PRS for Music champions wealth of member talent

PRS Presents turns two after 30 live performances across the UK

Hotly-tipped singer-songwriter, Tom Walker, MOBO Award-nominated spoken word artist, Kojey Radical, and “the next bright young hope of jazz”, Jordan Rakei, all performed at a special birthday edition of PRS Presents.

PRS for Music began hosting PRS Presents across the UK in 2015 to celebrate the wealth of talent represented by the membership organisation and to encourage businesses to meet the creators behind the music they play. Previous events have featured a wide range of acts, from grime to punk, performing to an audience of local businesses, PRS members and music industry guests.

The organisation, which represents more than 125,000 songwriters, producers, composers and music publishers in the UK and around the globe, opened the doors of its Kings Cross office  for PRS Presents 2nd Birthday, bringing its total live performances to 30 since October 2015. A special anniversary video was also unveiled on the night. 

Opening the evening, Glasgow-born, Manchester-raised, Tom Walker, has been noted as ‘one to watch’ by many and is tipped for BRITs Critics’ Choice 2018 nominations. With an intimate sold-out UK tour to follow later this month, he brought his raw and emotional vocals to PRS for Music’s offices with his latest single ‘Leave A Light On’ and early hit ‘Fly Away With Me’.

Having spoken to PRS for Music’s M Magazine at Afropunk back in August, poet and rapper Kojey Radical has since released his latest project, a 13-track EP called In Gods Body, to critical acclaim. Working up the audience with his politically charged conscious hip-hop, ‘700 Pennies’, a complex take on a love song that tackles hyper-masculinity in hip-hop, had the crowd rapt in one of the highlights of the night.

Thank you so much PRS for having me play – and happy birthday to PRS Presents! My royalties from PRS for Music have been so important to my career so far, so it’s a genuine pleasure to take part in a celebration like this.

Headliner Jordan Rakei was nominated for Jazz FM Awards’ Soul Artist of the Year earlier this year. Closing the night, neo-soul hits including ‘Eye To Eye’ and ‘Sorceress’ from latest album Wallflower (released earlier this year in September) showed just why the London-based Kiwi has been praised by national music critics. 

In its two years PRS Presents has championed many singer-songwriters at the start of their careers, often before they become more well-known. Did you know?:

• The first ever PRS Presents took place in October 2015, with Boxed In and BBC Sound Of 2013-nominated indie band Peace
• Rag ‘n’ Bone Man performed in July 2016, almost half a year before he was crowned BRITs Critics’ Choice winner
• Ghostpoet headlined the first Streatham-based PRS Presents in February 2016, just a few months after his debut album, Shedding Skin, was nominated for the Mercury Prize
• PRS Presents has also hosted gigs in Liverpool, Edinburgh and Belfast
• A special PRS Presents: Grime, in September 2016 saw Lady Leshurr, Elf Kid and D Double E comprise an exciting line-up
• Most recently, Bristol punks Idles performed at the heaviest PRS Presents yet just over a month ago, ahead of being named Live Act of the Year at the AIF Awards at the end of October.

About PRS for Music

Here for music since 1914, PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 175,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers. Redefining the global standard for music royalties, PRS for Music ensures songwriters and composers are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. 

For 110 years it has grown and protected the rights of the music creator community, paying out royalties with more accuracy, transparency and speed. In 2023, PRS for Music paid out £943.6m in royalties and collected a record £1.08 billion in revenues. prsformusic.com