How our 20 new music-focused grantees stood out

Whatever the program, The Supporting Act Foundation always works with an independent selection committee, aiming for a mix of industry professionals and previous grantees, to ensure a fair process. The one thing they all have in common? First hand experience of the challenges faced by emerging artists in their respective fields.

For the Will Smith Emerging Artist Fund we brought together four industry experts: Cora Novoa, Nico Adamako, Selassie Tevie and Tiger Hadino Reid. You can read more about who they are and what they do, here.

Last September, we set them the challenging task of picking 20 grantees from the hundreds who applied for the fund.

“It has been a truly wonderful experience to be part of the jury and select 20 artists from different disciplines within the music industry. Although it was hard work, as there was so much talent and creativity, being able to amplify creative projects that are underrepresented in music has been really rewarding.”
– Cora Novoa

Here we share a few lines from the committee about each of our exciting new grantees:

Äyanna: an R&B and soul singer born in Jamaica and based in London, already praised by Billboard, Rolling Stone and Complex.

Selection Committee: “Ayanna's musical quality spoke for itself. She creates high level R&B, which the panel definitely found catchy. Her music videos were also made to a high level too, we enjoyed the choreography. We were impressed by her level of commitment to her career, after dropping out of her law degree.”

Bex: a London based musician who creates dreamy songs influenced by indie rock, shoegaze and pop genres.

“The panel was super impressed with Bex's musicianship. The fact that she regularly played all the instruments on her tracks won us over. She did all this and made music to a high level, while balancing the realities of being an up-and-coming musician with limited funding.”

BINA.: a London-based 25 year old creating her own genre, which she calls “soft rage”, which combines jazz, indie and alt-pop. BINA. supported Little Simz on her 2025 tour.

“Without a doubt, there is a lot of talent and hard work behind the BINA. project. It sounds fresh and different. A project with the perfect blend of R&B and soul that the jury has fallen in love with.”

ciel at centre: Eloise Lauro is a Filipino-French singer-songwriter and record producer performing under the artist project, ciel at centre, creating mystical fairytales through their electronic music.

“Precious electronics is what earned the “ciel at centre” project one of the grants from the Will Smith Emerging Artist Fund. They are committed to their career, to the LGTBIQ+ community… a fighter by nature.”

Emily Sol: a music producer from Colorado, based in Madrid, using sound as medicine, gathering immigrant communities and queer communities of colour.

“Emily Sol impressed the jury with her commitment to community and collaboration, especially among immigrant and queer communities of color in Spain. Through performance, she explores identities with clarity and care, while her role as an educator highlights her dedication to using music as a tool for healing and solidarity.”

Lauren Finch: a composer based in Southampton, UK, creating music pieces for film, theatre, audio-visual exhibitions and recently for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Lauren is obviously a super talented woman. We wanted to support a female composer as there is a real lack of it in the world. She’s already accomplished so much as a composer in the four years she has been working. We liked that she is thinking about how to market her composition and music as a development into an artist in her own right.”

Lorena Pires: a powerful young Afro-Brazilian opera singer, based in Paris, and the first Brazilian woman to join the Académie de l’Opera de Paris.

“Lorena Pires' powerful voice, combined with her talent and determination, has taken her from Brazil to conquer Europe thanks to her creativity and hard work. Always embracing her Candomblé roots and paying tribute to her mother with clothes she designs herself, her balance of tradition and talent won over the entire jury.”

Megane Mercury: an Equatoguinean-blooded Spanish artist whose music spans the genres of techno, reggaeton and electronic fusion. They are a DJ, singer, producer and visual storyteller, generally vocalizing identity, queerness, race, and the underground scene.

“Megane is a vibe! We all could imagine this played in the club and growing into something more commercial in the electronic space.”

MICAH: a South Africa-born, London-based musician on a mission to redefine soft rock. Combining warm, soft vocals with live rock creating an intimate sound with a focus on storytelling.

“MICAH sounds like vaporous pop-rock, with an elegant visual narrative that pays homage to her native South Africa, but always with one foot in London. She is an artist who appealed to the jury because she is a 360°artist: she not only sings, but also composes, arranges, and is a creative director.”

