Industry news & advice blog

Girls I Rate, a movement focussed on equality for young women in music, has announced the launch of its 2021 #GETHEARD Future Hitmaker Competition. In partnership with PRS for Music, which represents the rights of over 150,000 music creators and publishers, and PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, the #GETHEARD Future Hitmaker Competition will give aspiring women songwriters the opportunity to have their music broadcast and funded for the very first time.

Girls I Rate have officially launched their call for submissions. Women aged 16-30 are encouraged to submit their music via the Girls I Rate website for the opportunity to have their music heard by a panel of A&R experts, and #GETHEARD on the radio. Three songwriters will be chosen to receive a Future Hitmaker Award of up to £3,000, a six-week introductory course on Music Production and Sound Engineering at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) worth £199, a one month membership to The Qube, and audio equipment from Girls I Rate radio show sponsor, Audio-Technica.

 Shortlisted #GETHEARD submissions will feature on the Girls I Rate radio show on The Beat London 103.6FM every Monday until 22 June, 7pm – 9pm, with shows available to listen back to via Mixcloud.

 #GETHEARD champions positive change by empowering talented women entering the profession with the tools to take their careers to the next level. All those who submit their music are also invited to attend a free masterclass on navigating the music business hosted by Claire Rose, Outreach Manager, PRS for Music, and Becci Scotcher, Senior Grants and Programmes Manager, PRS Foundation, who will share advice on how music creators can make money from their music and the various funding and grants available to them. 

Over the course of 3 months, a diverse panel of experts will critique the tracks submitted, with the freshest women voices and their music, in particular music of Black origin, to be showcased on Girls I Rate’s #GETHEARD weekly takeover on The Beat London 103.6FM. Featuring an all-female line-up of presenters, including resident Notting Hill Carnival DJ, Carmen London, international multi-genre DJ, S.Chinx, DJ Joy To The World and Jasmine De-Allie, the radio show will provide a platform for some of the songwriters, producers, artists, rappers and MCs submitting tracks to receive their first UK airplay.

 The #GETHEARD Future Hitmaker Competition will culminate in a live virtual event on Sunday 27 June, where 10 shortlisted tracks will be played and listened to by some of the most influential A&Rs in the music industry: Since ’93 Co-president, Riki Bleau, YouTube Artist Relations Manager, Sheniece Charway, Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter and President of the PRS Members’ Council, Michelle Escoffery, BMG UK A&R Director, Felix Howard, Spotify Artist and Label Partnership Lead, Safiya Lambie-Knight and Downtown Music A&R Manager, Davina Merchant will all be on hand to provide their expert opinions, offer invaluable advice to those on the shortlist, and select the three recipients of the Future Hitmaker Award, who will receive £1,000, £2,000 and £3,000 respectively, towards career development.

Girls I Rate was founded by Grammy-nominated songwriter Carla Marie Williams in 2016 to create a platform and voice for women to collaborate, celebrate and empower each other. PRS for Music and PRS Foundation have previously partnered with Girls I Rate on #GETHEARD to address the gender imbalance within PRS for Music’s membership, where men make up 81.7% of the total figure, and to give undiscovered women songwriters a gateway into the industry.

To apply to the #GETHEARD Future Hitmaker Competition for the chance to have tracks listened to by the expert A&R panel, applicants must submit songs via the link below by 31st May 2021.

Related Links

https://www.girlsirate.com/get-heard/

---

Tags

Girls I Rate launch #GETHEARD competition aimed at female music makers