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\n\tColdrick says that Burnham\u2019s previous stint as culture secretary is a \u201chuge positive\u201d in the eyes of the MMF and its members. She believes the tenure would have given him \u201ca strong understanding of how the U.K. music industry operates, including the critical role of managers, and the importance of ensuring artists, songwriters, musicians and producers can make a viable living from their craft.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBurnham began his political career in 2001 as a Labour MP for Leigh, located near Wigan, and he went on to assume the role of chief secretary to the Treasury. In 2008, he was appointed the role of culture secretary, then he was promoted to health secretary. In 2017, he was elected mayor of Greater Manchester, a role he held for nine years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tThroughout his political career, Burnham has become known for his tendency to litter interviews and speeches with reminiscences of his teenage love of indie rock. In 1989, he stood in the crowd of The Stone Roses\u2019 show at Blackpool\u2019s Empress Ballroom, telling The Guardian that it was \u201cprobably the best gig I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d and also attended The Smiths\u2019 concert at Salford University three years earlier that coincided with their landmark album, The Queen Is Dead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tBurnham\u2019s love of music has continued to last \u2014 more recently, he did a ranking of other legendary Manchester acts on TikTok, putting Oasis on top. He shared the stage with The 1975 at the city\u2019s Parklife Festival in 2017 honoring victims of the Ariana Grande concert bombing. During his time as mayor, Burnham led a Greater Manchester delegation to SXSW in Austin, Texas to officially unveil the region\u2019s Beyond The Music festival, while also overseeing the arrival of Factory International, which operates state-of-the-art venue Aviva Studios<\/a>, affirming Manchester\u2019s place as the U.K.\u2019s second city in regard to musical culture. In the final months of his term, Burnham played a key role in bringing the BRIT Awards<\/a> to the Co-op Live in February 2026, the first time the event had taken place outside of London.<\/p>\n \n\tThe challenge will be whether Burnham\u2019s vision for increasing music\u2019s role and influence in civic life can be scaled into national policy. \u201cAs anyone who\u2019s heard him speak about the Stones Roses or The Pogues will attest, Andy Burnham genuinely loves music \u2014 arguably more so than any previous prime minister,\u201d says David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition. \u201cWe saw plenty of evidence of this passion during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester, particularly with his enthusiasm for local artists. This is someone who understands music\u2019s power on local, national and international levels, but also, instinctively, as a fan. That feels really, really important.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tThe idea looms as Burnham, recently elected as an MP for Makerfield, Greater Manchester, following his resignation from the mayoralty, takes office after winning the backing of 349 his party\u2019s MPs<\/a>. On Friday (July 17) he was named leader of the Labour Party and promised to \u201cbring back hope\u201d to voters of the left-leaning organization.<\/p>\n \n\tA focus on economic pressure feels particularly relevant for the U.K. music industry. While the sector continues to grow, the pace slowed to 5% year on year in 2025 after several years of double-digit gains, according to trade body BPI<\/a>. Last Monday (July 13), the government announced that the Music Growth Package<\/a>, which was first unveiled in the Creative Industries Sector Plan last June, would receive an additional \u00a315 million ($20 million) beyond its original allocation, bringing total funding to \u00a345 million ($60 million). The investment will support more than 2,000 music projects over the next three years.<\/p>\n \n\tThe collective message from the industry is that it\u2019s time to move forward and get to work. The Music Growth Package forms part of \u201ca succession of well-meaning announcements over the past two years,\u201d Coldrick adds, referring to the 2024 Labour party manifesto, which included a proposal to ban ticket touting and increase support for acts touring Europe, which has become increasingly challenging post-Brexit. Labour also backed the Music Venue Trust\u2019s proposed \u00a31 ticket levy<\/a> on arena and stadium shows to help support the grassroots music scene, but the sector still wants to \u201csee tangible action\u201d when it comes to supporting creators themselves. Adam Webb of the Fan Fair Alliance says Burnham\u2019s appointment gives him \u201creal hope that we\u2019ll now see progress\u201d in delivering the proposed ticket touting ban into law<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tYouth Music\u2019s interim co-CEO, Carol Reid, concurs. The organization invests in grassroots music projects across the country and established the Open Doors Fund in partnership with Spotify in 2025. In its first year, the initiative has helped to bring the number of youth spaces \u2014 which kick-started the careers of Little Simz (Mary\u2019s Youth Club, Islington) and Ezra Collective (Tomorrow\u2019s Warriors) \u2014 at risk of closure down from 41% to 37%<\/a>, while opening up 137 jobs for next-generation creatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tReid says that she admires the work Burnham has done to amplify Manchester\u2019s music ecosystem, but she \u201chopes to see that same ambition nationally.\u201d Research from a 2026 Youth Music survey<\/a> states that, in the U.K., there are currently upwards of 33,500 young people on waiting lists for various mentorship programs, with those outside major cities disproportionately affected. A recent Open Doors event at Spotify HQ in London brought together artists aged 18 to 25 with industry professionals for career development sessions, but Reid argues that sustained, nationwide investment is needed to ensure emerging talent can access the same opportunities regardless of where they live.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPeople say talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,\u201d she continues. \u201cAt Youth Music, we\u2019d go further: demand is everywhere, but resources are not. We see the talent that exists across the country, but too many young people still face barriers to opportunity. We want to see more collaboration across the music industries, alongside long-term investment in the grassroots music projects developing the artists and industry leaders of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tThe Ivors Academy is also calling on Burnham to \u201cput music creators at the heart of [the government\u2019s] strategic priorities,\u201d as CEO Roberto Neri tells Billboard U.K. In June 2025, the rights association, whose mission is to \u201cprotect, empower and celebrate songwriters and composers,\u201d secured a \u00a375 ($100) daily per diem payment for songwriters from U.K. major labels<\/a> \u2014 the first time this type of payment had been formally agreed anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n \n\tThe move was endorsed by RAYE, while in May, the Ivors Academy honored Sir Elton John with the title of the Academy\u2019s first president, in recognition of his advocacy<\/a> for artists\u2019 creative rights in the age of AI. \u201cAs a politician who seems to understand music\u2019s value to our culture, society and economy, we look forward to working with Burnham and his team,\u201d Neri adds. \u201cSongwriters and composers are the foundation of the music industry. We need this government to recognize their essential contribution to the country\u2019s creative and economic success while protecting their rights.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBurnham\u2019s reputation as a genuine music head may not, on its own, translate into policy action. But it has helped to build a stronger rapport across areas of the industry. For industry professionals, that goodwill comes with heightened expectations, and the priorities remain clear: protecting creators\u2019 rights and strengthening grassroots infrastructure across the U.K. The appetite for change is apparent, but now comes the task of delivering it.<\/p>\n![\"Ed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/P1074K6U-e1783631372193.jpg\")
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