Tekhole

Scotland

Tekhole is a Southern African DJ and sound artist based in Glasgow. Rooted in Gqom and tribal percussion, their genre-fluid sets weave between breaks, techno, and electro with field recordings and deconstructed drums. Their work explores heritage, queerness, and futurism, treating sound as a space for connection and transformation. 'SIN', Tekhole's debut EP, fuses Gqom, electro, and field recordings into dark, percussion-driven soundscapes. Exploring heritage, queerness, and Afro-Futurism, it confronts neo-colonial dystopia and systemic oppression through decaying rhythms and ethereal textures ~ transforming fractured histories into speculative futures, and turning protest into a sonic testament of survival and resistance.

Pronouns: they/them

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TARIRO

North East

TARIRO is a soul-stirring singer-songwriter whose music blends emotion and storytelling with graceful ease. Hailing from the North East and raised in the rich harmonies of gospel choir, she now moves fluidly through R&B, neo-soul, and beyond a reflection of her journey, heritage and artistry. This project will be an EP that details her journey through late teens to adolescence, with songs written from 2019 up to present day, and more to be written. "This highlights the perspective of a Black girl in the North East, navigating relationships, hardships, success and failures, tracking mental health and beyond."

Pronouns: she/her

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Tara Beynon

Wales

A singer with a pure, healing voice, Tara creates hypnotic music that invokes deep listening and connection to the soul. Singing in Welsh and other languages, her delicate, medicinal melodies honour her Celtic roots, carrying a timeless beauty. Her project will be an intimate debut EP of two original medicine songs, sung in Portuguese and Welsh as mantra and incantation. Translating as “deepest essence,”the work moves through hypnotic melodies and imaginal realms, leading the listener into rhythmic elemental frequencies.

Pronouns: she/her

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TAHZAN

East of England

"The jungle is a place of extreme versatility and I represent this in my music approach, hence the creation of my one-liner "Tahzan is a Jongu". I wear the Black OX hat representing strength, resilience and hard work and is linked to deities like Ogun." The electronic artist's project will be a journey through the phase of life that he is in. The album will span across 12 tracks, "each representing my different sides, while compartmentalising different areas of the jungle for example, deep and driven songs representing a grassland savannah, while songs glorifying women lean towards that of a rainforest."

Pronouns: he/him

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slyn

Scotland

slyn (Ashlynn White) is a sound artist and marine biologist whose practice draws on hydrofeminism to explore the textures and rhythms of underwater life. Working with hydrophones, layered field recordings, and processed voice, she creates immersive environments that reveal the entanglement of bodies and waters. Her project will involve making an EP continuing my practice weaving hydrophone and field recordings from around Scotland to imagine water and ecology as an instrument, incorporating these sounds into more clubby, experimental songs. Drawing on theories of hydrofeminism, slyn's project would bridge her scientific research and love for music.

Pronouns: she/her

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Sharmaine Webster

East Midlands

Sharmaine Webster, 22, is quickly becoming one of the UK’s promising new voices. With unfiltered storytelling, captivating melodies, and fresh collaborations with producer MITCHWHITE, she’s shaping a bold new sound. Selected for the prestigious Skarbek Academy, Sharmaine is poised to make her mark on the pop landscape. 'Lover Girl' is the title of her debut EP which will consist of 5-7 original tracks.

Pronouns: she/her

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Sandra Muzykant

North East

Sandra is a Newcastle-based photographer and content creator, rooted in the North East’s underground music scene. Her focus is on capturing artists, raves, and grassroots culture through photography and video, using visuals to tell authentic stories and support emerging talent. Her creative project will deliver four professional studio photoshoots for emerging music artists, focusing on under-represented voices. The project will help Sandra to develop her skills in music photography, create a professional portfolio and website, and provide artists with high-quality visuals to promote their work – strengthening Newcastle’s grassroots creative scene.

Pronouns: she/her

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Rosa Williams

North West

Rosa is a videographer with a passion for amplifying grassroots music artists. Inspired by formats like Chicken Shop Dates and Digging with Flo, she wants to pioneer the next wave of artist-led digital content. She is driven to create a platform where emerging artists without exposure can share their personality. Let’s Chalk is a new YouTube interview format that merges music with climbing. Each episode features an underground artist/band taking part in playful climbing challenges, with their music woven throughout the experience. The series gives musicians a distinctive platform: audiences discover them not just through performance, but through personality.

