Funding Boost To Support Rising Music Talent With Grants Up To £5,000

Emerging artists and music professionals across our region have been urged to apply for a new support programme offering four-figure grants.

The PPL Momentum Accelerator scheme is being rolled out in the Tees Valley for the first time – offering talented artists with a growing fanbase up to £5,000 to support taking their careers to the next level.

The initiative is being led by the PRS Foundation – a leading UK funder of music talent – with support from PPL, and delivered in partnership with Sonic Futures, the Combined Authority and the UK Government, to offer targeted grants and mentoring for music creators and professionals looking to develop their careers in our region.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of Sam Fender’s backing of the Northern Music Export Office — a groundbreaking joint initiative also supported by the Combined Authority to help northern artists reach international audiences.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “We are home to fantastically talented musicians and industry professionals and this new funding will support their success and help drive their careers to the next level.

“This support will play a vital role in our mission to develop and grow all parts of our economy to ensure people can stay local and go far right here in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.”

As well as the Momentum Accelerator programme offering grants of up to £5,000, support of up to £1,000 — including micro-grants, mentoring and career development opportunities — is also available to aspiring and early-career music professionals living in the region.

The scheme builds on successful Momentum Accelerator programmes in Liverpool, Yorkshire and Wales, where recipients have gone on to sign major label deals, perform at Glastonbury and SXSW, and win prizes such as the Mercury Prize and the Welsh Music Prize.

Applications Open

Becci Scotcher, Senior Grants and Programmes Manager at PRS Foundation, said: “Removing barriers for the huge amount of talented music creators in Tees Valley and those local industry professionals and professionals of the future, is vital to the music ecosystem of the region and means more and more artists and industry professionals can build their careers longer in their hometowns, developing the scene and its infrastructure.

“I am looking forward to seeing who applies and the impact this support will have for those selected for support.”

Sarah Wall, Senior Events & Partnerships Manager at PPL, added: “We know there is such a huge range of music creators and industry professionals operating in the region, and we cannot wait to see who the first cohort funded by PPL Momentum Accelerator Tees Valley will be.

“Previous PPL Momentum Accelerator recipients include English Teacher and Chiedu Oraka – and are tough acts to follow.

“However, with the calibre of industry professionals in the region, alongside expertise from Sonic Futures, we know the recipients will have the right support to build the foundations of a sustainable music career.”

Sonic Futures is a partnership led by North East music industry specialists, Generator, and Tees Music Alliance, with Combined Authority funding which delivering more than £2million to set the next generation of talent up for success.

This wider push includes ring-fenced funding for Tees Valley-based bands and artists to boost their careers alongside support for music education and plans to grow the region’s festival scene.

The deadline for applications to the PPL Momentum Accelerator Tees Valley is 6pm on 14 May.

In addition to this targeted support, Tees Valley-based artists can also apply for the wider PPL Momentum Music Fund — a UK-wide scheme for artists with teams already in place and poised to break through to the next level. The next application deadline for this strand is 6pm on 12 May.

To find out more and submit your application, go here: PPL Momentum Accelerator Guidance – PRS Foundation