Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has toasted a record-breaking 2016 for UK’s creative industries, describing Britain as an “international powerhouse of film, TV and music”.
Last month it was revealed that 2016 had provided the music industry with its second consecutive year of growth, with streaming and the vinyl revival fuelling a 1.5% rise in Album Equivalent Sales (AES) to 123.4 million, according to the BPI. Streaming was up a whopping 67.5% on 2015 to 44.9bn audio streams for the year, while sales of vinyl hit a 25-year high, reaching 3.2m, up 52.6% on 2015.
Meanwhile, total spend on UK TV and film productions was up 13% on 2015 to £1.6 billion.
Bradley said: “It’s no surprise that our creative industries go from strength to strength when we can boast such superb talent and expertise. The UK is an international powerhouse of film, TV and music and this Government will keep backing our creative brilliance.
“As we prepare to leave the European Union this success story is a great advert for Global Britain – an outward-looking, globally-minded country that is open for business.”
Geoff Taylor, chief executive ofthe BPI and the BRIT Awards, added: "Propelled by the remarkable talent of its artists, and the investment and digital engagement of its record labels, British music has conquered the world. This success has not just fuelled our music exports - in 2015 accounting for 1 in 6 albums sold around the world - it has enhanced the global appeal of British culture and in the process also made music the UK's international calling card."
Last night saw Adele flying the flag for UK talent at the 2017 Grammy Awards where she scooped five gongs. She picked up Song Of The Year for Hello (Adele Adkins and Greg Kurstin), Record Of The Year for Hello and Album Of The Year for 25 (out in the US on XL/Columbia Records - a feat she already achieved with 21, making her the first artist to win all three categories twice. She also won this year in the categories Best Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album.
The late David Bowie also received a raft of posthumous Grammys on the night: Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance for Blackstar, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Recording Package, Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
