Arts Council England has named the first recipients of its Music Growth Package, including the Music Managers Forum (MMF). The awards will fund skills, artist support and export opportunities.
The Music Growth Package (MGP) Sector Bodies Programme provides one-off funding for established music industry bodies to support UK music creators and independent businesses.
Who the first awards will support
Across the 11 sector bodies, the first funded initiatives are expected to directly benefit:
- More than 5,000 artists and music creators.
- 1,200 individual industry professionals.
- 7,500 music businesses.
The initiatives are also expected to reach more than 20,000 members and at least 3,000 individuals and organisations that are not currently members of the recipient bodies.
The funding aims to make routes into music industry jobs more accessible, support smaller and independent businesses, strengthen regional provision and improve representation.
It will also support infrastructure that helps people sustain careers in music and take their work into international markets.
The wider funding programme
The sector bodies programme forms part of the £45 million Music Growth Package, a three-year investment programme from the UK Government and Arts Council England.
The package supports artists, music creators, industry professionals and music businesses across the UK. It expects to fund more than 2,000 projects over three years.
Those projects are expected to benefit at least 40,000 artists and music professionals, alongside thousands of music fans in the UK and internationally.
Secretary of State Lisa Nandy launched the package in July 2026 as part of Turn It Up: Our Plan for Music, a long-term strategic policy paper and support package for the music industry.
Further details of Scale Up, together with information on how the MMF will help members apply for Music Growth Fund initiatives, will be announced soon.
