21/05/2026
Brown Horse, speaking to BBC Newsbeat on BBC Radio 1, highlight just how fragile the grassroots ecosystem is without sustained investment in emerging artists.
As recipients of Phase One of the UKAT fund, they warn that the UK music industry cannot rely solely on established acts at the top of the pipeline, because culture is built from the bottom up. Without support at the earliest stages, opportunities shrink, new talent struggles to break through, and the wider creative ecosystem begins to weaken.
They describe it as “cutting down trees and not replanting them” if emerging bands aren’t properly supported, stressing that the great British artists people celebrate today all came through years of small shows and grassroots touring before reaching larger stages.
They add that if the “bottom” of the system is cut off, there is no way for culture to regenerate or sustain itself over time.
Which is why the FAC is proud to have built the UKAT fund and why it’s so important we continue to invest in it, so more artists can get on the road, play more shows, reach more audiences, and keep feeding the UK’s cultural infrastructure.
