Girls I Rate, the women-led platform founded by revered songwriter Carla Marie Williams, is launching a new endeavour in partnership with Pirate Studios and the PRS Foundation.
Future Hitmaker is a new competition launched by the trio of organisations to find the next chart-conquering young women whose work will define the next generation of music. The competition put out an appeal asking young women aged 16-35 to submit their work, regardless of genre, background or location in the UK. They were inundated with over 200 entries from songwriters, singers, producers and musicians, and awarded bursaries to the winners courtesy of PRS Foundation.
Of those submissions, 15 entrants were selected for The Future Hitmaker Safe Space Residency, a three-day bootcamp where the aspiring creators could get the benefit of Carla Maria Williams’ years of experience writing hits for Beyonce, Girls Aloud, Britney Spears and more. By the end of the bootcamp, they all had finished, professionally-produced tracks—thanks to Pirate Studios’ facilities—ready to take out into the world.
This is only the beginning, though. “We’ve created the blueprint,” says Williams. “Now we need the industry to invest. If we’re serious about change, we need more than praise.” According to stats from the PRS for Music, women make up just 20% of its membership base and there are pressing issues regarding safety and visibility for women in music.
A spokesperson from Pirate Studios, who have pledged free studio time over the next 12 months to support women’s creativity across the UK, commented: “Studios for All and Pirate are proud to support the Girls I Rate Future Hitmaker Safe Space programme, providing young women with access to creative spaces where they can build skills, feel safe, and be heard. Together, we’re creating room for change, collaboration, and a more inclusive future in music.”
For more info on Girls I Rate, head here.
