Funding for musicians: music grants in the UK

 If you’re looking to make a living as a musician, finding multiple sources of income to fund your career is crucial. Musicians living in the UK have a powerful funding option at their disposal that they might not be aware of: music grants.

What are music grants?

Grants are a form of non-repayable funds given away by governments, foundations, businesses, non-profits, individuals, or other entities. Although they’re considered gifts, the criteria determining who receives music grants in the United Kingdom is often extremely strict. This isn’t meant to discourage you, but rather to remind you to be thorough in your grant search and application process.

How to get the most out of applying for UK music grants 

The UK offers a diverse set of grants aimed at supporting musicians in every genre and at different points in their careers. 

Every music grant has different requirements, which means that copying and pasting the same application over and over isn’t likely to work. Applying for grants can be tedious, but going through the process will help you define your artistic goals and challenges. 

Organizations that offer music grants in the UK

New music grants in the UK are always popping up, so this is by no means a complete list. But if you’re a UK-based musician searching for ways to fund a music project, scanning this list will give you a great start.

PRS Foundation

The UK’s leading funder of new music and talent development has awarded more than £47 million to over 8,500 music projects. It offers several grant programs, including:

• The Open Fund For Music Creators, open to songwriters, bands, composers, producers, and performers working in any genre
• Women Make Music, designed to support the careers of outstanding UK-based female musicians
• Steve Reid InNOVAtion Award, aimed at supporting emerging artists
• International Showcase Fund, to support artists performing at an international festival or conference

The Agar Trust

This grant supports young musicians aged 8-21 who reside in rural Scotland. 

Arts Council England

• The Developing your Creative Practice fund offers UK-based creatives between £2,000 to £12,000 to devote a period of time to creative development. 
• The National Lottery Project Grants offer between £1,000 and £100,000 for arts and culture projects.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland

This council offers various grants to hundreds of Northern Irish artists every year. 

Arts Council of Wales

This council gives Wales-based artists funding and access to career opportunities. 

Craxton Memorial Trust

A program that funds outstanding young instrumentalists in need of financial help. 

Creative Scotland

Open Funding is designed to raise Scotland’s creative profile by supporting music efforts and other creative projects.

Diaphonique

A program that provides funding and support for collaborative music projects between artists from the UK and France.

Elizabeth Eagle-Bott Memorial Fund

A grant program that supports blind and partially sighted musicians in their music making. 

The Fenton Arts Trust

A trust that provides financial support and encouragement to UK-based creatives in the beginning of their careers.

Future Talent

A charity that gives opportunities to musicians under 18 who are from low-income backgrounds. 

Hattori Foundation

This charitable trust offers awards to young instrumental soloists or chamber ensembles whose talent give promise of an international career.

Help Musicians

This organization is devoted to helping musicians connect to funding opportunities in the UK, from grants aimed at young musical talent to financial support for musicians coping with illness.

Hinrichsen Foundation

A broad grant designed to help bolster contemporary music creation, recording, and performance efforts.

John Clementi Collard Fellowship

This fellowship offers £5,000 in financial assistance for mid-career musicians who are being held back due to personal or professional circumstances. 

John Ellerman Foundation

Broad funding opportunities for the arts and other areas that benefit the public.

Stephen Oliver Award

Funding given to an outstanding composer to bring a musical theater work to performance.

Youth Music Network

This organization offers a multitude of grant programs to UK-based musicians who are 25 and under.