Mercury Prize 2018 shortlist demonstrates again the impact of PRS Foundation support on talented artists’ careers
We are delighted to see today that almost half of the artists nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize have previously received support from PRS Foundation to develop their careers in the UK and overseas.
These artists are:
- Everything Everything – supported through International Showcase Fund
- Nadine Shah – supported through International Showcase Fund
- Novelist – supported through Momentum Music Fund to mix and master his Mercury nominated album at Abbey Road Studios as part of his successful release campaign
- Wolf Alice – supported through International Showcase Fund
- Sons of Kemet – Shabaka Hutchings was supported through PRS Foundation and BBC Music Introducing Showcase Partnership and Momentum Music Fund
Vanessa Reed, Chief Executive of PRS Foundation said, “It’s fantastic to see that again almost half of the artists in this year’s Mercury Prize shortlist have received support from PRS Foundation. The fact that most have been supported for showcasing overseas demonstrates how important international exposure has been to their success and how crucial our funding continues to be for artists at tipping points in their careers.
In the 2016 International Showcase Fund report Everything Everything confirmed how PRS Foundation funding contributed to their success, “The whole thing is a chain reaction, it wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”
The International Showcase Fund is a partnership between music industry, Government and UK Arts Councils which is run by PRS Foundation with support from Department for International Trade, Arts Council England, British Underground, Musicians’ Union and more recently PPL, Creative Scotland, Wales Arts International and PledgeMusic. It offers support for artists to take their first steps into international territories by enabling them to perform at key showcasing festivals and conferences which attract thousands of people working in the music industry from every corner of the globe. The 2016 report highlighted that 89% of artists supported to showcase overseas returned with tangible business outcomes and that for every £1 invested, artists generated an additional £8.90 in revenues.
The Momentum Music Fund is managed by PRS Foundation and supports UK artists and bands to break through to the next level of their careers through grants of up to £15,000 using funds from PRS Foundation, PPL, Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government and Creative Scotland and with additional funding and a reward package from Spotify. The Momentum 5 year report launched at The Great Escape this year showed it generated over £13million for the UK Music industry and increased supported artists earning on average by over £48k. PRS Foundation and Arts Council England initiated The Momentum Music Fund in 2013.
