PRS Foundation

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PRS Foundation
The Performing Right Society Foundation
AbbreviationPRSF
Formation2000 (2000)
Founder PRS for Music
Type Registered charity
Legal statusActive
PurposeMusic funding and talent development
Headquarters London, England
Region served
United Kingdom
Chief Executive Officer
Joe Frankland
Chair
 Simon Platz
Parent organization
Independent (primary funder: PRS for Music)
Affiliations PPL, Arts Council England, Creative Europe
Budget£3–4 million annually
Website prsfoundation.com

PRS Foundation (The Performing Right Society Foundation) is the United Kingdom's leading charitable funder of new music and talent development. [1] Established in 2000 by PRS for Music, the Foundation supports songwriters, composers, artists and music organisations across all genres through grant funding, professional development programmes and strategic initiatives addressing systemic barriers in the music industry. [2]

Contents

Since its inception, PRS Foundation has invested over £50 million in more than 9,000 new music initiatives. [1] The Foundation has supported seven of the last eight Mercury Prize winners and numerous BRIT, Ivors, RPS and Grammy award winners and nominees. [1] [3]

History

Foundation and early years

PRS Foundation was established in 2000 by PRS for Music, the UK's collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers. [2] The Foundation was created in recognition that despite the abundance of talented music creators in the UK, many needed support to create new music and reach new audiences. [2]

The organisation is formally registered as a charity and operates independently from PRS for Music, although it receives its core funding from the parent organisation. PRS for Music's grants to PRS Foundation are primarily funded from non-licensing revenues, most notably from interest earned on royalties awaiting distribution. [1]

Leadership

The Foundation's first chief executive was Vanessa Reed, who served for 11 years from 2008 to 2019. [4] During Reed's tenure, the Foundation tripled its resources for organisations, composers, songwriters and artists, introducing programmes including the Momentum Music Fund (2013), New Music Biennial (2012), and Women Make Music. Under her leadership, PRS Foundation awarded over £26 million to more than 4,100 new music initiatives. [5]

Reed also founded Keychange, a pioneering international gender equality initiative, in 2017. [5] She departed in 2019 to become president and CEO of New Music USA. [4]

Funding programmes

PRS Foundation operates multiple funding schemes supporting music creators at different career stages and addressing specific needs within the industry.

The Open Fund

The Open Fund comprises two streams: [6] [7]

Women Make Music

Launched in 2011, Women Make Music is the Foundation's flagship gender equity initiative supporting the development of outstanding women, trans and non-binary songwriters and composers across all genres and career stages. [8]

The fund was established in response to low representation of women amongst PRS for Music members (13% in 2011) and low application rates from women for commissions (16%). [8] Grants of up to £5,000 are available for projects involving creation, performance and promotion of new music. [9]

By 2023, Women Make Music had invested over £1.46 million in more than 380 women and gender expansive music creators. However, demand increased by 340% since 2011, meaning only 8% of applicants could be supported. Notable grantees include Anna Meredith, ESKA, Emma-Jean Thackray, Carleen Anderson, Cassie Kinoshi, Let's Eat Grandma, Jessica Curry, Judith Weir, Kelly Lee Owens, Little Boots, Errollyn Wallen, Marika Hackman, Poppy Ajudha and YolanDa Brown. [8]

PPL Momentum Music Fund

Created in partnership with PPL and Arts Council England in 2013, the Momentum Music Fund supports artists at a breakthrough stage of their careers. [10] [11] [12]

The Composers' Fund

The Composers' Fund offers contributions up to £10,000 to composers with a strong track record who are making a significant cultural contribution in the UK and have potential for greater impact domestically and internationally. The fund provides direct access to funding at pivotal career stages for established composers. [7] [13] [14]

International Showcase Fund

The International Showcase Fund supports UK-based music creators who have been invited to perform or showcase their work internationally. [11] The fund helps offset costs associated with international touring, particularly addressing increased expenses caused by Brexit and visa requirements. [15] [16]

Talent Development Network

The Talent Development Network (TDN) provides grants of up to £25,000 per year for up to three years to music creator development organisations in the UK including venues, festivals, promoters and other specialists. [17] The programme is funded by PRS for Music and PPL, supporting 70+ organisations per year. [17] [18] [19]

Other programmes

Additional programmes include:

Strategic initiatives

Keychange

Keychange is an international initiative co-founded by PRS Foundation in 2017 (launched at Reeperbahn Festival) with partners including Reeperbahn Festival (Germany) and Musikcentrum Öst (Sweden). [21] [22] [23]

The initiative addresses gender imbalance in the music industry through two main components:

The programme is supported by the European Union's Creative Europe programme and has expanded to the United States (launched June 2022 with founding sponsors TuneCore and Believe) and Canada. [24] [25]

PRS Foundation itself achieved the Keychange Pledge target, ensuring that women, gender-diverse and mixed gender groups make up at least 50% of the talent funded outside of targeted action schemes. [26] In 2020, PRS Foundation extended this commitment, pledging that 60% of all music creator grantees would be women, mixed gender groups and gender minority music creators by 2022. [27]

In 2025, Keychange and PRS Foundation received the LIVE Workforce Award at the Live Awards in recognition of the initiative's impact on the live music industry workforce. [28]

POWER UP

POWER UP is an ambitious long-term initiative co-founded by PRS Foundation and Ben Wynter in January 2021 to tackle anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the UK music sector. [29] [30]

The initiative was developed in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and #TheShowMustBePausedUK in June 2020, shaped by over 80 Black music professionals. [29] A PRS Foundation survey of 400 Black applicants found that 78% had experienced racism within the music industry, 90% agreed there was a lack of visibility of Black industry professionals in senior roles, and 69% agreed that music funding was less accessible for Black talent. [29]

