Momentum Music Fund opens to Scottish musicians

Scotland's up-and-coming musicians will have access to the PRS Foundation's Momentum Music Fund for the first time, thanks to a new tie-up between Creative Scotland and PRS. The new partnership, announced at the Wide Days music conference in Edinburgh today, is designed to support Scotland-based musicians with assistance and cold hard cash at the points in their careers when they need it the most to help them in recording, touring and marketing their music.

Grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 are on offer from MMF, which was previously only open to artists based in England. The Fund, set up in 2013, has supported artists including Kate Tempest, Ghostpoet, Flamingods, and – ironically – 2016 Scottish Album of the Year award winner Anna Meredith.

Announcing the details of the fund, PRS Foundation CEO Vanessa Reed said in a statement: "Thanks to Creative Scotland, we can now offer support to the many talented and independent Scottish artists who need support and industry exposure to take their music to the next level. I look forward to seeing the range of Scottish acts that apply and to combining the expertise of our Scottish partners with input from industry experts when making decisions on who makes it through."

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said: "There’s so much more to succeeding in the music industry these days than just writing great songs. Musicians today really need to know how to handle a crowdfunding campaign, get access to influential streaming playlists and generally improve their business skills. That’s where the Momentum Music Fund steps in, working with acts who have already got themselves on to the ladder and helping them climb a few rungs higher."

The next deadline for Momentum Music Fund applications is 29 May, 6pm; for more information, head to prsfoundation.com