The Young Creative Entrepreneur - Music award finds the brightest stars in the international music industry, recognising the importance of entrepreneurs in driving forward the music industry, developing their independent sector and promoting the best of what’s going on in their local scene. Since 2006, 40 young music entrepreneurs from more than 20 countries have taken part in the programme, building an active alumni network in the process, seeing the creation of new festivals, conferences, and bands travelling between the UK, Europe, India, Brazil, China and beyond.     

In 2011 national winners will be selected in countries around the world who will participate in a shared programme in the UK with valuable networking and idea exchange with their international and UK peers in the music industry. The UK tour will run alongside The Great Escape conference and festival in May 2011.

The participating countries in the 2011 award are: Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Mexico, Poland and Russia.

In May 2011 the national YCE Music winners will travel to the UK for a one week industry programme to develop opportunities for commercial and collaborative work in future.  The programme will include:

• Curated group meetings to give an overview of what’s happening in the UK music industry
• Peer networking with the international participants and UK young music entrepreneurs
• Access to senior UK industry figures (master-class and a lunch for select invitees), including potential advice/ongoing mentoring and investment
• Time for individual business meetings
• Attendance at The Great Escape festival and conference in Brighton, including an international networking reception where participants give a short pitch about their work to delegates

Previous companies involved in the programme include: Academy Music Group (Brixton Academy et al); MAMA Group (Barfly, Stephen Budd Management, The Great Escape); Somethin’ Else; Universal Music; Cantaloupe Group (Big Chill Festival, Cargo); Koko; BBC Radio; Ninja Tune; 4AD; Domino Records; Primary Talent International; Union Square Music; Onedotzero; CMO Management; SJM Concerts; O2 Arena; Rough Trade; Last.fm; 7digital; Songkick; Soundcloud; Mixcloud; and others!

At The Great Escape all YCE music participants will have the opportunity to attend all activities within the conference as well as a wide variety of gigs throughout the three days.  

More info about The Great Escape (12-14 May 2011) www.escapegreat.com

Candidates must:

• be aged between 21 and 40

• be a Polish citizen; proof of citizenship must be presented upon the Organiser’s request

• already work in the music sector (as defined below)

• be entrepreneurial and have shown their ability in the promotion of the music sector in their country, in either a commercial context, public context, or both

• through their character, drive and abilities, demonstrate their potential to be a future leader of the sector in their country

• have English language skills to IELTS 6 – competent user or above

• be able to travel to the UK in May 2011 (if they win the Polish stage of the Competition)

Candidates must already be active professionally in the local music sector, i.e.:

• Promoters and venue/festival programmers or management

• Record labels, A&R, production, recording, engineering, music licensing, and distribution

• Artists management and agents

• Music marketing; public and media relations

• Music retail (physical and digital)

• Social media, digital tools and communities relating to music