Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026
SUNNY GOVAN COMMUNITY RADIO ANNOUNCES SCOTTISH HIP HOP BURSARY 2026 AWARDEES
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – Sunny Govan Community Radio, in partnership with UP2STNDRD and 644 Studios, is proud to announce the 17 successful awardees of the Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026.
With support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, the bursary programme has awarded grants of up to £1,500, alongside tailored professional mentoring, studio resources, broadcast exposure and development opportunities.
The Scottish Hip Hop Bursary was created to remove financial and structural barriers that can prevent artists and culture-builders from developing their work and progressing their careers.
This year’s awardees represent a broad range of Scotland’s Hip Hop culture, including rappers, producers, DJs, dancers, educators, theatre-makers, filmmakers and community organisers.
Selected through a highly competitive open call, the 17 awardees were chosen for the quality of their ideas, their commitment to their creative practice and their contribution to the continued growth of Hip Hop culture in Scotland.
The 2026 bursary will support a wide range of creative projects, including:
-
Recording and music releases:
Supporting artists and producers to write, record, mix, master and release new original music.
-
Visual arts and film:
Funding music videos, dance films and original multimedia projects.
-
Dance and movement:
Supporting dancers and collectives to develop Hip Hop theatre, create educational resources and access specialist training and masterclasses.
-
Professional development and research:
Providing artists, producers and culture-builders with equipment, technical training and research and development time to test new creative ideas.
In addition to financial support, awardees will receive one-to-one professional mentoring from Sunny Govan Community Radio, UP2STNDRD and 644 Studios. They will also have opportunities to share and promote their work through radio, digital platforms and future Hip Hop events.
Steven Gilfoyle, Development Manager at Sunny Govan Community Radio, said:
“Scottish Hip Hop is full of talented and dedicated people, but too often a lack of money, equipment, space and professional support stops strong ideas from moving forward.
“This bursary is about removing some of those barriers and giving artists and culture-builders the chance to develop their work properly. The range of projects supported this year shows the creativity, ambition and diversity of Hip Hop across Scotland, and we are excited to help each awardee take the next step.”
Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026 Awardees
-
Charlon Ndebele – £1,500 for a creative development project combining music creation, listening events and networking.
-
Andrew MacKenzie – £1,488 to complete a six-track EP.
-
Emma Ready – £1,466 to create an educational resource helping breakers develop their musicality skills.
-
Erin Friel – £1,500 to bring together women from Scotland’s Hip Hop community to collaboratively write, record and release an original single.
-
Eufragio Manguele – £1,500 for a collaborative music project blending conscious Hip Hop with Highland folk music.
-
Graham Shield – £1,250 to create a new music video.
-
Jay Lee – £1,000 to attend workshops and battle events in Amsterdam.
-
Juily Chen – £1,039 for a three-month, Glasgow-based Hip Hop theatre development process for a solo performance.
-
Karim Lahmamsi – £928 to purchase recording equipment and support the creation and production of new music.
-
Kiki Olapado – £1,480 for a period of creative development, rehearsal and research to further refine an ongoing Hip Hop theatre production.
-
Kirsty Heggie – £1,500 to deliver a six-week course teaching young people core rap skills.
-
Ladé Sheriki – £1,220 for a multimedia project exploring love through music, audiovisual installation and a digital archive.
-
Miran Mohammedi – £892 for a laptop, microphone, audio interface and headphones to support the creation and production of new music.
-
Natalie Ramsay – £1,260 to release a single and create an accompanying music video.
-
Rana Marathon – £1,500 to create a four-track Hip Hop EP and two accompanying music videos.
-
Sinead Swann – £1,200 for a reliable live performance and production setup to support confirmed 2026 festival appearances.
-
Stefani Chertsova – £1,325 to create a dance film showcasing Hip Hop dancers from across Glasgow and Edinburgh.
To learn more about the Scottish Hip Hop Bursary and follow the awardees’ projects, visit:
www.sunnyg.org/hip-hop-bursary-2026
Media Contact
Steven Gilfoyle
Development Manager
Sunny Govan Community Radio
Email: steg@sunnyg.org
Phone: 0141 445 3741
Website: www.sunnyg.org
Notes to Editors
The Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026 is delivered by Sunny Govan Community Radio in partnership with UP2STNDRD and 644 Studios, with support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow Creative Scotland on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
CH Unspoken
CH Unspoken is a Zimbabwean-born artist based in Edinburgh, Scotland, known for blending Afroswing, Afrobeats, hip-hop, and melodic rap into a distinctive sound. Since emerging with his early releases, he has continued to evolve across genres while staying true to authentic storytelling and infectious rhythms. With projects including Unspoken and recent singles such as Adeola, MOTION, and the KILLA EP, CH Unspoken is building a growing reputation as a versatile artist with a global sound and undeniable energy.
