POWER UP Year 4 Participants

POWER UP has announced the music creators, industry professionals and executives who make up Year 4 of the multi-award winning programme.

Co-founded by PRS Foundation and Ben Wynter, POWER UP’s Participant Programme elevates pioneering Black talent and is a key feature of the long-term initiative launched to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector.

The programme – specifically designed to fit the needs of each annual cohort of participants – assists in the development of their careers and practice, to empower creators and professionals to break through glass ceilings and accelerate change across the industry. This includes grant support of up to £15,000 alongside capacity building masterclasses, mentoring, coaching, mental health and wellbeing support, and access to added value support from POWER UP Partners and the peer network which is integral to breaking down barriers.

This latest cohort came together for the first time at London’s Southbank Centre on Friday 14^th June, arranged by previous Year 1 fellow Adem Holness (Head of Contemporary Music at Southbank Centre) who is currently putting together this year’s Meltdown Festival.

A snapshot of Years 1 – 3 Participant successes so far include:

• Keturah Cummings was nominated at the AIM Awards for Music Entrepreneur of the Year and at the Music Week Awards Whitney Asomani was nominated for Manager of the Year, Nova Twins for PR Campaign of the Year and Jamz Supernova for Radio Show of the Year.
• Keecia Ellis, has received investment from Station 12 for her publishing company Rekodi Music.
• Graft signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing and Come Play With Me.
• Josh Daniel was appointed label manager for Interval Records which was formed in partnership with our Talent Development Network member Generator and EMI North.
• Two-piece band Nova Twins won a Heavy Music Award, toured the US and Europe, signed to Marshall Records and have secured BBC Radio 1, NME and Spotify Equal support globally. Their POWER-UP supported second album Supernova was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, they won a 2022 AIM Award and received 2 x BRITS 2023 nominations and they recently supported Foo Fighters in the US
• Other artist and music creator Award winners since POWER UP was launched include Ego Ella May (Jazz FM Awards), TAALIAH (AIM Award), Bemz (DJ Mag Award) and DoomCannon (MOBO Award). Not to be outdone, Industry Professionals winning awards include Jennifer John (AIM Award), Eunice Obianagha (whose creative events work was nominated for a Music Week Award), and Christine Osazuwa and Hannah Shogbola who joined the Music Week Women in Music Awards’ Roll of Honour. Christine has also become the Vice Chair for Keychange U.S.
• Several industry professionals have launched new ventures, and new roles, promotions and appointments include: Adem Holness being appointed Head of Contemporary Music at the Southbank Centre; Ree Sewell being appointed A&R Coordinator at Universal; Eric Hunter becoming Education & Membership Engagement Manager at The MMF; Christine Osazuwa being appointed as Chief Strategy Officer at Shoob;; and Eunice Obianagha was appointed as Head of Diversity at UK Music
• Despa Robinson was appointed to the AIM Board, and Daniel Kidane was elected to the Ivors Academy Senate
• Artist KG became a full-time Capital Dance radio presenter, with coverage in Complex, Mixmag and Clash, and industry professional Kwame Daniels presented his own Inna Rhythm series on BBC Ulster
• Guvna B (Year 2 artist managed by a Year 1 participant), who became the first rapper to top the UK Official Christian and Gospel Chart is now Co-Chair of Youth Music
• Live agency, Marshall announced that they have signed CHERYM and Bemz
• Abel Selaocoe took part in the Proms in 2021 and 2022, signed to Warner Classics, and presented the three-part BBC Radio 3 show Cello His debut album hit No. 4 in the Classical Album Chart and he was on Later with Jools…
• Des Agyekumhene’s company Soga were behind the Close To Home NFT campaign for Aitch– the first artist to claim an NFT entering the UK’s official album charts
• Forward Slash founder Keturah Cummings was selected for the 2022 Barclays Black Founder Accelerator programme and launched new podcastJack of All Trades
• Dan Kidane’s Sun Poem was premiered in 2022 with the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle performances across the UK and Europe garnering critical acclaim
• Rapper, music creator and BAFTA nominated filmmaker LEMFRECK presented BBC documentary ‘Black Music Wales’ which also featured fellow participants Aleighcia Scott, and went on to win a Celtic Media Festival 2024 Best Arts Screen Programme Award”
• Loretta Andrews published her book Talking to Children About Race
• Adetokunbo “T” Oyelola’s client YolanDa Brown was appointed as Chair of the BPI; and YolanDa and Adetokunbo launched a campaign to open Soul Mama – a Black-owned music venue