Rising star Andrew Cushin is delighted at the “huge opportunity” he has been given to grow his name in America, thanks to a cash boost which can help finance a US tour. The singer-songwriter from Heaton in Newcastle who, as reported, has been on a roll in recent years, is being awarded funding as part of a £1.4m boost for UK music talents.
He and fellow popular North East name Finn Forster, from Middlesbrough, are the two North East recipients of funding from MEGS – the Music Export Growth Scheme – which aims to ‘unveil the best of this country’s talent to the world’. And that means support to attract grow their global profiles and build new overseas fanbases which will also help secure financial return and drive economic growth for the country.
Cushin, who is currently building upon another successful year which saw the release of best-seller second album Love is Everyone – which quickly became his first the top 40 entry – following on from US, European and home tours then a third supported American tour last November, says the grant will ensure another tour across the Atlantic. Saying a “massive thank-you” to the MEGS selection panel, he said: “Without this grant, I would find it incredibly difficult to go out to North America and tour, so this has given us a huge opportunity to once again go over and play for a new audience.”
- North East musician who studied PhD on percussion instrument ‘honoured’ to be named a Yamaha Artist
- The North East street people travel from across the world to visit thanks to Sam Fender
In addition, the singer is one of 10 local artists picked to showcase the region at the SXSW music conference and festival in AustIn, Texas, this March. He, along with Hector Gannett, Jenna Cole andTom A Smith, plus Loren Heat and Marketplace in the Tees Valley, will joined others from the wider north as part of a Northern Music Export Office first, led by music agency Generator and supported by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness who calls the showcase a “huge opportunity” for a region known for great music names including Sting and Sam Fender.
It’s set to be another profile-raising moment for Cushin, who last year also made appearances at F1 circuits worldwide having been picked by the Aston Martin team to be a global ambassador for the racing season. He is a massive favourite with fans at home of course and a video shared on socials from his home city gig at the City Hall last autumn attracted more than 300,000 views in just three days.
He added of his new award: “The support that we’ve received from the MEGS board for an artist like myself is absolutely huge and we can’t wait to get back out and perform for everybody very very soon.” And Finn Foster, who signed with a Newcastle label in 2024 and has been building his own name well beyond Teesside through the likes of a European tour last year with The Stereophonics, says: “This support is going to help me take everything I’m doing to the next level, and it’s going to allow me to reach whole new audiences and build on my fan base in so many new territories internationally.”
While the sums received are not specified, MEGS provides grants of £5,000 to £50,000 and its current £1.4m pot this time benefits 68 artists in total in what it its 24th round of funding, which is described as a ‘lifeline’ helping those who have had success at home to next break into the international scene. And that lifeline comes at a time that artists and the industry itself face growing challenges from streaming.
The UK is the biggest music market in Europe and the third biggest the world, as well as the second biggest exporter of recorded music after the US. Alongside the challenges of streaming, including intense competition, the platform also opens up opportunities but, despite drawing more money through music exports, it is said the UK’s share of the global recorded music market has been steadily declining, from 17% of global music consumption in 2017 to now under 10%.
Business secretary Peter Kyle said: “Streaming has revolutionised access to music for fans worldwide but it has also created unique challenges for smaller artists and independent labels. This scheme moves the dial for indie music by funding global tours and promotion, removing the financial hurdles which would otherwise prevent our best home-grown talent from blossoming into international success stories.”
He added: “Securing MEGS funding is a launchpad that will help North East artists and labels reach the ears of new fans and follow in the footsteps of past recipients like Ezra Collective and Dave who turned this opportunity into stand-out global success.” Sophie Jones, chief strategy officer of BPI, whose work involves promoting British music, called MEGS “a vital springboard for UK artists looking to reach international audiences”.
She added that it is also a proven financial success, “generating a significant return on investment”, and said awardees have gone on to become BRIT Award and Mercury Prize-winners, chart-toppers and household names. “We’re excited to see what the future holds for the 68 fantastic artists supported by this latest round, and grateful to the UK Government for their continued support of the scheme.”
We have a dedicated newsletter for What’s On news and reviews. It’s free and you can sign up to receive it here. It will keep you up to date with all the latest updates on food, drink, entertainment and events in and around the North East.
Did you know you can make easynewcastleescorts.co.uka preferred source of North East news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.
