New round of funds brings BPI’s UK music-export scheme to £1 million

Sixteen up-and-coming UK artists are to benefit from the BPI-operated Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS), which will provide them funding to raise their profile internationally.

One of the beneficiaries is London-based electro-pop act FEMME (pictured), who has been receiving massive amounts of media coverage and clusters of awards, such as the 2014 Musexpo’s Best New Emerging International Artist and the Rising Star at the new London Music Awards.

“Without the support of the MEGS fund, I would not have been able to accept Charli XCX's personal invitation to go on tour with her in the USA this year. The promotion and exposure the 20-date tour brought me has made such a huge impact on furthering my career. I gained masses of new fans, press coverage and absolutely invaluable touring experience on the road,” says FEMME, who recently supported Charli XCX, the singer of international hit Boom Clap, on tour.

FEMME and the other 15 emerging artists clinching the current round of MEGS grants join more than forty previous recipients; they include 2014 Mercury Prize winners Young Fathers, and the MOBO award-winning jazz artist Zara McFarlane.

MEGS is the £2.5 million scheme announced by British Prime Minister, David Cameron, in October 2013. It is jointly operated by the UK Trade & Investment department and music-industry trade body BPI.

It brings the total amount of grants given to 60 independent labels, artists and management companies in the UK to £1 million-plus this year.

Several past winners have gone on international tours with big-name artists like The Rolling Stones, Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, Black Sabbath, Kasabian and Keziah Jones.

This announcement is part of the country’s current Export Week initiative.

[Juliana Koranteng]