PRS Foundation CEO Joe Frankland has told Music Week that the organisation is playing an integral role in helping UK talent to navigate a more competitive international landscape.
The charitable funding organisation for new music and talent development is marking its 25th anniversary with a series of events, culminating in performances from artist beneficiaries at London’s Somerset House next month.
“It is all about reflecting on the massive impact of the support that we give to the music creator community,” said Frankland. “We’re celebrating that and looking at what’s next for the foundation.”
Since 2000, PRS Foundation has given more than £50m to 9,000-plus new music initiatives. The economic benefits include more than £22m generated for the music industry over the first decade of the PPL Momentum Music Fund, which helps recording, touring and marketing.
Frankland described the funding programmes as “transformative” for music creators in Britain.
“That is something that we’ve really improved in our 25-year period in existence,” he told Music Week. “I think the secret to our success is that we work alongside the music industry.”
PRS Foundation collaborates with industry partners as well as advisers across the sector.
Grantees include Sam Fender (pictured), Little Simz, Wolf Alice, Dave, Nova Twins, Ezra Collective, Ghetts, Idles and Kae Tempest. Rising stars Alt Blk Era have been selected for schemes including PPL Momentum, Power Up and Women Make Music.
“We’re very proud to have supported winners of the MOBO Awards, BRITs, Grammys, RPS [Royal Philharmonic Society] Awards, The Ivors and the Mercury Prize,” said Frankland. “Six of the last seven Mercury Prize winners [up to 2024] have accessed our support at various times.”
We need to act now – but there’s a lot of amazing talent ready to export and to build careers globally
Joe Frankland
As an example, Frankland highlighted PRS Foundation’s support via multiple schemes for 2025 Mercury Prize nominee Emma-Jean Thackray.
As well as the Lynsey de Paul Prize, Thackray received backing from the organisation’s Women Make Music fund, the International Showcase Fund and a BBC Introducing partnership, along with a grant via a global scheme with the British Council.
While he is proud of their track record of “recognising the challenges and barriers that face emerging music creators”, Frankland admits that it is a tough time for new artists.
“The challenges facing songwriters, composers and artists across the UK are quite complex,” he said. “You’re looking at the cost of living crisis and the resulting touring crisis.”
PRS Foundation tackles various barriers to progression for music creators.
“We target action to tackle gender inequity, racial inequities, access issues across the sector, socio-economic inequality and barriers facing people based outside London,” said Frankland. “Where we campaign, it might be joining collectively with friends across the industry to push for more support overall to tackle these barriers. But we have a very proactive, hands-on approach to actually addressing those issues through our grants programme.”
At a time when UK talent is facing increasing competition from global repertoire, PRS Foundation is also focusing on international initiatives to provide funding support for UK exports to help build careers in new markets.
“Everyone is aware of the extra barriers that Brexit has put upon emerging talent, but it’s more complex than that,” said Frankland. “We live in a much more competitive international landscape, which impacts UK artists – and the cost of touring abroad is now huge. So we’re playing quite an integral role in pushing for change in all of those areas.”
One area of collective focus has been for greater government support for UK music exports. PRS Foundation is a member of the European Music Exporters Exchange (EMEE).
“We look at what our friends across Europe and in other countries like South Korea, Australia and Canada are doing to tackle barriers to international progression,” said Frankland. “We’re very much about presenting solutions to the UK government and to the various regional combined authorities, in order to really tackle the issues facing UK talent abroad.”
Noting a “decrease in UK dominance internationally”, he added: “We need to act now. But there’s a lot of amazing talent ready to export and to build careers globally.”
PRS Foundation welcomed the government’s £30m Music Growth Package, but Frankland suggested there could be a more “multi-faceted and ambitious” exports programme in line with the Music Australia strategic initiative.
“We are keen to work alongside the sector to ensure that [funding] is flowing for exports, just to help UK emerging talent to reach fanbases and the industry outside the UK,” he said.
As PRS Foundation marks its quarter-century, Frankland wants to see more industry partners.
“I’m really positive about the future,” he said. “The ongoing support from PRS For Music is a huge commitment – they’ve invested over £50 million pounds since we were formed. [But] for us to be in a really good position to tackle those barriers and help bolster careers, we do need more support from across the sector.”
FOLLOW 
