Festival season may be the main focus of the music industry at present, but July is still filled with opportunities elsewhere for music creators of all levels and genres. From the Ivors Academy’s informative online sessions for songwriters through to an array of funding initiatives being supported by PRS Foundation, there’s much to explore.
Here’s five creative openings for you to check out this month.
Submit your work for the Composer Spotlight Award
Introduced by the Production Music Awards as a means of celebrating composers working in production music, entries are now open for this year’s Composer Spotlight Award.
This category will highlight the work of composers who are in the early stages of their production music careers, regardless of age or prior experience in other fields of music composition. It’s hoped that being recognised in this manner will open the door for winners to go on and build relationships with production music libraries.
Five winners will be chosen by a panel of experienced professionals from leading production music libraries, with that announcement set to be made in October before the Production Music Awards then take place in November.
Entries are open now until 25 July to all producers over the age of 18. To apply, you just need to upload your music and profile via the Spotlight Award entry form (entry fee is £25).
Dial into the Ivors Academy’s latest songwriting webinar
Members of The Ivors Academy can now sign up for the ‘Hit song structures and lyrics’ webinar, which aims to break down and unpick the anatomy of a hit song, on 22 July.
Whether you’re hoping to pen a song that will live long in people’s heads and hearts, or you’re just in need of some new inspiration, this webinar will dive into many of the key elements behind a hit. Exploring proven structural approaches, melodic hooks and lyric-writing techniques that connect emotionally and commercially with audiences, this session promises to be an engaging and enlightening experience.
Tickets for the webinar are free for Core and Professional members of the Ivors Academy, while Discovery-level members can book onto the session for £8.39. If you’re not already an Ivors Academy member, you can join now here.
Apply for financial support through The Birthplace Fund
After partnering with Beacons Cymru, Welsh music creator and producer Novo Amor recently announced the launch of The Birthplace Fund. Supporting ‘original music-makers across Wales’, this new initiative will provide grants of up to £2,500 each for 10 successful applicants.
‘Whether you’re an artist, band or music producer, this fund is here to give you the time, space and resources to focus on what matters most: your music,’ a short blurb for the fund explains. Indeed, funding can be used to cover everything from studio equipment and resources, managing time off work, mentorship, childcare or budget for touring, marketing or PR expenses.
The Birthplace Fund is open to individuals aged between 18-35 who currently reside in Wales, and applications will close on 10 July. Applicants will be assessed on their musical potential, the impact this fund will have on their life and the viability of their proposed project. Full criteria and further information is available here.
Enter Girls I Rate’s Future Hitmaker competition
Girls I Rate have just relaunched their Future Hitmaker competition alongside the return of their residency for women songwriters and producers aged between 16 and 35. Developed in partnership with PRS Foundation, the organisation’s flagship initiative aims to increase career opportunities for women music creators across the UK, help sustain their creativity in writing and production, and create a safe space for them to thrive professionally.
Two 'Future Hitmakers' — a songwriter and a producer — will be selected in this latest edition of the competition, which will close entries on 21 July. Each winner will receive a £1000 prize fund as well as additional bonuses.
The residencies, meanwhile, will take place in London and be led by award-winning songwriter, campaigner and Girls I Rate founder Carla Marie Williams MBE alongside other industry experts. You can find out more about how to apply by heading here or here.
Explore funding from the members of PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Network
PRS Foundation recently expanded its Talent Development Network (TDN) for the year ahead, with the 78 selected organisations each sharing a goal of strengthening the music ecosystem from the grassroots up.
Launched with the first cohort of organisations in 2024 and supported by PPL, the TDN offers grants of up to £25,000 per year to organisations for up to three years. Funding supports music creator development programmes, while grantees become part of a UK-wide network which enables them to share knowledge and make connections.
Among the new additions to the TDN are AVA Festival, who celebrate, amplify and develop electronic music; Latino Life, who seek to bring the music of Latin creators in the UK to wider audiences; and The Oram Awards, who are honouring and supporting the work and voices of women, trans, non-binary and gender-expansive artists challenging the boundaries of innovation in sound. With the network covering so many sectors of the industry, this inevitably means that there will be plenty of opportunities for songwriters across the genre spectrum to get involved.
