Features
MMF UK Unveils Class Of 2023 Accelerator Program
The UK’s Music Managers Forum (MMF) has published the names of 24 candidates taking part in the association’s 2023 Accelerator Program, designed to support up-and-coming managers with training and funds.
The full list of participants can be found below. Now in its fifth year, Accelerator is “a grants and training initiative aimed at putting independent music management businesses on a more sustainable footing,” according to MMF UK.
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YouTube Music, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, and the Scottish Music Industry Association support the program, which is overseen by Paul Bonham, the MMF’s director of professional development.
The 100-plus independent music managers, who have participated in Accelerator since 2019 have benefitted from a total of £1.5 million ($1.8 million) of investment and training.
Among the most recent managers participating in MMF’s Accelerator are Rob Harrison, co-manager of BRITs Rising Star winners FLO, Rich Goodwin, manager of recent UK album chart toppers The Reytons, Alessia Avallone, manager of Soundwalk Collective, composers for Oscar-nominated documentary “All The Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Anique Cox, nominated in the best-manager category at the Accelerator-sponsored Young Music Boss Awards for her work with Bree Runway, and Callum Reece, winner of breakthrough manager at the 2022 Artist & Manager Awards for his successes at One House for Eliza Rose, Sherelle, Cktrl and Mwanjé.
Other Accelerators have worked on Mercury and Grammy-nominated projects, too. Two previous Accelerators, Clare Wright and Nike Durosaro, are sitting on the MMF board.
“We are confident that the extraordinarily talented class of 2023 will follow in their footsteps. Representing artists including Låpsley, SIPHO, Gee Lee, Jesse Boykins III, Felixthe1st and Pigs x 7,” the MMF stated.
The 24 managers, who are part of the 2023 Accelerator, are drawn from all corners of the UK, with 65% based outside London, and, as in previous years, include a balance of genders and backgrounds.
The MMF’s chief executive Annabella Coldrick, a Pollstar Impact International honoree of 2021, commented, “The support and funding provided by Accelerator can be life changing and managers who’ve participated on the program have gone on to enjoy incredible successes with artists, producers and songwriters such as FLO, The Reytons, PinkPantheress, Bree Runway, Joy Crookes, Wes Nelson, Eliza Rose, Squid, Dry Cleaning, ENNY, Joesef and Moses Boyd. With the support of YouTube Music, I’m really proud that the MMF is helping provide this kind of focussed professional development and see it pay long-term dividends.”
Google & YouTube’s global head of music Lyor Cohen commented, “We are incredibly proud of our role in co-creating the Accelerator program with the Music Managers Forum 5 years ago. Being a manager is one of the toughest jobs in the music industry and through our Futuremaker partnerships, we are committed to supporting the next generation of talent on both sides of the mic. We’ve seen so much progress so far from this best in class program and I look forward to what the future holds as we move forward.”
See: Pollstar Impact International 2021 Honoree Annabella Coldrick
The MMF Accelerator class of 2023 are:
Alex Putman – TAAHLIAH, Jerskin Fendrix, Famous
Alfie Briggs – Piccolo Music
Ben Magee – Joshua Burnside, Dark Tropics, Lemonade Shoelace, CHALK
Bradley Kulisic – Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Holy Moly & The Crackers, Lindsay Munroe, The Dawdler, LUNGE
Danni Skerritt – Kaspa, Ruby Tingle, Iora
Declan McAlister – Mack Jamieson, Parked Up, Carys Selvey, Unflirt, Chloe Qisha, Joe Hartwell Jones
Frances Barber – Shillito Ben Malone, Hugo Cantarra, My Friend
Hannah Turnbull-Walter -TYSON, Låpsley, Joe Winter
Isus Calmellow – Femi Tahiru, Jay Faded & DeBe
Jamil Carrol – Kwengface, VXMOB, VX Duse, M.G
Jamila Scott – Melle Brown, Jack Kane, Halfrhymes, Hannah Yadi
Jim Frew – Spyres, Uninvited, The Roly Mo, Ava in the Dark & The Katuns
Joel Reyes – Lo Lauren, Izi Redmond, Carys Selvey, Andysocialclub, Alex Wildwood
Kariss Andrew – kitti , MOY , Park Lane Studios
Kieran Thompson – SIPHO., Thai Mason, Cay Caleb
Leon Wright – Fabiana Palladino, Tex, Dane Burge
Marley Azu-Jones – Fonzie, Felixthe1st & DJ Mastaque
Nina Smith – Alfie Sharp, Kirk Spencer, Family Friend
Sade Lawson – Lil C, Jesse Boykins III, Bam Marley
Trina Smith – Victors, The White Lakes, Mutya Buena, Khalysis, Andrew Kingslow, Dan Carasco, TOMI (DJ Tazer), Luke Juby, Taper, Liam Geddes and Andrea Lepori
Vanessa Sinclair – MR MACEE, EL SAM, GAMBIMI, ABZ WINTER, DJ STEADMAN, CLAIRE ANGEL
Willem Lord – ayrtn, Downtown Kayoto, GEE LEE, Jack Marlow, Jaish, Izadora
Willow Dingwall-Fordyce – EVALINA & Leventis
Yvonne Ellis – Secret Night Gang