PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, announces today the latest artists to receive UK-wide support from the PPL Momentum Music Fund and the Liverpool City Region and Tees Valley-based artists and industry professionals receiving PPL Momentum Accelerator support. The PPL Momentum Music Fund is in partnership with PPL, Creative Wales and Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and the PPL Momentum Accelerator is in partnership with MusicFutures, Sonic Futures, Generator, Tees Valley Combined Authority and the UK Government.
The artists who have been selected by a network of industry experts to receive PPL Momentum Music funding are:
- Ben Ellis – 5-date UK headline tour, marketing and stage production
- COSTELLO – Promoting debut EP
- Cowboy Hunters – Recording, touring and marketing
- Hilit Kolet – Collaboration fees, recording, mixing, mastering, visual content, press and radio promotion for new EP
- Frankie Archer – Touring extra dates
- LAUSSE THE CAT – Immersive theatre residency featuring a full live band, theatrical staging, set design and costumes
- Marla Kether – Touring and show development
- Mount Palomar – Composition, pre-production, orchestration, collaborations and studio recording across Northern Ireland and England for debut album
- SOFY – Touring debut album across the UK
This latest round features critically acclaimed artists such as Frankie Archer who received a five-star review in MOJO Magazine, with Cowboy Hunters and Marla Kether receiving positive coverage in Louder Than War and Crack Magazine respectively, and SOFY being tipped as one to watch in Notion.
PPL Momentum Music supported Mount Palomar said, “This support gives me the time, confidence and resources to realise my debut album without compromising my vision, making ambitious creative collaborations possible at a pivotal moment in my career.”
PPL Momentum Music Fund is the ground-breaking support for artists who have reached a crucial tipping point, have a team already in place and are ready to take the next step in their careers. Managed by PRS Foundation, the PPL Momentum Music Fund awards grants of £5,000-£15,000 using funds from PRS Foundation, PPL, Creative Wales and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
PRS Foundation’s PPL Momentum Accelerator offers grants of up to £5,000 to talented artists with a growing fanbase, currently working to establish a music industry team and based in targeted regions of the UK.
The Liverpool City Region-based music creators receiving PPL Momentum Accelerator support through the programme’s partnership with MusicFutures are:
- Niki Kand – Recording and releasing third EP
- Bethane – Creating, recording, releasing and marketing debut EP
- Jazmine Johnson – Working with producer, recording, releasing and marketing new tracks
The latest Tees Valley-based music creators receiving PPL Momentum Accelerator support, which is in partnership with Sonic Futures, Tees Valley Combined Authority and the UK Governmentx, are:
- Celia Grace – Debut album creation, recording, mixing, mastering, release and PR
- Herberta – Recording, release, and promotion for EP
- Jodie Nicholson – Working with a new producer on new album
Additionally, PPL Momentum Accelerator support of up to £1,000, which can include micro-grants, mentoring or other holistic support, is offered to future music industry professionals to develop their skills and careers. The 2 Liverpool City Region and 5 Tees Valley-based industry professionals receiving support this round are:
- Carrick Moran (Liverpool City Region) – Accessing UK conferences and meetings as well as creating capacity for new marketing strategies
- Tobi Osekita (Liverpool City Region) – Professional recording of a live set, a dedicated AUDIOFEATHER card release, and a series of pop-up activations
- Dennis Wachepa (Tees Valley) – Develop Pre Game Lobby into a sustainable platform for emerging rap and R&B artists in the Tees Valley
- Madelaine Stonehouse-Hedley (Tees Valley) – Tailored programme of mentorship and networking, developing skills as a producer and supporting progression from early-career delivery roles towards a more strategic, artist-centred producing practice
- Paige Hughes (Tees Valley) – Capacity building as an artist manager
- Reese Wake (Tees Valley) – Jaded Radio digital artist station for creatives in the North East
- Shahin Hashemi (Tees Valley) – Professional showreel to show presenter, host and curator work and mentorship
Since PPL Momentum Accelerator’s launch, five artists have progressed their careers to a tipping point and become eligible to apply for and receive the PPL Momentum Music Fund after initially receiving PPL Momentum Accelerator support. Lucas Alexander and fellow Wales-based LEMFRECK and Luke RV as well as the two Yorkshire-based Downtown Kayoto and Chiedu Oraka all first picked up PPL Momentum Accelerator support early in their careers before successfully receiving PPL Momentum Music Fund support. Further recent Accelerator successes include English Teacher winning the 2024 Mercury Prize and BRITs Critic’s Choice 2026 winner Jacob Alon including Liverpool industry professional Abby Meysenburg in their management team.
PPL became headline sponsors of the Momentum Music Fund in February 2020. Since then, 265 talented music creators at tipping points in their careers have received this vital support to break through to the next level.
The first 50 rounds of the PPL Momentum Music Fund have supported:
- The creation of 329 albums (including dozens of top twenty chart placements)
- Support for over 300 UK tours and over 1,600 live dates
- Artists who have received PPL Momentum Music Fund have gone on to receive 7 Mercury Prizes, 13 MOBO Awards and 6 Brit Awards
PRS Foundation and Arts Council England initiated The Momentum Music Fund in 2013. Arts Council England originally established the need for this specific fund and supported the programme from 2013-2018.
The next deadline to submit an application for the UK-wide PPL Momentum Music Fund support and also for PPL Momentum Accelerator Sbardun support for those based in Wales is 10th August 2026 at 6:00pm.
The next deadline to apply for PPL Momentum Accelerator support for those based in Liverpool City Region or Tees Valley is 26th October at 6:00pm.
