Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Racism in British music industry 'is upfront and personal'

Racism in British music industry 'is upfront and personal'

RACISM in the British music industry is "serious, upfront and personal", author of a new report says about the experiences of black musicians.

"Prejudice is here and there is nothing stealthy about it," says Roger Wilson of the Black Lives in Music Initiative.


According to the report, six in 10 black music creators have experienced racism, while 86 per cent says they faced barriers in their careers because of their race.

They also earn £299 less per month, on average, than their white colleagues. The report has been compiled from the biggest-ever survey of black musicians and music industry professionals in the UK.

In total, 1,718 people responded, with some reporting "sometimes hostile working environments".

Stars like Alexandra Burke said that she was advised to bleach her skin to "look whiter".

Then there was the singer, who won the X Factor in 2008, said that she was told she would "have to work 10 times harder than a white artist, because of the colour of (her) skin".

Earlier this week, rapper Tinie Tempah said black artists still received less support than their white counterparts.

"Once you're part of a record label or a system, there are lots of complexities within that framework - what your budgets are versus someone else," he told the Press Association.

"'You're a rapper so this is your budget and you're black, but this is a folk artist who's from, like, Shropshire, and this is their budget and they haven't sold as many records as you, but we think that they're more viable, so we're going to spend more'.

"I would say the internet has made it easier for anyone to be an artist," he added. "But then, once you have success, and once you're navigating the industry, the world is still a racist place, and people are still racist."

The Black Lives in Music initiative was established in March this year, promising a data-driven mission to amplify and empower black musicians and professionals.

The survey is its first major piece of work, and will make uncomfortable reading for many in the music industry.

It shows that black musicians "are victims of pay disparity and lack of opportunities to progress," Wilson told the BBC.

"And we're seeing that black women, in particular, are the worst off."

The report found 31 per cent of black music creators believed their mental wellbeing had worsened since starting their music career, rising to 42 per cent of black women.

More For You

Brothers deny assaulting police during Manchester Airport brawl

Photo for representation. (iStock)

Brothers deny assaulting police during Manchester Airport brawl

TWO brothers accused of assaulting a man inside a Starbucks and later attacking police officers at Manchester Airport are standing trial, with the prosecution arguing they used "unlawful and extreme violence".

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his older brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, both from Rochdale, are said to have acted aggressively on July 23 last year while at the airport to pick up their mother, who had arrived on a flight from Qatar.

Keep ReadingShow less
Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case
Bhim Kohli

Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case

THE seven-year prison sentence handed to a 15-year-old boy convicted of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Bhim Sen Kohli is to be reviewed under the UK’s Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Friday (5) that the teenager’s sentence will now be considered by the Court of Appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attends a prayer meet held for his long life at the Dalai Lama temple in the northern hill town of Dharamshala, India, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

THE Dalai Lama said on Saturday (5) he hopes to live until he is more than 130 years old, two decades longer than his previous prediction, following his assurance to followers that he would reincarnate as the spiritual head of the faith upon his death.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner was speaking during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday (6), and as China insists it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama told Reuters in December he might live to 110.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave by mid-July

Daytime temperatures meeting or exceeding set thresholds of 25°C

iStock

Met Office warns of potential third UK heatwave by mid-July

Key points

  • Met Office forecasts rising temperatures by mid-July
  • Possible third heatwave after record-breaking June
  • High pressure system likely to bring hot air from the Atlantic
  • Yellow rain warning and flood alerts issued in parts of Scotland and Cumbria

Possible heatwave to return by mid-July

The UK could experience its third heatwave in a month by mid-July, the Met Office has said. Forecasters expect rising heat and humidity during the second weekend of July, following two weekends of unusually warm weather in late June.

June was officially the hottest on record in England, and the return of high temperatures could mean another heatwave for parts of the country. However, the Met Office cautioned that it is too early to confirm how hot conditions will get.

Keep ReadingShow less
crypto

Two men have been jailed for defrauding investors of £1.5 million through a fake crypto investment scheme. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Two jailed over £1.5m crypto investment scam

TWO people who duped investors of £1.5 million by selling fake investments in crypto have been jailed for 12 years, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.

Raymondip Bedi, of Bromley, and Patrick Mavanga, of Peckham, conned at least 65 people by cold-calling them between February 2017 and June 2019. They operated companies including CCX Capital and Astaria Group LLP.

Keep ReadingShow less