NextGen Fund Creatives: Where Are They Now?

Our NextGen Fund creatives have had a momentous 2025, from Glastonbury performances and award wins to signing record deals and gracing magazine covers.

Fund alumni BINA., JayaHadADream and StudioWyzz each received Youth Music NextGen Fund grants to invest in their independent music projects, and have all gone on to achieve incredible success in their careers, proving that the right support can turn dreams into reality.

We couldn’t bring these ideas to life without the vital funding we receive from music rights champion PPL, and our other supporters. To date, we have invested in 430 young creatives from across the UK, and are now accepting applications for Round 13 of the Youth Music NextGen Fund.

Davy Wales, Business Development Operations Manager, PPL said: “We are proud to work with Youth Music on the NextGen Fund, supporting the next generation of music talent to live their dreams. This has been an incredible year for the Fund alumni and we wish BINA. JayaHadADream and StudioWyzz continued success in their respective careers. We encourage budding music performers to apply for the NextGen Fund grant, as it has shown a meaningful impact on helping to propel music careers.”

Step inside the stories of three NextGen Fund artists and see how far they’ve come…

BINA.

Genre-blending artist BINA. landed the support slot opening for Little Simz’s tour in the autumn of last year, which saw her play iconic venues across European cities including Milan, Berlin, Paris, Vienna and Amsterdam. She won AIM’s Ones to Watch Award 2025, and featured in multiple magazines, such as Dazed’s summer print issue and NOTION, where she graced their digital cover. Since dropping her critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Chaos Is Her Name’ in 2024, which marked a turning-point in her career, BINA.’s “soft rage” tunes have continued to receive editorial playlist support from key music streaming services, where she has now built up more than 10 million streams. Check out her latest tracks “Tracey Beaker” and “Pendulum”, and watch as her star rises even higher in 2026.

TikTok | Instagram

JayaHadADream

Rapper JayaHadADream went from being one of our Ones to Watch for 2024 to scooping two Youth Music Awards in 2025: Rising Star Award (Artist) and Lyricist Award. That wasn’t her only award win, either. Jaya was voted best Breakthrough MC/Vocalist at the DJ Mag Best of British Awards 2025. In the summer, she played an impressive six sets at Glastonbury festival (her second time performing after winning the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition in 2024), as well as Boomtown and her own UK headline tour. She collaborated with big names like Capo Lee, Big Zuu and Frisco on her latest mixtape ‘Happiness from Agony’ and featured on tracks with legends such as Jme, Flowdan and Frisco. Her rise has been charted via interviews with NME, Clash, NOTION, Dazed, and The Guardian, and plenty of editorial support from music streaming services too. 2026 promises to be a big one.

TikTok | Instagram

jayahadadream wears a grey hoodie lined with fur

StudioWyzz

Youth Music Awards 2023 nominee and one of our Ones to Watch for 2024, masked ‘chill-drill’ UK rap artist StudioWyzz continued to build on his virality with consistent monthly drops throughout 2025, racking up a whopping 9.2 million streams on Spotify alone. He’s embarking on an exciting new chapter after signing with Universal Music Publishing UK in October, where he will be label mates with the likes of Billie Elish, Fred again.. and Adele, plus Youth Music Ambassadors, BICEP.

TikTok | Instagram

studiowyzz holds his hands up and poses for the camera. he wears a mask and sunglasses

The Youth Music NextGen Fund is currently open for applications.

Find out everything you need to know about the fund, guidance on how to apply, support with your application, and more here.

Deadline: Friday 6th February, 5pm.

The Youth Music NextGen Fund has been made possible thanks to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery and support from PPL. We are also grateful for our vital support from the National Lottery via Arts Council England.

Meet Our NextGen

Discover the creatives who started their journeys with Youth Music-funded projects and went on to achieve incredible success in music. From breakthrough solo acts to MOBO Award winners, these inspiring alumni prove that the right support can turn dreams into reality.

Next Gen

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