Joe GallopThe British Music Embassy has announced its 35-act lineup for annual conference and festival event South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.
The Embassy, which helps to promote breakthrough talent, is formed together by AIM, BBC, BPI, the Department for International Trade, PPL, PRS for Music and PRS Foundation, with further support from ATC, DIY Magazine and Belfast City Council.
While the Embassy usually showcases artists at a venue in Austin, this year, the festival is online-only and performances have been recorded and will be available to watch via the SXSW portal and YouTube channel.
The Embassy artist line-up for SXSW 2021 includes 404 Guild, Afronaut Zu, Anna B Savage, Yard (pictured) and Baby Queen.
Along with music festival showcases, the event features keynotes, conferences sessions and film festival screenings.
SXSW head of the music James Minor said, “For 15 years, the global industry has been able to rely on the British Music Embassy to discover what’s next in British Music at SXSW.”
AIM CEO Paul Pacifico said the event has been a “key stepping stone for the careers of independent artists, and a “valuable way to accelerate their journeys on the international stage.”
He added, “Although we can’t attend in person this year, the positioning of British Music within the virtual showcase platform is the next best thing and a crucial moment to showcase exciting British talent to the world.”
BPI CEO Geoff Taylor, who oversees the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize said, “British music is loved the world over, accounting for one in every 10 streams, but thanks to the immediate global reach that streaming now gives artists, there is a unique opportunity for British music exports to grow even more and double to over £1 billion this decade. Events such as SXSW, which are so keenly anticipated, have a crucial role to play in helping to realise this potential by showcasing the best of British new music talent to the rest of the world.”