About The BPI
The BPI is the representative voice for the UK’s world-leading record companies and label businesses, and champions British music. British recorded music is one of the most dynamic and innovative music sectors in the world – its third largest market, according to the IFPI, and the biggest exporter of recorded music after only the US, with its artists accounting for around 8% of global sales and audio streams.
Substantial proceeds from The BRIT Awards go to The BRIT Trust – the charitable arm of the BPI – which, since its inception in 1989, has distributed more than £30 million to charitable causes that draw on the power of music to improve lives through education and wellbeing, including major beneficiaries The BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins.
Through its public affairs-led work, the BPI aims to foster a policy and business environment in which its members and their artists can thrive, promoting the rights of over 500 independent labels and businesses, those of world-leading record companies Sony Music UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK, alongside those of the artists, performers and label members of PPL.
The BPI runs The BRIT Awards, is home to the Mercury Prize, co-owns the Official Charts, and administers the BRIT Billion and The BRIT Certified Awards. It safeguards the success of recorded music and the rights framework that underpins it, supported by its industry-leading content protection and legal work and its promotion of music exports through international events and trade missions, such as LA Sync, and the successful industry/government-funded Music Export Growth Scheme, which achieves a 14:1 return on investment for the UK.
The BPI drives innovation by bringing the music and tech communities together through such initiatives as Grow Music and its Innovation Podcasts and Insight Sessions; publishes authorative market data including its All About the Music yearbooks, and offers members free training and networking, among other benefits.
With its Equity & Justice Advisory Group (EJAG), the BPI promotes Diversity, Equity & Inclusion across music and, as a signatory of the Music Climate Pact, is committed to an industry that operates sustainably in reducing its carbon impact. The BPI recognises the vital importance of the talent pipeline and of music/creative arts education in enabling access and opportunities for people of all backgrounds to realise their potential, which it also supports through The BRIT Trust charity.
The BRIT Awards with Mastercard
Launched in 1977, the BRIT Awards with Mastercard are the biggest night in music that platform diverse new talent and showcase the innovation and creativity of the UK music industry. The organising company, BRIT Awards Limited (BAL), is a fully owned subsidiary of the BPI. Substantial proceeds from the annual show go to the BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the BPI that has distributed more than £30 million in grants to causes that support its mission of drawing on the power of music and the creative arts to improve lives.
The Mercury Prize
Since 1992 celebrating artistic achievement across an eclectic range of contemporary music genres, the Mercury Prize recognises the best new British and Irish music through 12 ‘Albums of the Year’, including an overall winner, selected by an expert panel of judges.
As an independent arts prize, it champions the album format, presents a snapshot of the year in music and provides a major platform for up and coming artists and their work.
The Prize has been an important milestone in past winners’ journeys, acting as a stepping stone to wider success, with recent recipients English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Dave, and Wolf Alice joining such past acclaimed winners as PJ Harvey, Ms Dynamite, Skepta, Elbow, Arctic Monkeys, Suede, Pulp, and the inaugural recipients, Primal Scream.
The BRIT Trust
The BRIT Trust is the principal charity of the UK recorded music industry, and works to improve lives through the power of music and the creative arts. Funded largely by The BRIT Awards and the Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS), the BRIT Trust’s work is enabled by a Board of Trustees chaired by Tony Wadsworth CBE. Since its foundation by record labels and the BPI in 1989, the Trust has distributed more than £30 million in grants to causes that promote education and wellbeing across the UK, including its main beneficiaries The BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins.
BPI Parental Guidance Scheme
The Parental Guidance stickers are to be used to give warnings to the young where necessary under the BPI Potentially Offensive Content scheme.
A copy of the guidance is available for download, or contact: The BPI legal team