Pronouns: she/her

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Robyn Maddox

Northern Ireland

Belfast-based songwriter Robyn Maddox’s music is rooted in theatrics. Drawing from a lifelong love of film, Maddox marries introspective lyrics with stories, transporting listeners to worlds that are “dreamy, dramatic & full to the brim of Hollywood charm” (Chordblossom). She has received praise from BBC Introducing, MCD Productions and GoldenPlec. 'HEIST' will be a five-track concept EP about mental health told through the narrative of a film noir-inspired jewellery heist. It will have a release campaign featuring singles, a music video and a launch gig in November 2026.

Pronouns: she/her

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Robinson's Village

Greater London

Robinson’s Village is the ambient project of Nottingham-born, London-based artist James Burns. Blending reverb-soaked tape loops with layers of warped modular synths, his sound explores the fragile beauty of decay and imperfection. He's looking to put out his next ambient release later on this year. This will be the follow up to the debut EP for his project, Robinson's Village. It will be a string of ambient tracks put together from my previous experimentations focusing on tape loops. It will precede his debut album which will be arriving end of 2025.

Pronouns: he/him

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Rightkeysonly

Wales

Rightkeysonly is a 25-year-old EDM artist that uses music to share her experiences as a Disabled, Neurodivergent, bisexual woman from rural Wales. She runs the project Amplifying Accessibility, supporting Disabled and Neurodivergent music workers to thrive in careers made accessible to them. Wired for Sound is a free, virtual networking event for Disabled, Deaf and Neurodivergent music industry workers in Wales and Scotland. This is in collaboration with Scotland-based platform The Harmony Dialogue, and an opportunity to support the two nations to connect and learn from one another’s approaches to overcoming geographical limitations.

Pronouns: she/her

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Righteous Reck

Greater London

Righteous Reck is a South London rapper and producer known for sharp lyricism and vivid storytelling. His work blends personal experience with social commentary, delivered through electrifying live performances and community-rooted projects like Tracks on Tap, a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of emerging UK rap talent. 'Smoke & Mirrors' is a multidisciplinary story told through theatre and music. The project follows two schoolboys stuck in detention, who secretly long for each other’s lives. It addresses vital issues such as class inequality, knife crime and teenage drug abuse. Narrated through a theatrical performance and a corresponding EP.

Pronouns: he/him

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RHAINE

East Midlands

RHAINE, 20, is a British-Zambian multi-instrumentalist producer, singer, and writer. Her music has received widespread acclaim and extensive radio play, earning her the title of BBC Introducing Artist of the Week on several occasions. Concocting dreamy soundscapes in each track, her musical style fuses folk, soul and psychedelia. "This eight-track album will be a love letter to my cherished mixed heritage, weaving together elements of Zambian and Western folk as well as psychedelic soul influences with the help of an array of musicians, to create a memorable and emotive collection of songs."

Pronouns: she/her

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PABLÓGYAL

North West

PABLÓGYAL is a 26-year-old soul, jazz, and electronic vocalist and genre-blending DJ, carving a path in music whist balancing a full-time job. Healthier, clearer, and more driven than ever, she's chasing the dream—big or small—with the goal of turning passion into freedom. 'Pending Patience' is an EP of 3-4 songs she is working on to release. "Time is precious and patience is a virtue however, there is no age where you can't restart to essentially discover your sound and where you're meant to be."

Pronouns: she/her

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nightspore

Greater London

nightspore is Mike Tellalis (Μιχάλης Τελλάλης), a self-taught artist from Cyprus. Having studied music & archaeology in Scotland, nightspore weaves elements of Anatolian and Western folk music into an indie rock package, heavily dosed with 'digital psychedelia'. 'Bedroom Folk' is a 12-track LP, recorded with collaborators at Roundhouse Studios. The project will include professional production, mixing, and a release campaign with music videos, marking Mike's transition from DIY recordings to a fully fledged debut album, culminating in live performances to present the work to new audiences.

Pronouns: he/him

Nic Promotions

North West

Now 21, Milly been putting on events in the music industry since she was 17 due to there being few accessible opportunities for young musicians, specifically in Sunderland. She has always had such deep love for everything music. Euphony is an all day festival, celebrating and showcasing local music, including giving opportunities to new/up and coming musicians. 2025 was the festival's third successful year, having doing it without formal funding thus far.

