PRS Foundation announces the Wales-based music creators and industry professional receiving the first PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator support

PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, announces today the first three Wales-based music creators and music industry professional receiving PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator in partnership with Arts Council of Wales.

The music creators receiving support for their music projects are:

• ALEKXANDR
• HMS MORRIS
• Endaf

The music industry professional receiving support is:

• Joshua Fielden

PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator supported HMS MORRIS said, “The PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator fund will allow HMS Morris to record our new album using resources and people that we wouldn’t be able to access otherwise, and hopefully create a piece of outstanding work. It will also contribute to supporting this work as it makes its way into the world, helping the progression of our careers as musicians living and working in Wales.”

PRS Foundation’s PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator offers grants of up to £5,000 to talented Wales-based artists with a growing fanbase, currently working to establish a music industry team.  Additionally, PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator support of up to £2,000, which might include micro-grants, mentoring or other holistic support, is offered for Wales-based future music industry professionals to develop their skills and careers.

PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator follows the recent success of PPL Momentum Accelerator initiatives in the Liverpool City Region since 2019 and Yorkshire since 2020 including English Teacher signing with Island Records, Simeon Walker’s releases being regularly playlisted on Spotify’s New Classical releases and broadcasted on BBC Radio 3, NuTribe performing at Great Escape and Harkin’s album “Honeymoon Suite” receiving critical acclaim in the music press such as Loud & Quiet and DIY.

Artists and industry professional can find out more information and apply for PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator support via PRS Foundation’s website.  Next deadline to submit an application will be announced in 2023.

Becci Scotcher, Senior Grants & Programmes Manager at PRS Foundation said, “Huge congratulations to Alekxandr, HMS MORRIS, Endaf and Joshua Fielden on receiving our PPL Momentum Accelerator support. This targeted support for Wales-based music creators and industry professionals will provide a direct injection of funds to enable each artist to develop their careers towards that next level tipping point and support those active and impactful individuals in the local music industry.”

Kate Reilly, Chief Membership and People Officer at PPL, said, “Congratulations to the first artists and professionals to receive funding through the PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator programme. This accelerator, in addition to the existing grants available through the PPL Momentum Music Fund, will help early-stage music creators and professionals establish sustainable, long-term careers in Wales’ already thriving music industry. We have already seen artists in Liverpool and Yorkshire take advantage of the regional funding offered by PPL Momentum Accelerator and we look forward to seeing Welsh creatives also reap its benefits.”

Antwn Owen-Hicks, Portfolio Manager at Arts Council of Wales said “We’re very happy to have developed our collaboration with PRS Foundation and PPL Momentum Music Fund to deliver the PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator scheme in Wales.  The scheme addresses a gap in development opportunities for artists and those working in music industry roles in Wales. We’re delighted with the selection of the three acts and one industry professional in this inaugural round. The recipients represent a broad range of music genres at critical points in the careers and we hope to build on this further for the second round of the scheme in January 2023.”

In addition to PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator, the UK-wide PPL Momentum Music Fund is available for those artists with a team already in place and at a tipping point, ready to take the next step in their careers.  Recent Wales-based PPL Momentum grantees include, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Cate Le Bon, Juice Menace, Magugu and this year’s winner of the Welsh Music Prize Adwaith.

Managed by PRS Foundation, the PPL Momentum Music Fund initiative awards grants of £5,000-£15,000 using funds from PRS Foundation, PPL, Creative Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. Spotify, the official digital partner on the fund, contributes additional funding and a reward package containing exciting promotional opportunities and a close working relationship between Momentum artists and the Spotify team. Find out more on the PRS Foundation website.

From April 2013-March 2022 (Years 1-9), Momentum supported 491 artists Based on the first 5 Years of Momentum Report (2013-18), the fund has:

• Supported more than 225 albums
• Over 260 UK Tours and over 1,400 live dates
• Generated over £18m for the UK music industry and UK economy.

PPL became headline sponsors of the Momentum Music Fund in February 2020.  PRS Foundation and Arts Council England initiated The Momentum Music Fund in 2013. Arts Council England originally established the need for this specific fund and supported the programme from 2013-18. 

For a full rundown of all the artists supported so far see: http://prsfoundation.com/funding/momentum-music-fund/momentum-artists.

Listen to the latest Momentum supported artists on the Spotify Momentum playlist here.