Michael Howell: a self-taught classical pianist and singer based in London who draws inspiration from jazz, baroque and gospel genres, and developed his own language to connect the listener to the music in a way that goes beyond linguistic understanding.

“Michael was very sincere with his application. Even though we are not experts in his genre of music, he played to a level that we all could tell was excellent. His musical quality shone through. The way he plays is very ethereal and moving. The tone of his voice is incredible. Which is why we are happy to fund the recording of his project.”

Minsa Moon: a London-based therapist and musician using her sound as a healing tool,drawing inspiration from the eclectic jazz sounds to create deeply emotional messages dwelling upon themes of resilience, community, self love, and introspection.

“Attitude, determination, commitment, and talent: these are the four words that best describe Minsa Moon. Her music and voice captivated the jury from the very beginning thanks to her unique jazz style and flow. We hope this will be the seed of a long and successful career for Minsa.”

Niariu: an Afro-French singer/songwriter with Guinean roots based in Paris, mixing R&B with soul, singing in French, English and Fulani.

“We felt like Niariu made music to a very high level. Her sound, vibe and energy was very captivating. Her mix of Afro, soul, R&B is quite unique. She was very clear on how the fund would help her with her career, we appreciated the clarity.”

Nilgün Özer: an experimental folk singer originally from Turkey, raised in the Black Sea mountains, and now based in Berlin. She blends music with visual storytelling and multidisciplinary performances.

“Nilgün Özer, multidisciplinary artist is brilliant and hard working. We love that she has built community and is so self-sustaining. Beautiful and unique vocal layering really captured us.”

Rasha Nahas: a genre-defying Palestinian singer, composer and actress based in Berlin, rooted in classical guitar and mixing electric rock with folk, on international stages including Glastonbury and WOMEX.

“Rasha Nahas shows strong commitment to her craft and strength. Rasha's work offers an essential cultural perspective, amplifying marginalized Palestinian voices. We were impressed by her vision and the urgency of her practice, and felt it important to support and amplify her work through this grant.”

Sharifa: a 21 year old London-based music artist and DJ, blending trap, rock and hyperpop. His sounds have been used for Nike campaigns and have earned praise from CLASH and Paper Magazine, as well as receiving airplay on BBC Radio London, 1XTRA and Reprezent.

“We loved Sharifa. From his musical sensibility to his creativity for all of his videos, he's a talent. Super self starter. He's already on his way with all of his accomplishments across many creative pillars. We need more POC indie / rock music in the UK too.”

Sólstrauman: a multi-instrumentalist singer and producer from Norway turning her narcolepsy into a force for creativity, combining mysterious, vocal-driven ambient soundscapes with neo-classical, lo-fi chamber pop music.

“Having a unique sound is really difficult, and Sólstrauman has it. She transports you to ethereal landscapes, sacred mountains, and mythological beings of Norway. She composes, sings, produces, does field recordings, is a photographer... In short, she is a complete, unique artist who makes truly beautiful music.”

Tancia: a Geneva-based singer/songwriter and producer, born in London with Congolese roots, and blending pop, soul and afrobeats in her music.

“Tancia stands out for her commitment and sharp vision, creating contemporary genres within an environment of limited opportunities for Black artists. Her work embodies vital representation and a powerful artistic perspective the jury felt was important to support and champion through this grant.”

Uliana NOANGELSS: a Russian-born artist based in France who blends poetry, rap and synth pop together in a powerful grunge-like sound.

“Uliana NOANGELSS impressed the jury with a community focused approach and a unique artistic path. Her passion and drive, combined with a strong spirit of collaboration with like-minded peers, mark her out as an artist whose work we are eager to support and see develop further.”

Urška Supej: a Slovenian guitarist, composer and lyricist based in Austria, and part of the dark folk duo 3:rma, bridging poetry and music with narratives around faith and feminism.

“Urška’s world is so unique in her music style and vibe. She’s worked so hard considering her background, so I know this grant would make a massive difference and she will use it wisely for her third album. We love all the video creative.”

vixnde: a multidisciplinary artist based in Brussels, Belgium creating her own genre: raw pop.

“vixnde has a lot of conviction with her creativity and her music. Her approach to music feels exciting, something which the panel is keen to help amplify with this grant.”