International Young Music Entrepreneur

Quoted the below from ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network

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BRITISH COUNCIL INVITES YOUNG MALAYSIANS WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TO COMPETE FOR PRESTIGIOUS UK AWARD

The Malaysian winner will travel – fully-sponsored by the British Council – to the UK to network with music industry professionals, attend music events, and be in the running for £7,500 (RM 51,000) cash prize

The British Council is looking for that outstanding individual making ripples in the Malaysian music industry to send to the UK and take part in an international competition with the ultimate goal of being selected as the International Young Music Entrepreneur (IYME).

Open to music entrepreneurs aged between 25 and 35, IYME recognises extraordinary achievement and potential of young creative entrepreneurs working in the music industry.

The national winner will travel to the UK in June 2008 to take part in a 14-day tour of the UK music industry. This will include visits, meetings, and gigs in London and Manchester, London Calling trade exhibition, and a showcasing event to promote their national music scene.

The IYME 2008 winner will be announced at an awards ceremony during the UK visit. The prize will consist of a financial award of £7,500, which will be linked to the UK and tailored to the winner's specific needs. The winner of IYMEY is decided based upon a presentation made by each candidate to an elite judging panel from the UK music industry.

Candidates must already be active professionally in the local music sector, as defined below:

--Record companies; Artists & Repertoire (A&R); producing, recording, engineering; music licensing, and distribution
--Venue and/or festival programming and management
--Artists management and agents
--Music broadcasting
--Music journalism and publishing
--Music development & management
--Music marketing; public and media relations
--Music retail; online (including digital) and high street outlets

"We recognise that a participant may be active as a musician or DJ, however their work as an artist should be secondary to their focus as an entrepreneur in the promotion of music in their country," explained Sunitha Janamohanan, Arts Manager for the British Council.

"Musical talent will not be factored into the judging procedure – finalists will be judged solely on the merit of their entrepreneurial abilities in the music business."

This is the second year that Malaysia is participating in this programme. Last year, recording artist and entrepreneur Jason Lo fended off stiff competition to be selected to represent Malaysia in the UK by a distinguished panel of judges consisting of some of the country's most influential names in the music industry including Ahmad Izham Omar (CEO of 8TV), and Jennifer Thompson (President of Persatuan Akademi Industri Muzik Malaysia).

Lo said: "IYME 2007 was a fantastic experience for me. Many doors were opened and I managed to get a glimpse of the UK music industry from many interesting angles. There is definitely something in the journey for everyone. And the bonus, or the icing on the cake is the fact that you're together with winners from all over the world, all of you with something in common, something to share and something to aim for. Our interaction within the group was educational and exciting, even now I am still in touch with them and we regularly explore possibilities to work together."

"I've never been big on awards because well, they're just awards. This was different, this one let's you put all your work and ambition into perspective, take yourself out of the context of the Malaysian music scene, assess yourself and open your eyes."

Among the finalists last year were Moots! of local hip hop rock band Pop Shuvit and Administrator of Shuvit Management and Adrian Yap, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of KLue and Junk magazines.

Eligibility
A participant must:
--Be aged between 25 and 35
--Already work in the music sector (as defined above)
--Be entrepreneurial and have shown their ability and innovative approach to the promotion of music in their country, particularly in a commercial context
--Through their character, drive and abilities demonstrate their potential to be a future leader of the sector in their country
--Have a reasonable command of the English language

A panel of judges comprising leading figures in the local music industry will interview short-listed candidates, selected on the strength of their applications, to identify the best Young Music Entrepreneur from Malaysia. Successful candidates will have a passion for their creative sector; display originality and confidence in their work, and an entrepreneurial drive to succeed in their field; they will be risk-takers and forward-thinking leaders, striving to make a difference in their field and for the local music industry.

"It's not about how much money you've made in the music business, but about having a wider understanding of the potential in this market and what your role could be in building it," added Janamohanan.

Candidates will be judged both on the evidence of their existing entrepreneurial skills and their potential to be an agent of change.

How to applyApplicants need to fill out an application form that can be downloaded from the British Council's website British Council . Closing date for applications is Wednesday 19 March.

For further queries, email the British Council at arts@britishcouncil.org.my or call 03 2723 7931 or 03 2723 7988.

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