UK music industry comes together at first in person PRS Presents gig since February 2020
Full set of hi-res images available here
On Wednesday 20 October, music creators and industry guests came together for the first live in-person PRS Presents gig since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020.
Hosted by PRS for Music and PRS Foundation, attendees were welcomed to The Forge Bar, a short walk away from PRS for Music’s new collaboration hub in London Bridge, for an eclectic evening of music featuring avant-punk queen, Nuha Ruby Ra, soul and R&B singer, Joel Culpepper, and multi-award winning saxophonist and composer, Nubya Garcia.
All three acts that performed on the night have received funding from PRS Foundation to help accelerate their careers. Nuha Ruby Ra was a recipient of the Open Fund for music creators earlier this year, and Joel Culpepper has received support via the PPL Momentum Fund. Nubya Garcia was granted the Steve Reid Innovation Award in 2017, alongside performing at the BBC Music Introducing x PRS Foundation showcase for New York Winter Jazzfest 2018 and receiving both the PPL Momentum Music Fund in 2018 for the recording of Mercury Prize nominated album Source, and International Showcase Fund for SXSW 2018.
PRS for Music, which represents more than 155,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers in the UK and across the globe, began hosting PRS Presents in 2015 to showcase the wealth of talent represented by the organisation. Artists that have previously performed include Flohio, Ghostpoet, Greentea Peng, Idles, Moses Boyd and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man. During lockdown, PRS for Music hosted online editions of the PRS Presents series, including PRS Presents LCKDWN, a 24-hour virtual gig in aid of the PRS Emergency Relief Fund supporting music creators facing significant financial hardship due to the pandemic, PRS Presents LGBTQ+, and PRS Presents Black History Month.
What a night of outstanding live music! Heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out to this special edition of PRS Presents, members and industry guests alike. Not only did it provide us with an opportunity to reconnect with those we have missed and establish new connections, it was a compelling reminder of live music’s true power and the UK’s thriving, diverse music scene. We would like to thank Nuha Ruby Ra, Joel Culpepper and Nubya Garcia for their incredible performances, and look forward to our next PRS Presents.
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
About PRS Foundation
Since 2000 PRS Foundation has given more than £44 million to over 8,500 new music initiatives. 9 out of 12 Mercury Prize 2022 nominees had received PRS Foundation support (including the winner Little Simz) and the charity has supported BRITS, RPS, AIM and Ivors Award-winners.
PRS Foundation supports outstanding talent from all backgrounds, covering the whole of the UK and all genres, with grantee success stories including Little Simz, Wolf Alice, Dave, Sam Fender, Years & Years, AJ Tracey, Anna Meredith, Yola, Glass Animals, Ezra Collective, Jade Bird, Ghetts, Shiva Feshareki, Sarathy Korwar, Floating Points, Nadine Shah, The Fanatix, Imogen Heap, IDLES, Kae Tempest, Kojey Radical and Emily Burns.
Widely respected as an inclusive, collaborative and proactive funding body, PRS Foundation supports an exceptional range of new music activity through direct grants to music creators and through support for pioneering organisations, including venues, festivals, promoters and other talent development organisations. PRS Foundation founded the Women Make Music fund, co-founded global gender equality initiative, Keychange and most recently launched the POWER UP initiative to tackle anti-Black racism in music. www.prsfoundation.com
