Unified Music Group's Grant Program Returns in 2022

Unified Music Group has announced the return of The Unified Grant, an initiative to help creatives to break into the Australian music industry.

The program will award $5,000 in funding to five creative projects from individuals or groups that "influence positive, meaningful, and sustainable change".

Submissions open today and close July 31 at 8:00 p.m. and extend to all areas of the biz, including photographers, designers, developers and journalists.

This comes as the independent music group celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year, and as its founder and CEO Jaddan Comerford celebrates 20 years in the music business in 2022.

Unified said the grant was inspired by its "bedroom beginnings" as Boomtown Records, to its stake as one of Australia's largest indie players now offering a full suite of artist and music services from its offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles, and London.

“At Unified, we’re all about investing in an ecosystem for creative talent to thrive, and this is a part of that,” Comerford said. “We’re looking for creative people working with ideas that are contributing to a sustainable future for our industry”.

Comerford first announced the program during his keynote speech at Bigsound in 2016, where said he hoped that it would foster the next generation of driven creatives who want to work in music, but don’t play an instrument.

In its first year, The Unified Grant had close to 200 applicants.

The company's impact committee, made up of staff and partners, will review all submissions that meet the criteria to create a shortlist of finalists.

Winners will be decided through a voting system with all Unified Music Group staff contributing and notified by August 28.