In its latest round of funding, the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) has supported 19 British acts with £257,000 of funding.
The scheme is now celebrating five years, during which time MEGS has distributed almost £3.5m to 227 largely independent music projects.
It has supported a diverse range of artists from hip hop to pop, rock and jazz, and this latest round of funding includes a classical music act, with the London Symphony orchestra receiving backing to tour South America.
This year’s recipients also include Northern-Irish singer songwriter SOAK, folk act Luke Sital-Singh, Bristol’s Elder Island, R&B artist Rosie Lowe and electronic duo Honne.
The MEGS is managed by BPI, administered through the Department of International Trade (DIT) and forms part of the Government’s Exporting is Great campaign, which supports small to medium sized music companies.
MEGS recipient and electropop artist Shura said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be a recipient of a MEGS grant. Touring is such an important part of growing as an artist but sadly it isn’t always affordable! To have this kind of support as an independent artist is not only incredible, it’s essential.’
Bath-based recipients Bad Sounds commented: ‘We can't thank the BPI and DIT enough for this funding. It is not only relieving the financial pressure but allowing us to pursue opportunities we couldn't have without it.’
Liam Fox, Secretary of state, said: ‘Successful British music acts are the unsung heroes of our economy. The UK is a world leader in music exports, which soared by 7 per cent to £2.6 billion in 2017. As part of our exports strategy, we are proud to help UK artists to break into new global markets and thanks to the Music Export Growth Scheme, hundreds of British acts have received funding that will help this growth to continue.’
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI & BRIT Awards, added: ‘Britain has a proud record of global success as a music nation, but in the intensely competitive era of global digital platforms, we need to invest more than ever to break UK artists overseas. A relatively small contribution from the Music Export Growth Scheme to an act’s tour or digital marketing can make all the difference in supporting its international success. In the process we all stand to gain – an enlightened approach that is all the more necessary as the UK looks to develop its international trade strategy.’
Full list of MEGS recipients in the 15th round of funding is as follows:
Bad Sounds
Bang Bang Romeo
Boston Manor
Delta Sleep
Demob Happy
Elder Island
Georgia
HONNE
Jordan Rakei
London Symphony Orchestra
Lucy Rose
Luke Sital-Singh
Nilüfer Yanya
Rosie Lowe
Shura
SOAK
Stealing Sheep
Swindle
TENDER
The scheme is now celebrating five years, during which time MEGS has distributed almost £3.5m to 227 largely independent music projects.
It has supported a diverse range of artists from hip hop to pop, rock and jazz, and this latest round of funding includes a classical music act, with the London Symphony orchestra receiving backing to tour South America.
This year’s recipients also include Northern-Irish singer songwriter SOAK, folk act Luke Sital-Singh, Bristol’s Elder Island, R&B artist Rosie Lowe and electronic duo Honne.
The MEGS is managed by BPI, administered through the Department of International Trade (DIT) and forms part of the Government’s Exporting is Great campaign, which supports small to medium sized music companies.
MEGS recipient and electropop artist Shura said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be a recipient of a MEGS grant. Touring is such an important part of growing as an artist but sadly it isn’t always affordable! To have this kind of support as an independent artist is not only incredible, it’s essential.’
Bath-based recipients Bad Sounds commented: ‘We can't thank the BPI and DIT enough for this funding. It is not only relieving the financial pressure but allowing us to pursue opportunities we couldn't have without it.’
Liam Fox, Secretary of state, said: ‘Successful British music acts are the unsung heroes of our economy. The UK is a world leader in music exports, which soared by 7 per cent to £2.6 billion in 2017. As part of our exports strategy, we are proud to help UK artists to break into new global markets and thanks to the Music Export Growth Scheme, hundreds of British acts have received funding that will help this growth to continue.’
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI & BRIT Awards, added: ‘Britain has a proud record of global success as a music nation, but in the intensely competitive era of global digital platforms, we need to invest more than ever to break UK artists overseas. A relatively small contribution from the Music Export Growth Scheme to an act’s tour or digital marketing can make all the difference in supporting its international success. In the process we all stand to gain – an enlightened approach that is all the more necessary as the UK looks to develop its international trade strategy.’
Full list of MEGS recipients in the 15th round of funding is as follows:
Bad Sounds
Bang Bang Romeo
Boston Manor
Delta Sleep
Demob Happy
Elder Island
Georgia
HONNE
Jordan Rakei
London Symphony Orchestra
Lucy Rose
Luke Sital-Singh
Nilüfer Yanya
Rosie Lowe
Shura
SOAK
Stealing Sheep
Swindle
TENDER
