PPL to become a leading partner of The BRIT School’s Careers Programme for Music

The agreement will enable The BRIT School to remain free to all students, as the two organisations work together to develop talent and nurture young songwriters. PPL will become lead partners of all music careers-focused activities and workshops to support the talent development of all music students and help to transform the lives of young artists, regardless of their background.  Its staff will also engage in The BRIT School’s student enrichment programme where they can share their expertise and professional experience, creating transformational moments and improving students’ employability.

The new partnership will build on The BRIT School’s longstanding history of producing renowned talent; its alumni includes international stars and award winners from Adele, Imogen Heap, FKA Twigs, Ella Eyre, Raye, Kae Tempest, Cat Burns and Jessie J to bands The Feeling, The Kooks and Black Midi.

For 33 years, the School has put careers at the centre of its mission with almost 100% of students transitioning into paid opportunities in employment, education or training within three months of graduating. Between them, its former students have achieved great things, including 250m+ record sales, billions of streams, 36 Top Ten albums, 91 Top 40 singles (including seven Number Ones); 15 BRIT Awards, 19 Grammys, two Oscars and two BAFTAS.

PPL and The BRIT School share a passion to help the next generation of emerging artists and understand the importance of creating a more diverse music industry and the benefits that will bring to artists, the industry, and the UK.  The School’s commitment to providing free education embodies its commitment to breaking down social and financial barriers for young people who want creativity as part of their future.

Peter Leathem OBE, CEO of PPL, said: “For more than 30 years, thousands of young people have benefitted from the BRIT School’s state of the art facilities, talented and dedicated teaching staff and visionary leadership, with many of them moving into the performing arts, not just front of stage but powering our industries behind the scenes. At PPL, we have seen first hand the enormous value the School brings to our industry – as well as to fans around the world – and we are proud to become a lead partner for its music careers programme to ensure young people from all backgrounds have equity of access and opportunity to a potentially lifechanging education.”

Stuart Worden, Principal of The BRIT School, added: “One of the most rewarding things about working at The BRIT School is watching how a young person’s life can be transformed by it.  The impact our students have had on the industry is there for everyone to enjoy but this can only continue with the help of our supporters.   This is why the commitment of a three-year partnership with PPL is so special as it provides us with the stability for our students’ creativity to grow and make a real difference.  Not only does it enable us to carry out our work but also provides our music students with new opportunities, expertise and knowledge helping them to succeed and make a positive impact in the world we live in.”

About PPL

Founded in 1934, PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation (CMO) for performers and recording rightsholders. We license recorded music in the UK when it is played in public (bars, nightclubs, shops, offices, etc.) or broadcast (BBC, commercial radio, commercial TV, etc.) and we work to ensure that revenue flows back to both our own members and those of our international CMO partners. Our members include both independent and major record companies, together with performers ranging from emerging grassroots artists through to established session musicians and globally renowned artists.

PPL’s public performance licensing is carried out on our behalf by PPL PRS Ltd, the joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music. Through a network of agreements with other CMOs around the world, we also collect performance rights internationally when music is played overseas in public and used on TV, radio, and some online streaming services, as well as for private copying. International royalties are an increasingly important revenue stream for performers and recording rightsholders.

In 2022, we collected £272.6 million across all our revenue streams, marking the highest level of revenue in our company’s 89-year history, and distributed money to more than 165,000 performers and recording rightsholders.

About BRIT School 

The BRIT School is the UK’s first and leading free performing and creative arts school for 1,400 young people aged 14 to 19. The School – an exempt charity based in Croydon – invests in the future of the UK’s cultural wealth by nurturing young artistic talent from all backgrounds and teaching the skills needed by the rapidly growing creative industries.

BRIT stands for the British Record Industry Trust. Without the generosity of the record industry and funding from the BRIT Awards and BRIT Trust, the School would never have been built and its superb facilities would never have been installed.

The School opened in 1991 and over 10,000 students have been educated at The BRIT School including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, Katie Melua, Leona Lewis, Tom Holland, Jade Bird, Freya Riding, The Feeling, Rizzle Kicks, Cush Jumbo, Blake Harrison, The Kooks and black midi. In total, students from the School have been responsible for selling over 250m albums, billions of streams and winning 15 BRIT Awards, 19 Grammys, 2 BAFTAS, 2 Oscars, a Laurence Olivier Award, a UK Theatre Award and a London Evening Standard Award.

www.brit.croydon.sch.uk

@TheBRITSchool