skip to main content

POWER UP Announces Year 5 Programme Participants

41 Black music creators and industry professionals have been selected to receive career-changing support in POWER UP’s fifth year.

Published: 04 August 2025 | 2:26 PM Updated: 07 August 2025 | 2:07 PM
A group of music professionals standing in front of a backdrop to take a group photo.
This latest cohort came together for the first time at London’s Roundhouse in July to network and hear more about each other’s projects, and from Years 1-4 participants. Image credit: PRS Foundation.

POWER UP has recently announced the music creators, industry professionals and executives who will make up Year 5 of the multi-award winning programme.

Co-founded by PRS Foundation and Ben Wynter, POWER UP’s Participant Programme elevates pioneering Black talent and is a key feature of the long-term initiative launched to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector.

The programme – specifically designed to fit the needs of each annual cohort of participants – assists in the development of their careers and practice, to empower creators and professionals to break through glass ceilings and accelerate change across the industry.

This includes grant support of up to £10,000 alongside capacity building masterclasses, mentoring, coaching, mental health and wellbeing support, and access to added value support from POWER UP Partners and the peer network which is integral to breaking down barriers.

​Find out more about each of the Year 5 Participants.

Breaking through glass ceiling barrieres

Dr Diljeet Bhachu, MU Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, said: “The MU is proud to partner with POWER UP again.

“We are pleased to note the achievements made by POWER UP’s Year 1-4 participants, and are excited to see them continue to flourish in the music industries, alongside the new cohort.”

Since POWER UP was launched in early 2021, the demand for a fairer and equitable music industry cannot be disputed. Over 1,697 Black music creators and industry professionals have applied for a place on the programme which is undoubtedly helping participants to break through glass ceiling barriers.

Learn more about POWER UP and previous cohorts from the Participant Programme.

Representing and advocating on behalf of musicians experiencing racism

Our network for members who experience racism is a space where people with shared identities and backgrounds can connect, network and make positive change across the MU and the music industry.

Join our Member Network

The network ensures that the voices of members who experience racism are heard and that opportunities for activism and leadership are created.

Sign up if you are a musician from a Global Majority background to get your voice heard.

Sign up now

Representing and advocating on behalf of musicians experiencing racism

Continue reading

Six women on stage in front of an audience. Behind them is a screen saying

‘Measuring Minutes’: Taking Stock of Representation in Global Orchestral Programming with Donne Women in Music

Donne Women in Music’s latest report reveals how underrepresented composers receive a smaller share of orchestral programme time than their share of programmed works, highlighting persistent inequalities in global repertoire.

Published: 14 October 2026

Read more about ‘Measuring Minutes’: Taking Stock of Representation in Global Orchestral Programming with Donne Women in Music
A black placard being held high in a crowd. The design is of a fist being raised powerfully in solidarity holding a piece of paper in bright blue and pink. The text says

MU to Join Together Alliance Northern Summit on the Role of Arts and Culture in Challenging the Far Right

The MU will be represented at a major anti-racism and community organising event in Manchester on 17 October. The Together Alliance North Summit will bring together trade unionists, activists and community leaders to develop practical strategies to challenge the growth of the far right.

Published: 08 October 2026

Read more about MU to Join Together Alliance Northern Summit on the Role of Arts and Culture in Challenging the Far Right