Vanessa Reed, our Executive Director, reflects on a year of developments for PRS for Music Foundation:

2013 has been a watershed year for PRS for Music Foundation in more ways than one.  For the first time in our 14 year history, we’ve invested more than £2m in an exceptionally diverse range of artists, organisations and projects, selected from a record-breaking 2264 applications. For me, there’s no doubt that the increasing demand for our support is testament to the relentless energy, talent and determination of those writing, performing, producing and promoting new music in the UK. I also think it demonstrates that now, perhaps more than ever, relatively small amounts of funding make a big difference to professional musicians, arts organisations and companies who are navigating the challenges and opportunities of an ever evolving industry and a tough financial climate.

Our major initiatives in 2013 responded to this changing environment: at the Great Escape we launched Momentum with Arts Council England and Deezer to increase our support of talented artists who need funding to take their career to the next level; our Women Make Music and individuals fund demonstrated our contribution to artists’ DIY professional development; and the launch of our New Music Biennial highlights our belief that, even when budgets are tight, new, adventurous work can reach a broad audience if presented in an imaginative way.

All of the work we do to support and stimulate change relies on the generosity of our funders, the insightful input of over 100 independent advisors and the passion of PRS for Music Foundation’s knowledgeable team. Most importantly though, our work relies on you – the musicians, organisations, concert goers and fans who make music such a thriving industry in the UK. Please keep in touch in 2014 and watch this space for more developments. We know that there’s always more that we could be doing and we look forward to working with some of you in the New Year to test where our support is most needed.