Pronouns: she/her

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Melika

North West

Manchester-born Persian artist, Melika, makes music that drifts between neo-soul, jazz fusion, and psychedelic layers. She experiences music visually, translating colours into songs that feel warm, honest, and a little otherworldly. Her work is about creating something people can step into, a space where they can hear, feel, and heal. Her debut jazz fusion EP will feature five original tracks, created in collaboration with Manchester and London producers. Through studio recording, professional mixing, and a digital marketing campaign, this project will shape Melika's artistic voice and establish my presence in the UK jazz and fusion community.

Pronouns: she/her

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Madeleine May

Yorkshire & the Humber

Amelia Oliver is an 18-year-old singer songwriter from North Yorkshire, who blends girl next door chic with raw vulnerability. Inspired by the likes of Lizzy McAlpine, Phoebe Bridgers and Joni Mitchell, her songs are packed with teenage angst and retrospective lyrics complemented with memorable melodies. Amelia is am intending to record a studio album with professional production and a fuller sound. She is hoping to release this in 2026 and support the release with launch gigs and promotion. She wants to expand her repertoire beyond slower numbers and utilise richer accompaniment.

Pronouns: she/her

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Lottie Gray

East England

Lottie Gray spent her childhood nurturing her imagination, conjuring stories from her bedroom. Creating an intimate, open conversation, Gray writes exactly how she feels. Weaving moody, emotive tales with pop-infused tracks and blending elements from pop, folk and Americana, Gray creates an immersive sonic landscape grounded in authenticity and honesty. After self-funding the recording process of her EP, she plans to release her six-track debut in 2026. With creative ideas for promotion and building an audience, she is excited to get her music out into the world independently.

Pronouns: she/her

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Lleucu Non

Wales

Bilingual musician and animator Lleucu Non fuses music and visuals into bold, immersive experiences. Her songs and animations combine to create work that is playful, emotive, and unmistakably hers. She will record and release a six-track bilingual EP, supported by strong visuals and new collaborations. It will combine her music and visual art practice and give her the chance to develop professionally while also supporting other young creatives.

Pronouns: she/her

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Lewys Siencyn

Wales

Originally from Dolgellau, now based in Cardiff, Lewys is a musician and creative freelancer specialising in songwriting, production, performance, and digital media. He has collaborated with leading Welsh artists, released his own acclaimed bilingual work, and supported emerging talent through mentoring and facilitating youth projects and workshops. The NextGen grant invests in his new Cardiff studio, ensuring it is fully equipped for professional recording, bilingual songwriting, and content production. Funding will act as a launchpad for his songwriter-producer portfolio, strengthening Wales’ creative infrastructure while reducing barriers for artists at the early stages of their careers.

Pronouns: he/him

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Lauren Mikki

Yorkshire & The Humber

Lauren Mikki fuses ethereal vocals with a literary-inspired lyrical depth, shaping an indie-soul sound beyond genre. Influenced by Laufey, Clairo and Olivia Dean, she has earned plays on BBC Radio 6, Spotify Fresh Finds UK&IE features, and BBC Introducing’s praise as 'one of the most exciting artists in the uploader’. She is creating her most ambitious EP yet; a soulful and conceptual project exploring identity, growth, and resilience through six powerful tracks. Inspired by literature, this body of work strengthens Lauren's artistic identity while inviting listeners into a community where storytelling, books, lyricism, and music come together to create meaningful escapism.

Pronouns: she/her

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KUNTEAA

Greater London

KUNTEAA is an East London–born DJ with Jamaican and St Vincentian roots who, over the past three years, has developed a genre-fluid style that moves seamlessly across rap, jungle, bass, ballroom, house, techno, gqom, and dancehall. Drawing from sounds across the global diaspora, their selections weave together disparate rhythms and tempos to create sets that are both exploratory and deeply rooted, linking cultures sonically while pushing club music into unexpected territory.

Pronouns: they/them

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Kah'Nya

South East

Kah’Nya is a UK based Indie pop and R&B singer-songwriter whose music bridges soulful storytelling with pop and hip-hop influences. Originally from Zimbabwe, she brings a fresh perspective as an African immigrant artist. Kah’Nya is carving space for underrepresented voices while crafting emotionally powerful, contemporary songs. The project aims to be up to a seven song EP called 'The Archives', a story-led body of work that focuses on continuity, and contains deeply personal material.

Pronouns: she/her

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