The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is launching the second year of its Black Independent Music Accelerator (BIMA), a fellowship grant initiative benefitting Black-owned businesses in the indie music community.
BIMA fellows are provided with membership to A2IM – a nonprofit trade organization that represents nearly 700 independent music labels – and have their annual dues subsidized. They will also be granted complimentary tickets to yearly events including Indie Week, A2IM’s four-day international conference and networking event.
Additionally, BIMA’s 2022 advisory council will provide guidance, oversight and support for the 2022 fellows. Council members this year include Fotemah Mba, head of A&R, general market at Cinq Music Group; Courtnay Moriarty, senior digital rights manager at Pex; and Kristine Mbadugha, manager, independent music partnerships at YouTube Music. More names will be announced at a later date.
Applications for the 2022 BIMA Program open on Jan. 10 and close on Jan. 24. Interested parties can apply and learn more at a2im.org/bima.
Erinn Knight, president of 2021 BIMA fellow Build Your Own Dreams, said in a statement, “Black entrepreneurs have been the backbone of the music industry since the beginning of time. Allowing us to access the resources of counterparts, now opens doors to innumerable possibilities for creators that look, think, and dream like us.”
“The BIMA program has made me feel seen and reflected in an industry I have felt alone in for a long time,” added Katrina Frye, founder and CEO of 2021 BIMA fellow Lauretta Records. “The ongoing offerings with industry service providers, and the experts in the BIMA program, have been helpful and educational. In addition, access to all the A2IM membership benefits have completely elevated and uplifted my indie label.”
Last year’s BIMA fellows also included 180 Proof, Art Vs Transit, Carnelian Productions, Chaos Club Entertainment, The Clarion Group, Creambridge, Doite Media, Electric Train Records, First One Up, glbl wrmng, Hutton Records, I Am Leven, Jazz Is Dead, JT Entertainment, Live TMG, Never Normal Records, Para Music Group, ProSound Media, SaulPaul Productions, Sending You Creative Entertainment, Sonnig Records, SpacedOut Studios Entertainment, Stay Solid Entertainment, Suckas Can’t Join Records, Thndr, TouchedDown Sound, Verse and Hook, VICEVERSA and The Zenzalai Group.
The inaugural BIMA program was sponsored by ADA, Amazon Music, Made in Memphis Entertainment, Spotify, EnterGain, Paperchain, Reach Records, Songtrust, Soundcloud, Taryn Brown + Company, TuneCore, Adrev, Light in the Attic Records & Distribution, Mad Decent, Materia Music, MERLIN, SoundExchange, Symphonic Distribution, Vydia and Xelon Digital.
Sponsorship inquires for the 2022-23 program can be made by contacting sales@a2im.org.
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