LAUNCHPAD AUTUMN 2020 ARTISTS | FEATURE
This year hasn’t given us much to celebrate, but for 33 Welsh artists and three record labels, 2020’s Launchpad award announcement has arrived just in time. Awardees from across Wales will receive grant funding for 2021 to aid their music and creative work. The fund, which has been running since 2014, is part of Horizons – a partnership between BBC Cymru Wales and Arts Council Of Wales, investing in and platforming original music talent.
This year’s list of awardees reflects more than ever the diversity of Wales’ music scene and spotlights artists from a wide range of genres. A total of £40,000 will be handed out to the artists as they take the next steps in their career; Horizons will also be offering artist-centred music business training for the awardees.
It’s been an extremely tough year for musicians and artists across Wales, the UK, and over the globe. The arts and hospitality sector continues to be one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic – as a result, this year’s Launchpad funding feels more important than ever. For many of its awardees, the grant comes as vital and long-awaited support at the end of a hugely tumultuous year for everyone involved in the music industry.
Aleighcia Scott [pictured], an award-winning reggae/soul artist from Cardiff with Jamaican roots, is one of the artists to receive grant funding for 2021.
“For the last almost-six years, I’ve been a full-time performer, often performing four to five times a week. The pandemic has basically stopped me from performing live and I’ve moved mostly all my work online. I was due to release an album, produced by the legendary Rory Stonelove, that I had been working on for three years. The pandemic has pushed this back to next year and cancelled any ideas of touring this year.
“I heard about the Launchpad fund a few years ago and have been keeping up with their updates online ever since. I was so chuffed to find out I’d been awarded it this year. The grant will enable me to be more consistent with the online world. I’ll be able to get a fully-functioning Macbook to use for recording and creating online content, as well as an amazing studio microphone – I’ve been borrowing one up until now. It’s been a really trying time for artists, so I am honestly so thankful!”
You can find the full list of Launchpad Autumn 2020 awardees here, and the Spotify playlist here
words FRANCESCA GARDNER