5 UK artists receive PRS Foundation and BBC Introducing support to showcase at SXSW 2025

12 March 2025 - Press release

 

• The artists were selected to perform by BBC Introducing and PRS Foundation teams of experts and tastemakers after submitting their music to the Uploader

 

PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, in partnership with BBC Introducing announce the UK-based artists receiving support to perform at the British Music Embassy at this year's SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

 

The 5 artists selected are:

• ALT BLK ERA – Wednesday 12^th March at 23:20
• Antony Szmierek – Friday (night) 14^th March at 00:00
• Man/Woman/Chainsaw – Wednesday 12^th March at 22:40
• Master Peace – Thursday 13^th March at 14:00 
• OneDa – Thursday 13^th March at 22:40

 

ALT BLK ERA, are a MOBO 2025-winning sister duo who challenge musical boundaries by blending the raw energy of Rock with Rap, DnB, and Electronic music. Their genre-smashing energy leave audiences demanding more!

Antony Szmierek has captivated audiences with his thoughtful lyricism across rap, spoken word, and dance music. Hailed one of BBC 6 Music’s Artists of the Year for 2023, in the past eighteen months he made his television debut on Later… With Jools Holland, performed an entirely sold-out first ever UK headline tour and released two acclaimed EP’s ‘Poems To Dance To’ and ‘Seasoning’. He has had a string of A List singles on BBC 6 Music, a Maida Vale session for Future Artists on BBC Radio 1 and daytime support at the station as their Introducing Track of the Week.

Man/Woman/Chainsaw are Billy Ward (vocals, guitars), Emmie-Mae Avery (vocals,keys/synths), Vera Leppänen (vocals, bass), Clio Harwood (violin), Billy Doyle (Guitar), and Lola Cherry (drums). The band’s debut EP was released in November to huge acclaim, receiving plaudits from the likes of The Guardian, NME, The Fader, The Line Of Best Fit, Stereogum & Rolling Stone whilst also landing two playlists at BBC 6 Music in the process.

Master Peace, real name Peace Okezie, has already racked up bold collaborations with the likes of Santigold, Wale and The Streets, played a string of electric headline shows across the UK, while his Top 30 charting debut album earned him the Rising Star trophy at the 2024 Ivor Novello Awards.

OneDa is a Manchester rapper and poet and rising force in UK hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass. Winner of the AIM Awards ‘One To Watch’, she blends old-school and new-school vibes, fusing Manchester’s hip-hop and drum and bass scenes with afro-trap and afrobeats, reflecting her Nigerian heritage. Her debut album, Formula OneDa (Heavenly Recordings), showcases her versatility across 12 tracks, featuring collaborations with Renee Stormz, PRIDO, Princethekid, AceClvrk, Superlative & JadeJaxon.

PRS Foundation and BBC Introducing supported ALT BLK ERA said, “The support from PRS Foundation and BBC Introducing has been central in making this journey possible. From funding our travel and logistics to giving us access to invaluable resources.  With the recent drop of our debut album, their backing has empowered us to take our music across borders at this pivotal point in our career.”

Since 2015, BBC Introducing and PRS Foundation have been working together to support and create a platform for the UK’s most talented artists to showcase at overseas music industry events, including Ezra Collective, Sam Fender, Nilufer Yanya and Yazmin Lacey.  So far more than 60 artists, who have uploaded their music to the BBC Introducing Uploader, have been selected via BBC Introducing and PRS Foundation’s teams of experts, tastemakers and advisors from across the UK, to perform at showcases around the world.

Westley Holdsworth, Grants & Programmes Manager at PRS Foundation said, “We’re delighted, with our friends at BBC Introducing, to be supporting these exciting, talented and export ready artists to attend and showcase at this year’s SXSW festival. We’re looking forward to seeing the impact this opportunity will have on their careers as they follow in the footsteps of previous recipients of this support such as Little Simz, Sam Fender and Ezra Collective. With increasing barriers to success and more competition from other countries in exporting music, supporting those first steps into new territories such as this impactful partnership with BBC Introducing – which we have been running together for 10 years this year – as well as our International Showcase Fund, are more important than ever.”

Kelly Betts, Editor at BBC Introducing said, “BBC Introducing are thrilled to collaborate with PRS Foundation to help support & elevate new artists across the year. Our partnership at SXSW is extremely exciting as we get to showcase UK artists to a larger US platform together. I can’t wait to see how this opportunity helps the artists.”

BBC Introducing and PRS Foundation showcases at SXSW this year are part of a wider UK presence at the festival, highlighting a snapshot of the exciting talent making music in the country today. The British Music Embassy (BME) will be a focal point across 7 days of the festival and PRS Foundation is supporting an additional 29 UK-based artists to attend SXSW through its International Showcase Fund, many of which will be performing at the BME, across the festival and one artist taking part in SXSW’s songwriting camp. 

Additionally, UK Sounds, the new initiative for UK-based music creators looking for information, resources and support to reach audiences and expand their careers overseas, will be highlighting the broad range of exciting music from across the UK at SXSW and act as a hub for music industry professionals and organisations outside of the UK looking to connect with export ready UK talent. Find out more on the UK Sounds website.

BBC Introducing will also host a showcase on the SXSW Radio Day Stage at Brush Square Park on Thursday 13^th March from 12-noon which will feature: Casey Lowery, DEJA, Master Peace, Black Fondu and Man/Woman/Chainsaw. Find out more on the SXSW website.