Mason Talbot

Yorkshire and the Humber

Mason Talbot is a Welsh-born DJ and producer based in Leeds. His breakthrough track, 'Cocaina', has surpassed 3 million streams to date, and he has performed at prominent venues and shows across the UK, including MiNT Warehouse, Egg, and Leeds Defected Festival. He is currently using the NextGen Fund to grow his independent record label, Redefy Records.

Pronouns: he/him

MARACHÉ

Greater London

MARACHÉ is a London-based artist, songwriter and producer. Her songs have gone viral on TikTok, leading to airplay on Reprezent Radio, Capital XTRA, BBC 1Xtra, and other local radio stations. She has also been featured on Spotify's Fresh Finds UK & IE playlist, and performed at The Great Escape Festival and Hype & Genius' collaborative event with Nando's.

Pronouns: she/her

Lucas Assagba

Yorkshire and the Humber

Lucas Assagba is a singer, songwriter and producer from Bradford. 'the Solution', is the sequel project to her first EP, 'the Resolution'. Where 'the Resolution' focused on what it means to heal, 'the Solution' deals with the aftermath of healing, and everything that comes next. Lucas plans to finish and promote 'the Resolution' with the NextGen Fund.

Pronouns: she/her

kfromkway

South East

kfromkway is an artist, producer and songwriter. He has been featured in major publications like GRM Daily, Wonderland, GUAP, and SBTV, and his music has been played on BBC Radio 1Xtra, Capital Xtra, and Flex FM. He has amassed over 500,000 streams and views across his tracks to date.

Pronouns: he/him

Karis Jade

North West

Karis Jade is a singer-songwriter from Bolton. She has performed with The Mouse Outfit on their UK tour, festivals such as Sounds From The Other City, and iconic venues such as Band on the Wall in Manchester. The NextGen Fund is currently supporting the development of her next project, a three-track EP.

Pronouns: she/her

Isabel Maria

North East

Isabel Maria is an alternative-pop singer-songwriter from Sunderland. To date, she has played shows nationally and internationally (including London, Brighton, Worcester, Leeds, Newcastle and Seville), and gained the support of names such as Rolling Stone Español and BBC Radio 1. She has also been awarded the prestigious Alan Hull (Lindisfarne) Award, a Northern Writers Awards, and a North East Culture Award.

Pronouns: she/her

Honey Keenan

Scotland

Honey is an artist manager from Glasgow. Under the Hive Five Management name, she manages artists Leif Coffield and MIA MI, who have both been signed to AWAL through her efforts. She has also secured recording sessions at Spotify Studios and campaigns with brands like Puma. Her artists have also played a variety of festivals, including sold-out shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, have been nominated for the Scottish Alternative Music Awards and the Popjustice Awards, and been featured in The Skinny, BBC 1, BBC Radio Scotland and Clash Magazine.

Pronouns: she/her

HabibTati

Greater London

HabibTati is a DJ, music event producer and community organiser from London. They specialise in blending sounds from South-West Asia and the Middle East into the London music scene. Their NextGen Funded project will focus on integrating sounds and instruments from their heritage into several performances within London’s electronic music community.

Pronouns: they/them

George Bone

East of England

George is a vocalist and pianist who fuses R&B, neo-jazz and pop. He has previously supported the likes of Andrew Cushin and Molly Hocking on tour, and is now using the NextGen Fund to record and release the two lead singles from his upcoming EP.

Pronouns: he/him

Gabriella Bongo

Greater London

Gabriella Bongo is a songwriter, producer, DJ and recording engineer based in London. She has been lauded by BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 1, Hospital Records and Atlantic Records; has performed at the O2 Academy, the Royal Albert Hall, and Hospitality in the Woods Festival; and taken part in jam sessions with Nile Rodgers. The NextGen Fund is supporting Gabriella to release her next three singles.

Pronouns: she/her

FEE

Yorkshire and the Humber

FEE is a trumpet player and vocalist from Leeds. She has performed at Leeds Jazz Festival. She is currently using the NextGen Fund to record and release an EP called 'Dancing Flames', which she will release towards the end of this year, celebrated with a headline show.

Pronouns: she/her

Exojay

East Midlands

Exojay is an R&B and rap artist based in Nottingham. The NextGen Fund will support him to create a self-produced EP, accompanied by cinematic content.

Pronouns: he/him

Erin O'Callaghan

East Midlands

Erin O'Callaghan is an independent singer-songwriter originally from Northamptonshire, now living in Edinburgh. She has played gigs at Sofar Sounds, Dragonfly Live Lounge, The Lemon Tree and Sneaky Pete's, and has received support from Angela Griffin on BBC Radio 2. The NextGen Fund will support her upcoming 4-track EP.

