The Featured Artists Coalition and Amazon Music announce awardees for 2024’s Step Up Fund

nme.com:

Step Up Fund, with Amazon Music. Check them out below.Established in 2022 to counteract the growing financial and structural challenges facing upcoming, independent artists in the UK, the Step Up Fund has so far helped 31 artists through grants and mentorships.Among previous awardees are Amie Blu, Chalk, Cherise, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West, Elkka, Friedberg, Jalen Ngonda, Joel Culpepper and VUKOVI.This year’s awardees, who were selected by a panel of industry professionals, span a range of genres including pop, metal, hip-hop and R&B, and are drawn from across the UK.

They’ll all receive a grant of up to £8,000, alongside mentoring, a one-year PRO membership to the FAC, a one-year subscription to Amazon Music and content creation opportunities.2024’s cohort is made up of Azekel, BEKA, Blair Davie, Dirty Nice, Hana Lili, Lime Garden, Olive Jones, ShaSimone, SOFY and unpeople.

You can check out their music through an introductory playlist here.The fund will allow the artists to pay for things to boost their careers in music — including recording and mastering costs, video creation, PR and marketing campaigns, showcasing and touring.Brighton indie-rock band Lime Garden, who are among the awardees, spoke to NME about their experiences as emerging artists in the UK earlier this year.On receiving the award, they said: “Awards like Step Up provide essential support for new artists to develop sustainable careers in the music industry.

For us, the costs associated with playing summer festivals, shows around Europe, and our first U.S. headline tour this Autumn are huge financial commitments.They continued: “Having the funding support from Amazon Music and the industry support from the Featured Artists Coalition makes touring.