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The British Music Embassy returns to SXSW 2019

Six showcases of hotly-tipped British music will return to the festival in Austin, Texas, 11–16 March 2019

South London rapper Dave performing live at the Radio 1 Showcase with PRS and PPL at last year's British Embassy Stage at SXSW

The British Music Embassy returns to SXSW in 2019 for its 12th year with six night time official SXSW showcases in partnership with AIM, BBC Music, BPI, the Department for International Trade (DIT), PPL, PRS for Music and the PRS Foundation. The showcases will put a spotlight on the best of new British music and will take place at the Latitude 30 venue in Austin, Texas, 11–16 March 2019.

Every year, The British Music Embassy takes over the venue for the week, playing host to some of the most exciting UK talent. With a wide spread across a variety of genres from brand new grassroots bands to more established artists, these showcases have become the go-to hub for many SXSW goers.

Legendary DJ Steve Lamacq will also be broadcasting live from SXSW for BBC Radio 6 Music on 14 and 15 March.

The British Music Embassy at Latitude 30 (512 San Jacinto), SXSW 2019 - full line-up:

Monday 11th March
8pm - 2am
DIY Magazine presents Official SXSW Showcase
In association with DIT

Sports Team
King Nun 
whenyoung
Anteros 
The Ninth Wave
Willie J Healey

Tuesday 12th March
8pm - 2am
ATC Live presents Official SXSW Showcase
In association with The BPI

Georgia
Black Midi
Fontaines DC
Ezra Collective
Lafawndah
Lucia 

Wednesday 13th March
8pm - 2am
BBC Music Introducing presents Official SXSW Showcase
In association with PRS Foundation

Another Sky
Big Joanie
Sam Fender 
Grace Carter 
Georgia 
Howl & The Hum

Thursday 14th March
8pm - 2am
BBC Radio 6 Music presents Official SXSW Showcase
In association with AIM

The Blinders
Novelist
Flohio
Squid
The Pearl Harts
Penelope Isles

Friday 15th March
8pm - 2am
BBC Music presents Official SXSW Showcase
In association with PPL & PRS for Music 

Her's  
The Comet Is Coming 
Bad Sounds
Dylan Cartlidge
Annabel Allum
Ferris and Sylvester 

Saturday 16th
8pm - 2am
BBC Radio 1 presents Official SXSW Showcase
In association with PPL & PRS for Music 

Easy Life 
Celeste 
Boy Azooga
APRE

quote

SXSW provides a great chance for exciting independent artists to perform on an international stage and expand their following around the world. The British Embassy is an important celebration of British music, which continues to punch above its weight as one of our country’s finest exports. It is a key partnership for AIM and we look forward to taking part with our showcase this year.

Paul Pacifico, CEO at AIM
quote

BBC Music has a great track record of helping UK artists develop on the international stage. Through BBC Music Introducing, we have taken some amazing artists to SXSW over the years including Slaves, Little Simz, Florence + the Machine and Rag’n'Bone Man. 2019 promises to be an impressive year and we are delighted to work with our partners to deliver the concerts at the British Music Embassy.

James Stirling, Head of BBC Music and BBC Music Introducing
quote

The outstanding heritage and global reputation of British music fuel demand for our artists overseas and help to shape positive perceptions of the UK as a thriving creative economy. The BPI is delighted to be back with the British Music Embassy and its partners at SXSW, as a premier showcase for the next generation of exciting British talent building fanbases around the world.

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI & BRIT Awards
quote

SXSW is one of the most influential music festivals in the world and we are proud to work closely with our partners at The British Music Embassy to support so many talented emerging artists. Recently we announced that our international collections grew 43% on 2017, up to £71m. This demonstrates how these collections are a critical revenue stream for musicians and labels. PPL now has 92 international collection agreements around the world so there is no more appropriate gathering for the company to meet our key stakeholders than SXSW. The festival plays an important role for many of our members and I very much look forward to meeting new people, renewing friendships and, of course, discovering more great music.

Peter Leathem, Chief Executive at PPL
quote

I am delighted for PRS for Music to be partnering with the British Music Embassy once again for what is truly one of the best showcases of SXSW. The quality of both British songwriting and performing seen at Latitude 30 has only continued to climb over the years, and it is an honour to support so much talent on a career-changing, international stage.

Nigel Elderton, PRS for Music Chairman
quote

We’re proud to be supporting over 40 talented UK artists to showcase at SXSW this year through our International Showcase Fund which is funded by Department for International Trade, British Underground, Arts Council England, the Musicians’ Union, PPL, Creative Scotland, Wales Arts International, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Invest NI. The demand for UK artists to perform at this world leading industry event is testament to the success of UK talent abroad and we know from our longstanding investment in showcasing overseas that playing at SXSW can have a huge impact on UK artists' careers. We’re also looking forward to our BBC Music Introducing and PRS Foundation showcase and broadcast from the iconic British Music Embassy - a great venue at SXSW for industry delegates from around the world to discover the breadth of talent emerging from the UK right now.

Vanessa Reed, CEO, PRS Foundation
quote

UK Music is proud to be part of the impressive British Music Embassy at SXSW. Music contributes £4.5 billion to the UK economy and brings enjoyment to millions at home and around the world. This promises to be another fantastic global showcase of superb U.K. talent.

