Welcoming the ten 2026 Step Up Fund awardees, powered by Amazon Music
The FAC and Amazon Music are proud to reveal the ten artists to benefit from the Step Up Fund in 2026 - with ALT BLK ERA, anaiis, Ashaine White, Cowboy Hunters, DEELA, happydaze, Jords, Leonie Biney, Olympia Vitalis and Y U QT all receiving grants of up to £8,000 to help take their music and creativity to the next level.
Now in its fifth year, Step Up was established to provide funding for talented independent artists - supporting their creative endeavours and assisting with the next stage in their musical journey.
More than 50 individuals, duos and bands have now benefitted from the programme, enabling them to deliver a wide range of creative-led activities.
2026’s awardees, who are drawn from all over the UK, cover all genre bases - from MOBO winning rock acts to rappers to Glasgow-based punk duos.
All are making exciting and innovative music, widely recognised by media and tastemakers, and all made credible cases for Step Up support - ranging from help with studio hire to record new material, mixing and mastering, video making or help to underwrite the costs of touring.
As well as direct financial assistance, 2026’s Step Up cohort will also receive mentoring, a one-year PRO membership to the FAC, a one-year subscription to Amazon Music and content creation opportunities.
You can check out all the awardees’ music in this exclusive Amazon Music Step Up 2026 playlist.
The 2026 FAC Step Up Fund powered by Amazon Music awardees are:
ALT BLK ERA: Winners of the 2025 MOBO Award for Best Alternative Music Act, sisters Nyrobi and Chaya Becket-Messam have already hit number one on the UK Rock & Metal charts and performed on Later…with Jools Holland. Their fusion of electronic sounds, rock and DnB has made them one of the most exciting new forces in genre-fluid music.
anaiis: Winning critical plaudits for her 2025 live-to-tape album, Devotion & The Black Divine, anaiis released her first new material of 2026 in July with the stunning singles Sunshine and P4P. Having played a sold-out performance at London’s Islington Assembly Hall in December last year and headlined Brick Lane Jazz Festival, anaiis embarks on a series of US shows this
Ashaine White: Blending the spirit of alternative rock with a soulful vocal delivery and emotive lyricism, Ashaine has drawn comparisons to artists like PJ Harvey and Jeff Buckley, while forging something entirely her own. Now signed to Marshall Records, she has performed at SXSW Austin and Rotterdam’s MOMO Festival and supported Nova Twins and Corinne Bailey Rae.
Cowboy Hunters: Over the past 12 months, this Glasgow duo have emerged as one of the country’s most exciting new acts - mixing absurdist humour, blunt-force social commentary and heavy music on singles such as Money For Drugs, Have A Pint and Shag Slags Not Flags. Attracting significant media support, they have shared bills with Franz Ferdinand, English Teacher, Bob Vylan and Sleaford Mods.
DEELA: Growing up in Lagos before moving to the UK, DEELA has received co-signs from artists like Baby Keem and performed alongside Little Simz at her UK arena shows. She has also collaborated with Flo Milli on a remix of the viral hit Take It Up and Nigerian star Teni on Patience Ozokwor. Her most recent album, Wicked, was released in 2025.
happydaze: A pop punk band from Edinburgh, happydaze have released three EPs and a handful of singles since 2020. With touring experience throughout the UK and Europe, the four-piece have supported the likes of Neck Deep, Roam, Trophy Eyes, WSTR, Trash Boat and Broadside.
Jords: A London-born rapper, songwriter and creative director, Jords became the first UK hip hop artist to release an album for Motown UK. Now fully independent, he has previously collaborated with the likes of Wretch 32, Dotty, Jordan Mackampa and Jordan Rakei. A co-founder of the Almost A Conversation podcast, he also received widespread recognition for his film Dirt In The Diamond which was selected for the Tribeca Film Festival and nominated for a MOBO.
Leonie Biney: Releasing her most recent EP, When You Turn Around, via Platoon, Leonie combines poetic, observational lyrics with a bedroom pop aesthetic. Her dedicated online audience has expanded following support slots with the likes of Bella Kay, Rachel Chinouriri and Flowerovlove. She is currently supporting Laufey on a run of arena shows in Australia and New Zealand.
Olympia Vitalis: Raised in West London and raised on gospel, Olympia’s debut EP, People Watching, amassed more than 2m streams - triggering a wave of media interest, festival appearances at Cross The Tracks and We Out Here, and support slots with Baby Rose, Bilal and Teddy Swims. Her latest EP, Lady Luck, was released last month and features Maverick Sabre. It was previewed in full at a special show at St Pancras Old Church.
Y U QT: Mixing up house, garage and electronic music, Y U QT have carved out a unique space between retro and future-facing sounds - a recipe they have taken international, with sold-out tours across the UK, Australasia and Asia, including appearances at Glastonbury, Pitch Festival and Waterworks. Following a string of releases on The Warehouse Project’s Technique label, the duo recently signed to Technicolour / Ninjatune.
The Step Up Fund was originally established in 2022 in response to the accumulation of financial and structural challenges facing upcoming, independent artists.
These challenges remain a focal point for the FAC’s campaigning, as we advocate for artist-friendly reforms of music streaming, greater support for grassroots live music and international touring, and an end to onerous venue commissions on merchandise sales.
Previous awardees from the Step Up Fund include Amie Blu, Balancing Act, BINA., Chalk, Cherise, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West, Elkka, Friedberg, Hana Lili, Jadu Heart, Jalen Ngonda, Joel Culpepper, LVRA, Olive Jones and VUKOVI.
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David Martin, CEO, Featured Artists Coalition:
“This is now the fifth year of the Step Up Fund and the quality of applicants and artistry still never fails to astonish. 2026’s cohort represent an incredibly wide range of genres from across the UK.
“However, despite our ability to incubate and nurture new talent, independent artists still face monumental challenges when it comes to developing their craft. Breaking through has never been more difficult and investment at the right point is crucial.
“This was our rationale for establishing the fund in the first place, and thanks to the generous support of our partners at Amazon Music, Step Up continues to back UK artists in the best way possible - by providing the financial backing and wider support they need to develop their career and creativity.”
Laura Lukanz, Head of Music UK, Australia & New Zealand, Amazon Music:
"Five years in, and the moment we announce the Step Up cohort is still one of my favourite days of the year. This group blew us away; from MOBO-winning rock acts to genre-defying producers, every one of them is making music that genuinely moves people. What I love about Step Up is that it lets artists invest in whatever matters most to them, whether that's getting into the studio, hitting the road, or bringing a wild visual idea to life. Working alongside the FAC and watching these artists flourish is a privilege, and I have no doubt these ten will do extraordinary things."