‘There’s a music world beyond London’: the northern changemakers helping young artists find a brighter future | Sounds That Shape Us

The BRIT Awards arrival in Manchester in 2026 will mark more than a change of postcode, it’s a cultural shift. National recognition that some of the UK’s most exciting music talent, communities and creativity have long been thriving beyond the capital.

For Mastercard, whose longstanding sponsorship of The BRIT Awards centres on helping new artists be seen, heard and discovered, the move north is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the grassroots ecosystems that make those breakthrough moments possible in the first place.

Grassroots organisations across Greater Manchester (and beyond) play a key role in creating safe spaces for experimentation, connection and collaboration. Offering access to skills, mentoring and networks, they help young musicians navigate an “expensive to access” and highly competitive industry. One of the people at the heart of that work is Kate Lowes, director of Brighter Sound, a Manchester-based music development charity championing grassroots creativity and under-represented voices.

As a young musician, Lowes loved playing instruments, but she knew that a career on stage wasn’t for her. Instead, she found her path almost by accident. “I got an opportunity to be a trainee on a community music project in my local area,” she says. “I had some great hands-on experience working with musicians and later got a job as a freelance project coordinator.”

Fast-forward to 2026, and Lowes has spent the past 18 years at Brighter Sound, helping emerging artists and young creatives carve out their own musical paths. The organisation, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, works with artists aged 13 upwards, offering workshops, projects, residencies and commissions designed to nurture creativity and confidence.

“Our work centres around coaching the musicians and music professionals of the future,” says Lowes. “We continually strive to help musicians build connections, whether that’s with other musicians, or with people who can help develop their career and creativity.” Her organisation also runs initiatives that support artist exposure and audience development, produces talent showcases in collaboration with the wider northern music network, and develops exchange platforms for artists to perform at European festivals.

While Brighter Sound operates predominantly in Manchester and the surrounding area, its reach extends across the north of England. With a small administrative office as its hub, its initiatives are trusted by young artists as safe spaces to take risks and find community. Recent partnerships include music-making workshops for teenagers at Rochdale Connections Trust and a series of free sessions for young instrumentalists, rappers and singers in south Manchester as part of Amplify Wythenshawe.

A sense of safety and support has never been more vital. In recent years, Lowes has seen seismic changes across the music landscape – from underinvestment in music education to the rising “cost of working” faced by emerging artists.

“Today, there are a lot of challenges around music education in schools and what people have access to in their formative years,” she says. “And as people pursue their interest in music beyond passion and into profession, there are a number of challenges regarding what that career could look like.”

At the same time, independent venues (long considered the lifeblood of local music scenes) are under unprecedented pressure. “There are rising costs, diminishing bar receipts and changing audience habits,” says Lowes. “There’s a perfect storm that venues are facing – and the consequence of that is there are less and less opportunities for emerging artists to find those safe spaces to develop their performance practice.”

In a city like Manchester, however, resilience is woven into the fabric of the music scene. “What’s brilliant about Manchester is that it’s a city of people doing it their way,” says Lowes. “If there’s not the right venue or the right night to place that music, then people set up their own nights and build their own communities around it.”

Brighter Sound is a National Portfolio Organisation, so it receives regular funding from Arts Council England and is also supported by Manchester City Council, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and independent trusts and foundations. This funding supports a small core team, which works with a wide network of freelancers, project managers and workshop leaders who bring its programmes to life.

Alongside public funding, partnerships with brands also play a crucial role in extending reach and impact, particularly when it comes to visibility, discovery and connection. That’s where the BRITs Fringe – the very first one – comes in, a series of events spearheaded by Brighter Sound at venues across Manchester in the lead-up to The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard, which take place on Saturday 28 February.

Among the planned activities is Fringe Lab, a one-day music industry forum and live showcase bringing together up-and-coming artists and music professionals. Brighter Sound will also deliver BRITs Fringe: First Steps – a trio of collaborations designed to support and inspire young people to pursue careers in the music industry. “When you’re trying to build a career, it’s easy to lose sight of what you love about it,” says Lowes. She wants to help artists get back to that passion of making music – and learn how to define success on their own terms.

For Lowes, The BRIT Awards’ move to Manchester is an important step. “It makes a statement that there’s a music world beyond the capital,” she says. “We hope it will shine a light on what’s already happening here, but also open up new partnerships and new ways of working, and how we can grow even stronger infrastructure to help independent artists take their next steps.”

In addition to her role at Brighter Sound, Lowes is sector lead for Manchester Music City, a network of venues, promoters, record labels and producers working to support and promote the city’s music scene locally, nationally and globally. Following a report published in November 2025, Manchester city council set up a £245,000 Grassroots Music Venue Fund for the city that is being delivered in partnership with Music Venue Trust. Such was the demand that applications have already closed.

It’s this kind of synced-up, street-level support – amplified by partnerships with brands such as Mastercard and The BRIT Awards – that ensures the next generation of northern artists break through.

The BRIT Awards with Mastercard are being held on Saturday 28 February at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena. Watch live on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX. Mastercard is proud to sponsor The BRIT Awards, supporting music from grassroots to the global stage. Discover more at mastercard.co.uk/BRITs