Michael Dugher, CEO of British Music Embassy partner UK Music

About AIM

AIM is the not-for-profit trade body exclusively representing the UK’s independent music sector, which makes up a quarter of the recorded music market. Now in its 20th year, AIM’s members range from the largest, most respected record labels and associated music businesses in the world to self-releasing artists and the next generation of entrepreneurs in music. AIM promotes and supports this exciting and diverse sector globally and provides a range of services, commercial opportunities and practical help to members, enabling them to innovate, grow and break into new markets.

About BBC Music

BBC Music, led by Bob Shennan, Director of Radio and Music, is the corporation’s strongest commitment to music in 30 years – comprising of new partnerships and ground-breaking music initiatives. BBC Music has created 40 music mixes for the recently launched BBC Sounds app, which brings together unmissable music, radio and podcasts, live and on-demand in a personalised single app and website. 2018 highlights included BBC Music’s Biggest Weekend (a music festival across four sites in four nations with over 175 000 people in attendance) in May as well as live coverage of the Mercury Prize on TV and Radio in September.  Ten Pieces, the classical music initiative for schools which aims to open up the world of classical music to children, returns for its fourth instalment this year. BBC Music supports nationwide initiatives including Record Store Day and Independent Venue Week, and will be present at many summer festivals around the UK this summer. Recent TV programming includes: Children In Need Rocks, Last Night of the Proms, Kylie Live at Radio 2 in Hyde Park (which reunited her onstage with Jason Donovan), Ariana Grande at the BBC and Madness Rocks Big Ben Live on BBC One; Later… with Jools Holland, Our Classical Century, BBC Young Musician 2018, Radio 2 In Concert with Ed Sheeran on BBC Two; Primal Scream: The Lost Memphis Tapes, Back to Black, Boys on Film – A Night with Duran Duran, The Proms, Radio 2 In Concerts, Radio 1 Live Lounges, BROS: After the Screaming Stops (which had the largest number of iPlayer requests for a music programme broadcast in 2018) on BBC Four.  Coming up this year, BBC One presents The Hit List a new music quiz show hosted by Rochelle and Marvin Humes as well as the ABBA special, BBC Two will broadcast a new film David Bowie: Finding Fame in February, and BBC Four will continue its three part series Guitar, Drum and Bass with Stewart Copeland, Tina Weymouth and Lenny Kaye, and broadcast The Defiant Ones. In November 2018, BBC Music Introducing LIVE 18 was a new three-day music event for the public, supporting musicians and new talent with a programme of inspiring performances, talks and masterclasses.

About DIT

The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) has overall responsibility for promoting UK trade across the world and attracting foreign investment to our economy. We are a specialised government body with responsibility for negotiating international trade policy, supporting business, as well as delivering an outward-looking trade diplomacy strategy.

About BPI (British Phonographic Industry)

The BPI champions the UK’s recorded music industry, safeguarding the rights of its members and of the artists, performers and label members of collecting body PPL. The BPI’s membership consists of well over 400 independent labels and the UK’s three ‘majors’, which together account for 85 per cent of legitimate domestic music consumption and 1 in 8 albums sold around the world.  The BPI promotes British music overseas through its trade missions and the Music Exports Growth Scheme. It provides insights, training and networking with its free masterclasses, Innovation Hub, Insight Sessions, WidsomWednesdays events, and reports.  The BPI administers The BRIT Certified Awards, co-owns The Official Charts, organises The BRIT Awards and BRITs Week, and is also home to The Mercury Prize.  

About PPL

Founded in 1934, PPL is the UK music industry’s collective management organisation (CMO) for tens of thousands of performers and record companies.  We license recorded music in the UK when it is played in public (shops, bars, nightclubs, offices etc.) or broadcast (BBC, commercial radio, commercial TV etc.) and ensure that revenue flows back to our members. These include both independent and major record companies, together with performers ranging from emerging grassroots artists through to established session musicians and influential festival headliners.  PPL’s public performance licensing is now carried out on PPL’s behalf by PPL PRS Ltd, the new joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music.  

PPL has a market-leading international collections business, with 90 agreements in place, helping members to maximise their revenue when their repertoire is played overseas. We collected £218.8 million in the UK and internationally in 2017 and paid over 98,000 performers and record companies.

About PRS for Music

PRS for Music represents the rights of songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK and around the world. As a membership organisation it works to ensure that creators are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. With over 100 representation agreements in place globally, PRS for Music's network represents over two million music creators worldwide. In 2017, 6.6 trillion performances of music were reported to PRS for Music with £717m collected on behalf of its members, making it one of the world’s leading music collective management organisations.

PRS for Music’s public performance licensing is now carried out on PRS for Music’s behalf by PPL PRS Ltd, the new joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music.

About PRS Foundation

PRS Foundation is the UK's leading charitable funder of new music and talent development. Since 2000 PRS Foundation has given more than £32 million to over 6,700 new music initiatives by awarding grants and leading partnership programmes that support music sector development. Widely respected as an adventurous and proactive funding body, PRS Foundation supports an exceptional range of new music activity – from composer residencies and commissions to a network of talent development partners and showcases in the UK and overseas. 

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