Member Article

Yorkshire acts set sights global with help from UKTI Music Export Growth Scheme

Two labels from Yorkshire and the Humber have bands among the 14 UK-signed acts set to receive financial support to help market themselves around the world, trade minister Lord Livingston announced today.

The first round winners of the Music Export Growth Scheme winners were revealed after last night’s BRIT Awards celebrated some of the world-beating UK artists who have helped to accelerate export sales of British music to over 13% of the global market.

They also include Sheffield-based guitar pop band The Crookes,signed to Fierce Panda Records, who will receive £20,000.Both will use the funding to support promotion and touring, including in the USA.

They include jazz/funk act Melt Yourself Down,(lead singer Pete Wareham below with Acoustic Ladyland) who are signed to Leeds-based The Leaf Label and will receive £15,000.

The Music Export Growth Scheme has been established by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the BPI to help small and mid-sized independent music companies promote their artists overseas as part of wider Government efforts to get another 100,000 businesses exporting.

The other acts receiving the grants span the genres of rock/alternative, pop, dance/electronic, urban, classical, jazz and world music and are from London, Glasgow, Wiltshire, Nottingham and Monmouth (Wales).

Trade Minister Lord Livingston said: “Last night’s BRIT Awards showed the depth of music talent in the UK and why we sell more records around the world than almost any other country.

“50 years on from the Beatles arriving in the America the Music Export Growth Scheme will give more talented young British artists the chance to be successful on the international stage.

A spokesperson for Sheffield-based The Crookes said that the £20,000 they had been awarded would help them strengthen their profile in the USA. They said: “Our fan base has been steadily growing in the US for the last few years and with this money, we will be able to capitalise on this burgeoning profile.

“The fact that we were deemed worthy of this award is a massive compliment and we will work our socks off to make sure we do everyone involved in the decision-making process proud.”

Tony Morley, of The Leaf Label, said that the funding would initially help the Leeds label to promote Melt Yourself Down at the South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Texas. He said: “The grant for Melt Yourself Down will enable us to promote the band in North America at a level that simply wouldn’t have been possible without it. We’re starting with SXSW, then the sky’s the limit!”

The successful UK-signed acts were selected from a pool of 118 applications received in the first round of the programme.

The decision to allocate funding to a specific campaign was taken by a panel of music industry experts, independently chaired by John Kennedy OBE, with advice and guidance provided by BPI, UKTI, the Association of Independent Music (AIM), the Music Managers Forum (MMF), and representatives from some of the UK’s leading independent record labels.

Phil Patterson,music sector specialist at UKTI said: “The Music Export Growth Scheme is a great addition to the support that UKTI gives the music sector and we’re delighted to be in a position to do that.

“We are very keen that this scheme is successful and UKTI will work closely with the BPI and music industry generally to ensure that it is and that many companies benefit from it, giving them the opportunity to support campaigns that will increase the UK’s share of the international music market in all areas.”

Praising the quality of applications received, John Kennedy - Music Export Growth Scheme Board Chairman – said:

“This is a wonderful opportunity for emerging artists and growing independently-owned music businesses. The number and variety of the applications for the first round of funding was very impressive and it is now important that the successful applicants maximise the return from the funding they receive in order to justify the belief shown in their project and the commitment made.”

The scheme, funded by UKTI, will make up to £2.5 million of grants available over a two and a half year period. It was announced in October 2013 at a Number 10 meeting with music executives chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Further application rounds will take place periodically over the next two and a half years, with the next round now open for submissions until 17th March 2014. Applications are open to all UK music companies meeting the application criteria. Full details can be found at http://www.bpi.co.uk/export-scheme.aspx

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .