Girls I Rate have announced a special live edition of their Future Hitmaker songwriting masterclass, featuring three of the UK's leading Black women songwriters.
Powered by PRS for Music, PRS Foundation and Spotify Equal, Girls I Rate: Future Hitmaker Masterclass will take place in the Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, located in the Southbank Centre in London, on 5 November.
GIR founder Carla Marie Williams (who has previously written for the likes of Beyoncé, Sean Paul and Craig David) will be joined on a 'day of empowerment and education' by two further Grammy/BRIT Award-winning songwriters in Jin-Jin (Jess Glynne, RAYE, Jax Jones) and Kamille (Dua Lipa, Little Mix, Kylie Minogue).
The three songwriters will take part in 'a conversation that provides an invaluable opportunity for aspiring female songwriters to learn about the music industry', while sharing their own 'journeys, top tips and stories behind writing songs for some of the biggest stars in the world'.
Attendees will also have the chance to win a £500 development grant from the Future Hitmaker Award. Founded in 2021 by Carla Marie Williams in partnership with PRS Foundation, the fund is specifically designed to support the development of young women creating music.
The winner of the Future Hitmaker Award will be announced by GIR during this Southbank Centre event, and you can enter here. You can find tickets and more information about Girls I Rate: Future Hitmaker Masterclass by heading here.
Speaking about the event, Carla Marie Williams said: 'Being able to support women in their musical careers is an amazing feeling. I’m overwhelmed at the support I’ve received for the Future Hitmaker Award and initiative. Growing up in a single-parent home, my mum couldn’t afford to send me to stage school or music classes. Platforms like GIR and PRS Foundation didn’t exist, so I rarely saw women who looked like me in these spaces.
'I’m happy to be able to offer these amazing opportunities to women and be the positive face and voice of representation, equality and diversity for women of the future.'
Janeace (Jay T) Thompson, Head of Inclusion and Employee Experience at PRS for Music, added: 'Developing spaces that empower the songwriting, producer and composer community to become stronger creatively is a cause close to PRS for Music. Nearly 800 women under the age of 30 registered with PRS as professional songwriters and composers last year.
'It’s crucial that we continue to educate the next generation of music creators about the significance of music royalties and the strategies for establishing a sustainable career. Our partnership with Girls I Rate and its Future Hitmaker Masterclasses this year plays an important role in our support of future talent.'
