Inverness pub fights Tooth and Claw to win UK-wide music competition

Owners of local Inverness pub The Tooth & Claw crowned winners of the PRS for Music national Music Makeover competition.

Owners of local Inverness pub The Tooth & Claw, James Carr and Paulina Matuszak, have been crowned winners of the PRS for Music national Music Makeover competition, taking home a £10,000 prize to revamp their pub into a live music haven for the region.

James and Paulina beat hundreds of pubs across the UK, netting a prize that also includes expert advice from world-renowned producer Steve Levine. With PRS for Music’s support, The Tooth & Claw is now vying for the title of best live music venue in the Highlands. PRS for Music launched the annual Music Makeover competition six years ago to showcase and raise awareness of how important music is to local businesses. From the quality of the sound system, to acoustics, volume and playlists, music has a huge impact on both customers and staff.

As part of the celebrations, PRS for Music hosted a launch party at the premises, with live performances from local Inverness artist Dr Wook and Glaswegian band Bossy Love, the latter of which previously received funding from the PRS for Music Foundation.

We regard pubs as an essential component of our popular music culture; they provide unparalleled opportunities for emerging musical talent to develop their skills and their popularity. Our Music Makeover award gives PRS for Music an annual opportunity to encourage music-loving venues to support local talent and enables them to improve the quality of the music experience for both performers and their audience.

The Highlands has always had a fantastic reputation for home grown musical talent and it is great to see venues like The Tooth & Claw give them the opportunity to showcase that talent. I’m pleased to see this recognised through PRS for Music’s Music Makeover competition, and I’m sure the owners will see the business go from strength to strength as a result, benefiting staff and patrons alike.

We are overjoyed with the support that both PRS for Music and the local community have given us. We want The Tooth & Claw to become a staple of the Inverness music scene and with this prize, that dream is becoming a reality. We can’t wait to play host to the best of Inverness music!

About PRS for Music

PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 165,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, it works diligently on behalf of its members to grow and protect the value of their rights. With a focus on innovation and integrity, PRS for Music is redefining the global standard for music royalties to ensure creators are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. In 2022, PRS for Music collected £964m and paid out £836.2m in royalties. prsformusic.com