POWER UP is an ambitious, long-term initiative which supports Black music creators and industry professionals and executives, as well as addressing anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector.
Co-founded by PRS Foundation and Ben Wynter and managed by PRS Foundation in partnership with YouTube Music, Beggars Group and the Black Music Coalition, the initiative brings several music industry partners and goes beyond solidarity, with new approaches which foster meaningful change. Other supporters include Creative Scotland, Believe, Simkins, Arts Council of Wales, Creative Wales, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, plus AIM, the BPI, the FAC, The Ivors Academy, the MMF, the MPA, MPG, The Musicians’ Union, PPL, PRS for Music and the PRS Members’ Fund, as well as Associate Partner, Daft Springer, who each bring added-value support to POWER UP Participants.
Through a holistic POWER UP Participant Programme and the POWER UP Movement, we will break down barriers to create:
- A fairer, more equitable music industry for Black creators and industry professionals
- Better representation in all sectors of the UK music industry
- To support innovative and exciting Black talent to create exceptional new music in all genres and at all career levels
- To amplify the work of Black creators and industry professionals to accelerate change
Since launching in early 2021 we have been powering up 120 Black music creators and industry professionals, the initiative was awarded an IMPALA Changemaker Award in 2022.
See below for more information on the participant programme, our network and the wider movement.
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Read more in Welsh here
Support for applicants with access requirements
We are committed to inclusion and accessibility. PRS Foundation is part of Attitude is Everything’s Next Stage Funding group, focused on removing barriers in the music industry for creators and professionals with impairments or long-term health conditions.
We understand that deadlines and form-filling can present challenges for some applicants with access requirements. To reduce barriers, we will take requests for additional advice, video application options and a deadline extension if appropriate (i.e. where relevant and approved in advance).
Please email the applications@prsfoundation.com by Thursday 21 March, 18:00 if you have access requirements related to the application process and you need extra support. This could include deadline extension (up until Monday 25 March 2024), alternative application formats and additional advice from us.
We may also be in a position to offer ‘top-up’ funding to support additional access requirements to aid participation in the programme, and ask applicants to outline relevant access requirements confidentially within our funding forms.
In keeping with our commitment to Fair Access Principles, we may also ringfence money for under-represented groups who are most in need of support.