Pronouns: she/her

Elizabeth J. Birch

West Midlands

Elizabeth J Birch is a musician from Solihull. She has received radio plays from Brum Radio, BBC Introducing, Unmade Radio and Black Country Radio, won the 'Inspirational Music Leader' Award at the Youth Music Awards 2023, and was featured as a Mastercard Trailblazer ahead of the 2024 BRIT Awards, in recognition of her work to drive positive change in the music industry across technology, diversity and inclusion. With the NextGen Fund, she will create and launch her own music label, and experiment with unique and accessible ways of writing, recording, releasing, and promoting music.

Pronouns: she/her

Ebenezer Good

North East

Ebenezer Good is a producer, recording engineer and DJ based in Newcastle. He has performed at festivals across the UK including Kendall Calling, Dot2Dot in Bristol, and Waves Festival in Sunderland. With the NextGen Fund, he will be releasing three new singles, play at UK Garage and DnB events, and host guest mixes on his social media platforms and on radio.

Pronouns: he/him

ÉABHA

Northern Ireland

ÉABHA is an artist from Belfast. They have received praise from BBC Radio Ulster, Sound Obscura Chicago, Dublin Digital Radio, and Resonance Magnétique in Montreal. They also perform regularly within the Belfast music scene. The NextGen Fund will support the release of their upcoming debut EP, 'An Dóitéan'.

Pronouns: they/them

Duncan Colquhoun

Scotland

Duncan Colquhoun is a producer, singer, songwriter and visual artist based in Glasgow. With the NextGen Fund, he is creating a genre-fluid five-track debut EP for release under a new pseudonym.

Pronouns: he/him

Celia Grace

North East

Celia Grace is a bedroom-pop singer from Hartlepool. She has played at various venues across the North East, festivals such as Twisterella and Stockton Calling, and a live session at BBC Maida Vale Studios. She has also been selected to take part in artist development programmes, including Tees Alliance Mentoring, Help Musicians Business Accelerator and Generator First Notes.

Pronouns: she/her

Carnelian Seville

South East

Carnelian Seville is an artist and herbalist based in Brighton. They have performed at festivals including Queer Spirit and Buddhafield Festival, had artist residencies at Performing Arts Forum, Can Serrat and La Bassa Mar, and collaborated with medicinal musicians and collectives including the Radical Faeries and Penelope Vivaro. Their NextGen Funded project will involve using their Plant Wave synthesizer, which converts the electromagnetic frequencies of plants into music. Carnelian will write and produce a track collaborating with an “orchestra” of mushrooms, documenting their process in a short film which they will screen locally.

Pronouns: they/them

Bennettiscoming

North West

Bennettiscoming is an R&B singer/songwriter from Manchester. He has performed at Manchester International Festival, Manchester Pride, Pride in Trafford, Pride Bolton and Sounds From The Other City. The NextGen Fund is supporting the development and release of his upcoming EP, 'Late Bloomer'.

Pronouns: he/him

Astrid Lucia

South East
 

Astrid Lucia is an alternative R&B artist from Kent. Her music has received support from BBC Introducing, Reprezent Radio and PIRATE.COM, and she has performed in cities across the UK, including London and Bristol. Her NextGen Fund grant is supporting her to finish her second EP, learn music production, and develop a new live set which uses Ableton Live.

Pronouns: she/her

AFRODITETOOLIVELY

East of England
 

AFRODITETOOLIVELY's NextGen Fund grant will support the creation of a five-track UK Garage EP, 'Lively's World', along with a listening event for the launch.
 

Pronouns: she/her

ADJUA

Wales
 

ADJUA is an artist based in Cardiff, who explores genres including indie R&B, Afro, jazz and neo-soul. She has previously been named Huw Stephens' 'Artist of the Week', has headlined Clwb Ifor Bach and performed for the Welsh Music Prize at the Welsh Millenium Centre, and has played shows in Rotterdam and Sweden. She has also supported Mauvey on his UK tour. ADJUA's NextGen Fund grant will support the production and release of the second track from her upcoming EP, 'Everything is Beautiful'.
 

Pronouns: she/her
 

Ramé Kari

Ramé Kari are artists from Stockton-On-Tees. They have received support from BBC Tees and BBC Introducing, with their debut single 'Lil Lighty' being named BBC Tees' 'Track of the Week'. The NextGen Fund is supporting them to release their debut EP, 'Casual Disasters', alongside a music video.