool), Young Guns (London)

Geoff Taylor, BPI Chief Executive, highlighted the importance of the Scheme to artists’ careers.“Digital music is global and that has increased the opportunities for British artists overseas. The fantastic success of Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Coldplay and One Direction around the world proves there is a strong appetite for British music, but some independent labels do not have the resources to promote an artist in every export market they might want to target. The Music Export Growth Scheme, run by the BPI and UKTI, helps to fill this gap and is giving a real boost to British music overseas.”

The next round of the Music Export Growth Scheme will open for applications from independent music labels, artists, management companies and other music SMEs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on 2 March.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .