£270,000 aid package announced for artists and live music industry by BPI

A £270,000 aid package has been announced for artists and live music industry by BPI.

Following a support package worth over £1 million co-ordinated by the British Phonographic Industry, the trade association has announced further financial support for the artist and live music communities as they continue to fight the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donations totalling nearly £270,000 will help to sustain artists and musicians, artist managers and grassroots music venues that are most in need. Sharing the announcement via their news page, BPI provided a detailed breakdown the funding: “Close to £60,000 will go to each of Help Musicians, music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins, and the Music Venue Trust, while mental wellbeing and addictions charity Music Support will receive nearly £30,000 to help fund its NHS-approved Thrive app.

“The monies are drawn from funds previously provided by major record labels Sony Music Entertainment UK, Universal Music UK, Warner Music UK, and independents Cherry Red and Demon Music Group, as well as by The BRIT Awards, Amazon Music and PPL, and which have since been added to with a significant contribution by YouTube Music. Separately, just under £60,000 funded directly by The BRIT Awards will go to the Music Managers Forum (MMF) Rebuild Project.”

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI & BRIT Awards, said: “Record labels and music companies have been individually helping those across the music community most affected by the Covid-19 emergency, but they also recognise the value of working collectively. These further donations aimed at helping artists, managers and venues, which come on top of substantial donations already made to Help Musicians and the Music Venues Trust, underline the sector’s solidarity with all those affected and will hopefully help to make a difference as we work together to bring the industry through this crisis. We thank the organisations that have donated, including a generous new contribution from YouTube Music.”

In a press conference on the 31st July, prime minister Boris Johnson announced that lockdown restrictions due to be lifted at the beginning of August for higher risk settings, which included indoor music and theatre performances, pilots of crowds in sports scentres, and wedding receiptions of more than 30 people, would not be permitted. The news followed the announcement of a £1.57billion support package for the arts and culture industries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.