Unsigned & Gifted

Unsigned & Gifted is a programme led by The Sound Of Everything Limited, designed to advance the sustainability and diversity of the UK grassroots music sector. The 2026 edition of the programme focuses on supporting 20 women and gender non-conforming musicians at early-to-mid career stages who are currently unsigned or self-releasing, with a strong emphasis on artists facing intersectional barriers—especially Black, Asian, ethnically diverse, disabled, LGBTQ+ artists, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Through a structured series of live music showcases and in-person, industry-led workshops, Unsigned & Gifted provides practical pathways towards building sustainable music careers and generating early revenue from both live performance and sync licensing. Alongside our main artist cohort, 10–15 additional women and gender non-conforming performance musicians will support showcases on stage, creating an inclusive and collaborative environment.

This programme offers targeted industry development, connections, and professional knowledge, empowering participants to take concrete next steps in the grassroots and wider music industry.

Who is this programme for?

Producers

Want to make money from sync?

Performers

Want to make money from gigs?

Songwriters

Want to make money from royalties through Collective Management Organisations?

Project Description

Unsigned & Gifted, originally launched as a popular live events series pre-pandemic, and relaunched in January 2023, as an artist development programme, with support from the Arts Council of England and The National Lottery UK, will launch its 2026 edition in April 2026.

Unsigned and Gifted “Empowering Women & Gender Non-Conforming Musicians" edition extends our proven artist development programme to specifically address systemic barriers facing women and gender non-conforming artists in the grassroots music sector. Building on the successful delivery of the first iteration of the programme, supported by Arts Council England and The National Lottery in 2023, this new targeted edition responds directly to the UK Government's 2024 Women and Equalities Committee findings on misogyny in music.

Since 2023, Unsigned and Gifted has supported 30+ emerging artists through live showcases, professional development workshops, and industry connections. Our partnerships have created tangible career pathways - artists have secured bookings at larger venues, made industry connections, and developed sustainable revenue strategies. This project builds on that foundation to serve artists facing compounded barriers: 51% of women musicians report gender discrimination, 33% experience sexual harassment, and women earn £1,900 less annually than male counterparts in music.

We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the Arts Council of England and The National Lottery UK for their support and for enabling us to pursue the ambitious and exciting vision we have for Unsigned & Gifted.

We would also like to thank the Institute of Contemporary Music Perfomarnce for giving us free access to their facilities for our workshops, PRS for Music for their continuous support with our workshops and Gotobeat for their support in organising our live showcases..

Phases of the programme

Phase 1 - Workshop

Join our workshops to learn how to administer your music rights, how to join the UK CMOs (PRS for Music and PPL) and how to produce sync-friendly music.

Phase 2 - Live

Apply to play on one of six bi-monthly live events and get paid to showcase your music.

Phase 3 - Licensing

Receive high-quality promotional photography and performance videography essential for building your brand online.

Phase 4 -
Licensing
(Optional)

Join our new licensing platform, offering artists, producers and writers the opportunity to put their music forward for microsync deals.

Questions

Applications for the April 2026 cohort will open in February 2026.

If you have any enquiries
about Unsigned & Gifted
please contact
info(at)thesoundofeverything(dot)com

Eligible Applicants

Primary participants:

We are seeking 20 women and gender non-conforming musicians at early-to-mid career stages who are currently unsigned or self-releasing and who are focused on building sustainable music careers within the UK grassroots music sector. We specifically encourage applications from artists facing intersectional barriers—prioritising Black, Asian, ethnically diverse artists, disabled artists, LGBTQ+ artists, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds—as these groups face compounded discrimination in music.

Additional performance musicians:

We will also select 10–15 supporting performers (ideally women and gender non-conforming), who will collaborate and perform alongside our primary participants on stage.

All applicants must:

Be based in the UK and over 18 years old
Not be signed to a major record label or major publisher
Be actively developing their professional music career at the grassroots level
Be committed to performing live and/or releasing original music for public and industry audiences (not as a hobby, nor primarily for education, wellbeing or social/community purposes)
Be able to attend some in-person workshops and live events in London within the project period (full attendance is not required)
Be able to demonstrate artistic ambition, originality, and a clear next step in their career development