Power Up 2024

POWER UP announce Year 4 Participants

40 more Black music creators and industry professionals have joined the long-term initiative.

Sam Harteam Moore
  • By Sam Harteam Moore
  • 20 Jun 2024
  • min read

POWER UP has announced the latest set of music creators, industry professionals and executives to join its Participant Programme.

The POWER UP programme, co-founded by PRS Foundation and Ben Wynter in 2020 to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music industry, seeks to elevate pioneering Black talent across the sector.

Among the different types of support being offered by the programme — which is specifically designed to fit the needs of each annual cohort of participants — are grants of up to £15,000, capacity-building masterclasses, mentoring, coaching, mental health and wellbeing support, as well as support from the wider POWER UP network.

The likes of Nova Twins, Speech Debelle and Donae'o are all existing members of the programme, as is broadcaster Jamz Supernova, AIM board member Despa Robinson and artist and label manager Lesley-Anne O’Brien.

POWER UP’s Year 4 cohort has been announced today (20 June), ensuring that the Participant Programme is now a 160-person strong network. You can see the full list of the 40 new POWER UP participants below.

Music creators

ALT BLK ERA

Arowah

BAELY

brownbear

Dot Inc

James Perry

Jords

JULS

Lloyd Luther

Mirari

Mysie

namesbliss

Nat Maddix

Noushy

Nwando Ebizie

SCRUFIZZER

Seckou Keita

T.Williams

Tomike

Winnie Ama

Yazmin Lacey

Music industry professionals

Abi Lufadeju

Alexandria Carr

Amanda Kiflay

Aqwea

CassKidd

Channette Carleo

Dotun Bolaji

Gemma Bradley

Goziam Okogwu

Jelani Brown / JB Wassifa

Julian Gill PKA Esco Williams

Jumi Akinfenwa

Kaiya Milan

Latisha Pemberton

Michael Bailey

Kemi Davies

Trey

Vanessa Maria

Vincent Olutayo

Speaking about the news, Ben Wynter said: ‘As we move into our fourth year of POWER UP, I am incredibly proud of the brilliant selection of Year 4 participants. This initiative has been recognised Europe-wide as an award-winning program, and the quantitative evidence of our POWER UP Fellows successes across various sectors in the industry proves that when Black talent is given an opportunity to succeed, it thrives.

‘At a time when the commitments of 2020 to create a more equitable and equal music industry appear to have been forgotten, POWER UP underscores the impact and pathways we want to see in our industry. I urge the industry to finally back POWER UP, as there is little more we can do to prove the initiative’s impact. That said, I am excited to see the continued growth and achievements of our brilliant new cohort.’

You can read a recent M interview with Ben Wynter about POWER UP here.