Youth Music

Oscar Jennings

Oscar Jennings is an artist from Derry. He has performed as a singer-songwriter since the age of 14, playing local support and headline gigs. The NextGen Fund supported him to create, release and market his debut EP, 'Wouldn't Be Seen Dead'.

nottodaykarin

Karin is a graduate from HND Music Business at Glasgow Kelvin College. She has worked and performed with Bemz as his DJ, having played events such as The Great Escape, TRNSMT, Reading and Leeds Festival. The NextGen Fund supported her to deliver a series of beginner-friendly DJ workshops for anyone who identifies as a femme/woman, followed by a showcase event at the end of the series.

Niques

Niques is a garage and R&B/soul artist from Cardiff. She has performed at BBC 6's Immersed Festival and Push The Boat Out Festival in Scotland, as well as performing alongside D Double E, Foreign Concept and Sam Binga. She has also had support from Reprezent Radio, BBC and Kiss FM.

Nat Oaks

Nat Oaks is an artist from Bristol, now based in London. She has performed at Love Saves The Day, Wireless, Reading, Boomtown and Latitude festivals, among others. She was also selected to participate in the Warner Chappell and YouTube Music Summer of Pride Writing Camp, songwriting with MNEK, Chloe Latimer, Boy Matthews and SAKIMA. She played her first headline show at Café KOKO, as she was invited to open it as it relaunched, and has further supported both Pip Millett and Jelani Blackman on both of their tours. Additionally, Nat has toured with BBC Introducing in the South West, playing 3 locations in 3 days. In 2024, she was shortlisted for 'Rising Star (Artist)' at the Youth Music Awards.

miamusa

miamusa is a singer-songwriter and producer from Birmingham. She has written music for over 10 years, and since then, has received radio play on NTS, BBC Introducing, Worldwide FM and No Signal. She was also selected to partake in an Ableton Production Course with CUBE and Emmavie, as well as in the Beautiful Academy with AIAIAI, learning from the likes of Mura Masa and PinkPantheress. She has also taken part in a Sound Engineering Camp with CUBE, and performed live at venues including the Pickle Factory, Matchstick Piehouse and state51.

Maxine

Maxine is an R&B/soul artist based in the North East of England. Her tracks have received recognition from BBC Radio and 1Xtra, and she has toured with BBC 1Xtra DJ, Ace. Her NextGen Funded project will bring to life her first EP, showcasing sounds she has not previously had the chance to experiment with in her music.

Marla Kether

Marla is a bassist, DJ and producer based in Bristol. She has created mixes for BBC Introducing and BBC 6 Music. She has performed as a session bassist for the likes of Yazmin Lacey, Oscar Jerome and Obongjayar, and toured with Little Simz. Her debut EP 'All That We Have' was heralded by Bandcamp Daily as some of 'The Best Electronic Music of November 2023', and the closing track 'BTR2' was one of DJ Mag's Top Tracks of 2023. In 2024, she was also awarded the Music Producer Award at the Youth Music Awards, sponsored by AlphaTheta. Marla has also performed at The Jazz Cafe, Shambala Festival and London Jazz Festival, with further shows to take place in 2025 at Cross The Tracks Festival, the Royal Albert Hall, and The Roundhouse.

Mari Mathias

Mari Mathias is an alternative folk singer from Wales. Having grown up in the rural village of Talgarreg, her music is driven by nature, landscape and tradition. She has received support from BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio 6 and The Cardiffian. She has also performed at a variety of festivals, including Between The Trees and Sŵn Festival in Wales, Centre Stage Festival in New Delhi, and Hornbill Festival in Kohima.

Maddie Morris

Maddie Morris is a contemporary folk musician from Leeds. They have won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and the Peter Roberts CBE Memorial Prize for their work, and have toured across the UK and Europe supporting artists including Nancy Kerr, Chuck SJ, Flyte and Angeline Morrison. They have also performed at Hartlepool, Cambridge, Towersey and Cropredy Folk festivals, and been selected for the English Folk Expo scheme.

Lex Gibbon

Lex Gibbon is a singer based in the East of England. Her music has regularly been featured on BBC Introducing Essex and BBC Introducing 3 Counties, and she has performed a three-song acoustic live lounge session for them. Her songs have also received placements on Spotify editorial playlists, including 'Fresh Finds UK and Ireland', and her single 'Rather Be Lonely' has been played on ITV This Morning.

JED

JED is a rapper and promoter based in Devon. His music has been played by DJs and radio stations including DJ EZ, Kiss FM and BBC Devon as well as landing interviews and premieres in a range of publications. He is also the founder of events company AGB, which puts on shows that highlight undiscovered artists in his local scene. Many of his events to date have sold out. He also performs regularly himself, and has headlined shows in both London and Brighton.

