The Youth Music NextGen Fund offers young creatives grants of up to £2,500 to make their ideas happen.
The Youth Music NextGen Fund is for early-stage musicians and wider music adjacent creatives to invest up to £2,500 in their own projects and make their ideas happen. The fund is especially aimed at people who want to launch a project, idea, or business for those whose lack of finance holds them back from pursuing their goals.
It's open to 18–25-year-olds (and up to 30-year-olds who identify as Disabled) who live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
We want to support the future of the music industries. Singers, Rappers, Songwriters, Producers, DJs, A&Rs, Managers and Agents, right through to roles that have yet to be defined.
Applications for Round 2 of the Youth Music NextGen Fund are now closed. Round 3 will open in the spring.
Yomi Adegoke's tips on music journalism and starting your own platform
With the second round of the Youth Music NextGen fund open for applications, we spoke to writer Yomi Adegoke about how she'd spend a grant on a music journalism project.
Risky Roadz - Making a Music Video on a Low Budget
We invited special guest director Roony Keefe, aka ‘Risky Roadz’ to an online Q&A sharing tips on how to make a great music video at a low cost.
NextGen Resources
From musicians and producers, to managers and events promoters, find out where to get information and support to help you progress.
What's the fund for?
This fund is about supporting people to take their first steps into the music industries.
You can apply to develop a project that you can run and deliver mostly yourself. Here are some examples of ideas:
- A creative music project: a Single, EP or contribution towards an album campaign. The music can be already made or in the process of being created.
- A music-based business: starting a record label or music platform.
- A platform that supports underrepresented voices and perspectives: Supporting leaders that build communities and help facilitate others in pursuing their creative goals.
- An event or series of events showcasing other emerging artists: This is a new option for 2022. We want to support new promoters and help new artists gain experience performing on stage.
All projects need to be released within a year of being awarded the funds, and ideas that aren’t accessible to the general public cannot be funded. For example, it couldn’t fund a training course with no project outcome.
Who's the fund for?
People working towards a career in the music industries, but lack key contacts, resources, and insights. They might be:
- Musicians, Producers, Engineers, DJs, MCs, Rappers, Songwriters.
- Managers, Promoters, A&Rs, Agents.
- Activists and campaigners who are transforming the music industries.
In our funding decisions, we will prioritise:
- People who do not have the financial means to invest in themselves to get their ideas started.
- People that are too early stage to be funded by larger grant programmes like Arts Council England and PRS Foundation.
- Those who might be discriminated against, for reasons that could include Gender, Race, Disability, location, or other characteristics.
- People who are creative, entrepreneurial and are multi-disciplinary - even if they don’t recognise themselves as such.
NextGen Fund Round One recipients
Learn more about the first round of organisations receiving grants from our Incubator Fund, designed to help open up access to sustainable careers in music for people aged 18-25, particularly those who are underrepresented; and to support creative employers to innovate and incubate new and diverse talent.
Reflections on Round 1 of the NextGen Fund
Thinking of making an application in the next round? If so, then this blog will help you work out whether to apply and how to increase your chance of success.
Join Our NextGen Community
Are you aged 18-25 and chasing a career in music, but finding it tough, closed off and hard to break in to?
Start finding your way in with Youth Music's NextGen Community.
Contact us
Got a question about the NextGen Fund? Get in touch.
Our supporters
The Youth Music NextGen Fund has been made possible thanks to generous support from TikTok, Turtle Bay, and players of People's Postcode Lottery. We are also grateful for our vital support from the National Lottery via Arts Council England.