Changemakers
Changemaker Award
As part of our commitment to fostering positive change, we proudly present the Changemaker Award, an initiative launched in 2022 to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of individuals and organisations to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the independent music sector. This award is part of the impactful work initiated by IMPALA’s equity, diversity, and inclusion task force, find out more here.
Winner 2024 – Black & Irish
Black & Irish is the winner of the IMPALA Changemaker Award 2024! The award recognises Black & Irish’s commitment to advocating for the black community in Ireland, fostering connections within Irish society and championing an anti-racist ethos. Black & Irish was founded in 2020 by Leon Diop, Femi Bakole and Pierre Yimbog and works to promote equity and inclusion for Black and mixed-raced people across the country. Black & Irish aims to improve the lives of Black and Irish people by working with strategic partners in the areas of advocacy, community engagement and education.
Read the statement here and find out more about Black & Irish here.
Changemaker award winners from previous years
Winner 2023 – Women in CTRL
The second recipient of IMPALA’s Changemaker award, is the UK not-for-profit organisation Women in CTRL, for their work developing and supporting music creators and music professionals from under-represented groups. Women in CTRL was founded by Nadia Khan and has been very active on its mission to advance gender equality in the music industry. The not-for-profit organisation was set up to empower and inspire women in the entertainment, creative and business sectors of the music industry and encourages women and non-binary persons to find their strengths, develop their own personal brand and build the tools and confidence to become leaders.
Read the statement here and find out more about Women in CTRL here.
Winner 2022 – POWER UP
The first recipient of IMPALA’s Changemaker award was POWER UP which addresses anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector, and supports Black music creators and industry professionals and executives. Co-founded by PRS Foundation and Ben Wynter and managed by PRS Foundation in partnership with YouTube Music, Beggars Group, Spotify and the Black Music Coalition, the initiative was launched in January 2021 and has already powered up award-winning talent and those who are dominating playlists and line-ups and are taking up senior roles and Board positions across the industry.
Read the Changemaker Award statement here and find out more about POWER UP here.
Changemaker Award nominees 2024
Desenchufadas is a dynamic platform for cultural entrepreneurs, offering resources, tools, and a vibrant community. Their magazine features interviews with women in the industry and insights on cultural entrepreneurship. EVENchufadas connects creators with events, while the Entrepreneurship Point offers personalised advice. They also provide professional training and support for women entrepreneurs.
MEWEM France encourages women and gender minorities in the music industry to become entrepreneurs and assert their leadership. Founded in 2018 by FÉLIN, this pioneering programme is a response to the challenges of diversity in the music industry, particularly in positions of responsibility, but also to the problems of job insecurity, by helping to ensure the long-term survival of structures. Among the projects emerging from the network are: La P3; La Chatte en feu; WomenBeats; D·I·V·A· or Cherchez la Femme.
MEWEM Germany is a nationwide mentoring program for young female, trans, and non-binary individuals in the music industry. It aims to increase their long-term presence and visibility, including in management and founder roles. MEWEM pairs ten experienced industry experts with ten young professionals for ongoing support in their professional and personal growth. More information here.
Taskforce Go! is a Dutch-based project uniting music industry stakeholders to combat inappropriate behavior, promote diversity and inclusion, and ensure a safe and inclusive environment through campaigns, support services, and workshops. In January 2024, they launched the campaign ‘set the tone’ in which they mainly call on bystanders to speak out when someone crosses a line of appropriate behaviour, in the hope of raising awareness and achieving a change in behaviour.
PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MUSIC was founded in 2022 by leadership representatives from a group of companies and organisations from the Danish music scene, coming together to strengthen industry collaboration and network at the leadership level. Their vision is that through collaboration, they can develop and catalyse data-based solutions to the sector-wide challenges that impede a more sustainable music scene.
Be the Change is a global movement and a report run by Believe/TuneCore that uncovers the causes of gender inequality in the music industry and offers practical solutions to combat it. Over 1088 people have pledged to BE THE CHANGE.
Come Play With Me is a UK-based non-profit supporting marginalised communities in music. They promote diversity and inclusion through events, a label, mentoring, podcasts, a magazine, and workshops. Awarded the 2022 Music Week Diversity In The Workplace award, they also published the first LGBTQ+ Musicians Insights report and 12 recommendations to make the music industry more inclusive for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Fédérap, is France’s first association of rap professionals. Despite rap’s popularity and influence, its professionals are often overlooked in cultural policy. Fédérap bridges this gap, representing rap labels, media, publishers, festivals, managers and artists and advocating for diversity and better representation in the music industry. It provides its members with tools, funding and workshops for long-term growth. Check out their website here.
Kulturinklusiv.ch in Switzerland promotes inclusion in the cultural sector through the “Culture inclusive” label, awarded to institutions that foster participation of people with disabilities.The center advises label partners, networks inclusive players, and connects them with social sector specialists. It operates in three languages and provides information in easy-to-read and sign language.
K7 x Ernst Reuter Schule community project – Wanting to create stronger bonds with their local community, !K7 worked with a Berlin school to help students create their own music and learn about the music industry.
Read more about it here and discover the two tracks the students created here.
MIM – (Mujeres de la Industria de la Música) was founded to ensure gender equality in the music industry and to address the gender inequalities highlighted by female professionals across Spain. It advocates for equal treatment, salaries, opportunities and possibilities for all music professionals and strives for gender parity in the industry.
Minding Creative Minds is a free wellbeing and support service for those working in the Creative Industries in Ireland. Their mission is to provide local artists with the tools they need to fully embrace their talents and ambitions.
Safe to Create is an Irish collaborative programme of supports looking to transform workplace culture and practices, and to provide safe and respectful working conditions for those working in the arts and creative sectors.
SISTERS OF MUSIC is an Austrian organisation, founded in 2019, and their network has been growing ever since. Recognising that women* are still a minority, especially in technical professions and management positions, they decided to open a network “by and for women* in the live music industry.” They organise workshops, networking events and mentoring sessions and more.
Tuatara provides consulting services which support artists & organisations to get funding, boost collaborations and develop their network. Tuatara supports actively diversity and inclusion in the cultural sector, dedicated to promoting alternative and underground culture while supporting efforts to combat discrimination. They advocate for a more inclusive cultural world where creators and audiences of all backgrounds are welcomed and encouraged.
We’ve only just begun is a Festival & Directory promoting female and non-binary musicians, professionals, bands & DJs in Ireland.
