The Black Music Action Coalition and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame have formed a partnership to make the music industry more inclusive with the 2024 BMAC Music Maker Guaranteed Income and Mentorship Program. Applications for the program are available from November 2, 2023 through November. 20, 2023 for Black women and women artists and industry professionals between the ages of 18-30 years old who have financial need and live in the United States. BMAC and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will provide one year of mentorship and financial support beginning in February 2024 to celebrate Black History Month. BMAC, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Billboard, iHeartMedia, and the Music Artist Coalition (MAC) will produce an industry wide summit during 2024 Grammy Week to discuss diversity, inclusion, and the contributions female and Black Artists have made to music.
“…The immeasurable contributions made by Black Artists and executives have led to the growth and expansion of our music industry and impacted bottom lines globally,” says Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder/Chairman of BMAC. “However those contributions have often been overlooked, appropriated and misrepresented. BMAC applauds the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for partnering with us to launch a program that will directly address the long standing inequities in the music industry. We are leveling the playing field and investing in the next generation of Black and female creatives and future executives, ensuring they have the access, resources, and the network to continue to make those contributions and impact.”
“Rock & Roll was born from the collision of Rhythm & Blues, Gospel and Country,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “From its creation in 1986 through today, Black and female artists and executives have played a vital role in creating the diverse sounds, styles and spirit honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We are proud to partner with the Black Music Action coalition on this important initiative.”
“The powerful contributions made to music by Black artists and female artists are so significant as to be unquantifiable,” says Caron Veazey, co-founder of BMAC. “At BMAC, part of our mission is to support and cultivate talent – and through the BMAC x Rock and Roll Hall of Fame program, we are able to provide mentorship and a guaranteed income to artists, which will provide them with the bandwidth to create. Our aim is to help the next generation of musicians, songwriters, producers, managers, agents, and other industry professionals to go after their dreams and turn them into reality. Working together with RRHOF is an exciting example of implementing tangible action to support a shared goal.”
Applicants can apply to the BMAC Music Maker Guaranteed Income and Mentorship Program at the BMAC site. In September, BMAC opened membership to music industry professionals and advocates who want to join as a unified force of action to bring racial parity in the music industry.
