Brits Rising Star winner Myles Smith urged the Government, companies that own venues, and music executives, to “protect” industry foundations and help save grassroots venues, in his acceptance speech.
The singer, 26, from Luton, Bedfordshire, who already has two top-10 singles in the UK chart, said: “I was raised by a single mum on free school meals in a state school that only had instruments because of government-backed schemes.
“I grew up in a town that, according to loads of clickbait articles, is the worst town in Luton.
“But yet I’m somehow here, a four-time Brit nominee, a graduate from a Russell Group university.
“But tonight, whilst I have the attention of the nation and this award, which gives me kind of like this really cool speaking power, I want to ask three questions.
“My first is to the Government: if British music is one of the most powerful cultural exports we have, why have you treated it like an afterthought for so many years?
“How many more venues need to close? How many more music programmes need to be cut before we realise that we can’t just celebrate success, you have to protect the foundations that make it?
“My second is to the biggest venues in the country and around the world: If artists selling out your arenas and your stadiums started in grassroots venues, what are you doing to keep them alive?
“And my third, to the industry, to the execs in the room, and to the people behind the scenes: Are we building careers or are we just chasing moments?
“Because moments fade and careers take time, so please stick with artists past their first viral hit, please stick with artists past their first tour, because it really matters to us, and moments, they fade, but careers last forever.”
Smith, who rose to prominence on video-sharing app TikTok, performed his songs Nice To Meet You and Stargazing at the awards ceremony on Saturday.