POWER UP is managed by PRS Foundation in partnership with YouTube Music, Beggars Group and the Black Music Coalition, with support from Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Spotify, and major UK music industry organisations including AIM, BPI, FAC, The Ivors Academy, MMF, MPA, MPG, Musicians' Union, PPL, PRS for Music and the PRS Members' Fund. [31]

By 2024, POWER UP had received over 1,200 applications requesting over £12.8 million in grant support, investing over £1.1 million into participants' projects. [32] The 160-person network includes participants who have gone on to win BRIT Awards, Mercury Prizes, and appointments to senior industry roles. [31]

In 2022, POWER UP received the inaugural IMPALA Changemaker Award, recognising the scale and speed of its impact. [32]

Relationship with PRS for Music

PRS Foundation operates as an independent registered charity, separate from PRS for Music, although PRS for Music is the Foundation's primary donor and founded the organisation in 2000. [33]

PRS for Music's grants to PRS Foundation are primarily funded from non-licensing revenues, most notably from interest earned on royalties awaiting distribution. [1] As interest rates were below 1% for more than a decade and PRS for Music pays out royalties more quickly, available funds decreased, leading to the 2023 multi-year funding agreement. [33]

The core donation from PRS for Music enables PRS Foundation to raise between £1.5–2 million annually from other sources, allowing it to reach more music creators. [1] The Foundation's independence allows it to maintain a proactive and inclusive approach to funding across all genres and career stages.

Governance

PRS Foundation is governed by a board of trustees. The current chair is Simon Platz, managing director of Bucks Music Group. [34] [35]

Impact and notable grantees

PRS Foundation has supported some of the UK's most successful contemporary music creators at crucial early stages of their careers. Seven of the last eight Mercury Prize winners received PRS Foundation support, including Little Simz, who won in 2022. [1] In 2022, nine of the twelve Mercury Prize nominees had received Foundation support. [28]

Notable artists and composers who have received PRS Foundation funding include: [2] [28] [8]

The Foundation has also supported award winners and nominees at the BRIT Awards, Ivors, RPS Awards, AIM Awards, MOBO Awards and Grammy Awards. [1]

In 2022, PRS Foundation supported 440 new music projects, with annual application numbers exceeding 4,800 – a 20% increase from previous years. [33] [36]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "About Us". PRS Foundation. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "If we want a stronger, fairer and more globally competitive music industry, the answer lies in partnership". Music Business Worldwide. December 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "PRS Foundation congratulates English Teacher on being the latest winner of the Mercury Music Prize 07 Sep 2024". 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Vanessa Reed exits PRS Foundation". M Magazine. April 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Former PRS Foundation Head Vanessa Reed Joins New Music USA as President/CEO". Billboard. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "The Open Fund and Women Make Music: Criteria". PRS Foundation. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Deadlines approaching for several PRS Foundation funds". M Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "PRS Foundation celebrate Women Make Music's impact". PRS for Music. 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Women Make Music: Application Stages and Deadlines". PRS Foundation. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "PPL Momentum Music Fund for UK artists". 10 October 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "The PRS Foundation". PRS for Music. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Guidance & FAQs". PRS Foundation. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  13. ↑ Hewett, Ivan (21 July 2016). "Why is new classical music left to wither and die?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "PRS for Music Foundation announces first Composers' Fund recipients". 17 October 2019. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "A New Deal: How PRS Foundation and PRS for Music's new agreement could shape the future of UK music". M Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "PRS fund brings multi-million pound benefits for UK artists". 19 May 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Talent Development Network (TDN) 2025". PRS Foundation. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "PRS Foundation announces multi-year funding through Talent Development Network". 14 December 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "PRS Foundation reveals 73 organisations to receive support from Talent Development Network". 10 June 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  20. ↑ Clements, Andrew (4 July 2017). "New Music Biennial review – from the startling and striking to the cinematic and scabrous". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  21. ↑ "500 Music Organisations Commit to Keychange Gender Equality Pledge". PRS Foundation. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Who we are". Keychange. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  23. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (26 February 2018). "Proms among music festivals pledging 50/50 gender split in lineups". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  24. 1 2 "About Keychange". Keychange U.S. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  25. ↑ "Gender Equality Advocacy Organization KEYCHANGE Launches in the U.S. with Event at the Swedish Residence in New York". PRWeb. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  26. ↑ "Keychange - PRS Foundation". We Are Creative UK. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  27. ↑ "UK music industry commits to Keychange gender equality pledge". PRS for Music. 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  28. 1 2 3 "PRS Foundation". LinkedIn. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  29. 1 2 3 "PRS Foundation's new 'Power Up' initiative launched to tackle anti-Black racism in music". PRS Foundation. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  30. ↑ "PRS Foundation's POWER UP announces 40 Black music creators & industry professionals for year one of its programme". 18 May 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  31. 1 2 "POWER UP Year 4 Participants announced". PRS Foundation. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  32. 1 2 "Power Up unveils 2023 participants as it passes 1,200 applications and £12.8m in grant support requests". Music Week. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  33. 1 2 3 "PRS for Music and PRS Foundation announce new multi-year funding agreement". PRS for Music. 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  34. ↑ "Joe Frankland announced as PRS Foundation's new CEO". PRS Foundation. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  35. ↑ "POWER UP - PRS Foundation". We Are Creative UK. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  36. ↑ "New Year message from PRS Foundation CEO, Joe Frankland". PRS Foundation. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
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