PRS Foundation’s funding scheme, the Momentum Music Fund, has today (February 5) been renamed the PPL Momentum Music Fund.
Since launching in 2013, the fund has supported 375 artists with £3.7 million pounds, nine of whom – including Ghostpoet, Little Simz and The Comet Is Coming – have gone on to be nominated for the Mercury Prize. It offers grants four times a year to UK artists. Other acts to have received assistance include Years And Years, Kate Tempest, Ms Banks, Sam Fender, Anna Calvi and Novelist.
The PPL Momentum Music Fund will continue to provide career-boosting grants of £5,000 – £15,000 to artists.
An official press release stated that decision was made to reflect “a closer partnership between the music licensing company, PPL, and the charity in supporting new music.”
PPL has been a core partner for the Fund since 2017, providing financial support and industry expertise whilst working collaboratively with PRS Foundation on joint events and promotional activities to engage with potential applicants across the UK.
As part of the new arrangement, PPL’s chief operating officer, Christine Geissmar, will join the PRS Foundation Board Of Trustees, whilst PPL’s director of member services, Sarah Mitchell, will become an observer of the Board.
The PPL Momentum Music Fund, also supports PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund, which provides grants of up to £5,500 to help export-ready UK artists perform abroad at music industry-facing festivals and conferences and increase their audience globally.
Speaking about the change, Peter Leathem, chief executive officer, PPL said: “We are very proud to be putting our name to the Momentum Music Fund, a scheme that, since 2013, has supported some of the most inspirational rising talents in the UK. Seeing these acts produce work of such high quality, with the help of PRS Foundation, has encouraged us to become increasingly involved with the Fund. We cannot wait to see the work that funded artists will produce in the future, and we thank PRS Foundation, all of the Fund’s supporters, and, most importantly, the artists themselves for helping to make the Fund what it is today.”
Joe Frankland, chief executive officer, PRS Foundation added: “We’re delighted that PPL has increased support for Momentum. This is a strong endorsement of the ground-breaking Fund and the impact it has had over the past 7 years. We’ve enjoyed working closely with the PPL team through industry funds and events, and this feels like a natural next step to accelerate the careers of shared PPL and PRS for Music members across the UK.”
The next deadline for applications to the PPL Momentum Music Fund is February 10 2020.
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