Indy Newland

Indy Newland is a singer, rapper, and producer originally from Leeds, now based in London. He has performed shows in notable venues in both cities, including Hyde Park Book Club, Oporto, The Wardrobe, Hifi Club, Headrow House and Peckham Audio.

Hemes

Hemes is a Middle Eastern artist based in South Wales. She has received support from BBC Radio Wales, having her music placed on the BBC Wales A-List for multiple weeks, and has performed on the BBC Introducing Stage at the BBC 6 Music Festival.

Goodnice

Goodnice is a musician and producer originally from Ireland, now based in Scotland. The NextGen Fund supported him to create a four-track electronic EP exploring rhythm and real instrumentation in dance music.

Garrett Laurie

Garrett Laurie is a cinematic dark-pop artist from Belfast. They have performed with the likes of Hex Hue, Stranger Dais, Joel Harkin, and fellow NextGen Fund recipient Niall McDowell. He has also contributed to Problem Pattern’s 'Bangers N’ Pride' compilation in support of LGBTQ art.

Reuben Cottrell

Reuben Cottrell is the founder of Fyah Kamp, an online music platform that spotlights young musical talent in Coventry, particularly in the genre of rap. Fyah Kamp has organised 'Block Radio, Coventry's first underground rap show, organised a performance of 30 Coventry artists at CVX festival, and provided young people with opportunities to perform on the Youth Stage of Godiva Festival. They have also collaborated with Punch Records, Birmingham Hippodrome and DJ Biggoss on a Bar4Bar Cypher event, as well as arranging 'Inspire The Fyah', which brought together over 10 organisations in Coventry to inspire young people to commence their journey in the industry through live performances and panel discussions.

F.witch

F.witch is a singer-songwriter from Brighton. She is a classically trained singer and has performed in various operas by Glyndebourne Youth Opera. The NextGen Fund supported her to produce and release a music video for her song, 'Ice Cream on Mondays'.

Eleanor Kate

Eleanor Kate is an indie pop/folk singer-songwriter based in Nottingham. She has performed her music at venues across Nottingham, including Rough Trade and The Bodega, and has received support from BBC Introducing.

ELATRASI

ELATRASI is a British-Moroccan singer-songwriter, vocalist, composer and pianist. Her music has raised awareness for invisible disability and chronic pain conditions, for which she has won the European Ballad Award at the InterContinental Music Awards, Honourable Mention at Nashville's Unsigned Only, and Third Prize at the International Songwriting Competition. She has also been named an 'Artist To Watch' by BBC Introducing Three Counties Radio.

Call Me Vee

Call Me Vee is a cultural worker, musician and radio producer/presenter based in London. They are currently a producer and presenter on No Signal Radio, where they co-host their original show 'Wake and Make', and they have also been featured on OYOKO | DJMT’s show on Threadz Radio, where they curated music exploring Cameroon’s musical and rhythmic heritage.

Bailey P

Bailey P is a self-taught DJ and producer from West Yorkshire. His tracks have reached the top 20 of the iTunes Dance charts, he has had a guest mix and interview on Kiss FM, and he has been featured in campaigns by JD Sports. He has also received support from BBC Introducing, and has performed in cities across the UK, including Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield, among others.

Alex West

Alex West is a radio host, freelance event professional, and the founder of 'Closer To Home', a series of live music events based in Berkshire. He has worked as a freelance presenter for BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6Music, Absolute Radio, and BBC Radio 5 Live. He has most notably presented the BBC Introducing show in Berkshire and Oxfordshire, and the Kent Top 40 for commercial station KMFM in Kent - reaching record breaking figures for the timeslot, and in the process overtaking The Official Chart and Big Top 40 in Kent. He also currently has a monthly show on Reprezent in Brixton, where he selects his favourite alternative music from around the world.

Yung Yusuf

Yung Yusuf is a Palestinian rapper based in the East of England. He has performed at a variety of renowned venues and events, including at Independent Week 2025. He also delivers rap workshops in collaboration with charities and social initiatives which support refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, such as Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA) and Compass Collect.

yeguachita

yeguachita is a queer and neurodivergent Latin American singer, songwriter, and producer. They make music of all kinds, ranging from hip-hop and cumbia to vaporwave. Their NextGen Funded mixtape '[ BLESSINGS ]' will explore the more experimental side of their work, with a dystopian retrofuturistic/cyberpunk concept that explores the shortcomings of capitalism and colonialism, and how they leave people traumatised and isolated.

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Next Gen

NextGen Community Events

Our NextGen Community events give attendees aged 18-30 the chance to connect with other creatives in their local city, listen to panel discussions from industry experts and watch performances from emerging artists.

funding

NextGen Fund

Grants of up to £3,000 for 18 to 25 year olds creatives (aged up to 30 for those who identify as d/Deaf, Disabled or neurodivergent) in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Next funding round opens 29/08/2025.