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Relentless Records to mark 21st anniversary with music scholarship fund
Relentless Records are celebrating their 21st anniversary by funding an annual scholarship for music industry qualifications.
Renowned for helping bring UK garage into the spotlight, the label’s story began in 1999 with the release of Artful Dodger’s ‘Re-Rewind’. Relentless have continued to propel homegrown British talent for over two decades, taking artists from the underground scene to mainstream prominence.
Their diverse range of hits includes So Solid Crew’s ’21 Seconds’, Daniel Bedingfield’s ‘Gotta Get Thru This’, DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies’ ‘Do You Really Like It?’, KT Tunstall’s ‘Suddenly I See’, Lethal Bizzle’s ‘Pow’ and more recently, Headie One’s ‘Ain’t It Different’.
To mark the milestone anniversary, Relentless will recommit to their legacy of providing routes into the music industry to those who might not otherwise get the chance.
“We have always searched for UK subcultures, bringing those music scenes to mainstream attention, from UK Garage to Drill,” said label founder Shabs Jobanputra. “But we have also promoted new generations of music industry executives that drive that change. We couldn’t think of a better way of celebrating 21 Years of Relentless than committing to help more people, who are passionate about what we love to do.”
Relentless owns the West London independent music venue Notting Hill Arts Club. By day, the venue is a classroom for the Notting Hill Academy Of Music – a music business school that offers vocational courses to get young people in the door of the music industry.
Alumni include Rob Ukaegbu, who signed Headie One to Relentless Records, Dan Owusu, label boss at Dream Life Records and David Sonubi, who alongside his brother, Jojo, founded No Signal radio station.
“I wanted to be in a learning environment with genuine music people who have careers currently in the music, said Ukaegbu of his time at the Academy, “For this reason, I think it is one of the most unique music courses around, as the lecturers are all a part of the music business in some form.”
Relentless will provide a fully paid scholarship each year for a new student. The nine-month course, a Level 4 in Creative Music Business, begins in February.
Entrants will be asked to submit a 1,500-word essay on why they want to do the course and work in the music industry. Apply for the scholarship here.