Ladé
ladé is a Scottish Nigerian producer and DJ whose work blends internet culture, their own cultural heritage and experimental sampling across genres. From ambient music to footwork to experimental hiphop, ladé incorporates different sonic and visual influences in their work. Ladé's project is exploring love and self growth through experimental electronic music, storytelling, and interactive technology. It reimagines how music is experienced and released, reflecting ladé’s evolution as an audiovisual artist and young woman navigating an ever changing world.
Miran
Bridging Kurdistan and Glasgow. From the heart of Kurdistan to the vibrant streets of Glasgow, I am an artist on a definitive mission. When I arrived in Scotland in 2023, I discovered a powerful dual purpose in hip-hop: I use the rhythm and rhyme of rap not only to master the English language but to bridge two worlds. My music is a compelling sonic tapestry, seamlessly weaving the rich cultural heritage and storytelling of my homeland with the raw, gritty energy of the modern Scottish rap scene.
Limonead
Scottish Gaelic Hiphop-Rap-Pop
Gee
Gee, a hip-hop artist from Ayrshire, Scotland. Since dropping “IYKYK” in April 2026 I’ve put out nine singles and several music videos. My music stays honest with real life storytelling about struggle, personal battles, growth and resilience from someone who’s lived it and is still figuring it out. My project is to produce an industry level music video for my track “I Remember”, taking listeners through ages 13-21 of my life and the progress, lessons and reflection that followed. This is a clear step up from previous work, with a professional videographer, high quality mix and filming across three locations for a more complete viewing experience.
Emma Ready
Emma Ready has been at the forefront of the breaking scene in Scotland for over two decades, has a deep knowledge of Hip Hop and breaking culture and brings a wealth of teaching experience. Emma Ready and Tesko will create an educational resource that will help breakers to develop musicality skills, understanding of rhythm and to explore the relationship between music and movement. They will produce video tutorials and a document with practical exercises that support breakers and breaking teachers to understand music more deeply.
Jay Lee
Jay Ern Lee is a Glasgow-based dance artist specialising in Whacking and Popping. He is active in the UK street dance scene through battles, performances and teaching. His work has taken him across the UK and internationally, while he continues to grow as an artist and contribute to Scotland’s developing Whacking community. Jay Ern Lee will undertake international professional development in Whacking, travelling to Thessaloniki to train, compete and connect with the wider dance community. The project will develop his artistic practice through international exchange and bring new knowledge and experiences back to Scotland, shared through free community workshops with local dancers.
RamZee
RamZee is a Glasgow based rapper and spoken word artist. You can always catch her out and about in the city at gigs or showcases. Making moves in the underground scene, she is known for her witty wordplay, clear flows and clever lyricism. The funding will go towards creating a song and music video for my upcoming album. The money will go towards studio time, mixing, mastering, editing, local videographers, promotion and distributing.
Juily Chen
Juily Chen is a Glasgow-based Chinese dance artist rooted in krump, Hip Hop and street dance. Working across freestyle, performance and theatre, she explores pressure, identity, displacement and belonging, while developing a practice that connects cypher/session culture with contemporary stage-making. Quagmire is a solo Hip Hop theatre work rooted in krump, contemporary, freestyle and street dance. This development will use studio research, outside-eye collaboration and community sharing to explore how cypher/session energy, character and emotional intensity can become a theatrical language without losing their connection to Hip Hop community practice.
Eufragio
Eufragio is a Mozambican-born, Portuguese rapper, author, and composer living in the Scottish Highlands. Blending conscious hip-hop with African, Scottish, and jazz influences, he creates philosophical music exploring ethics, identity, and community. His work combines storytelling with cultural exchange, offering a distinctive voice within Scotland’s contemporary hip-hop landscape. "Together as One" is a collaborative music project that blends conscious hip-hop with Highland folk music. Written by Eufragio and produced by Nick Turner and the young Highland band Sealladh, the song explores themes of mental wellbeing, social isolation, and human connection.
Andrew Mackenzie
This funding will support the completion of my six-track EP, "Moving On." The bursary will cover the recording of the final 5 tracks, professional mixing and mastering to bring the project to a release-ready standard. Funding will also support the production of a music video for the lead single, helping promote the EP and reach new audiences. Completing this project will mark a significant step in my development as an artist, giving me a polished body of work to build my profile and create opportunities within the Scottish hip hop scene.
Erin Friel
She's got bars, is a female led music project that will bring together women from Scotland's hip-hop community to collaboratively write, record and release an original single that celebrates female creativity, resilience and representation within the genre.The project will provide a platform for female rappers, vocalists, producers and creatives to collaborate, develop new work and increase the visibility of women in Scotland's music scene.
Karim
To expand my opportunities in music. I'm in care and it's not the best place to be for a young musician to develop as i have limited access to a computer to create my tunes and produce. The bursary will cover costs for a laptop pc, a microphone an audio interface and headphones, and FL Studio software producer edition.
Arria
A 6 week course for teenage kids to learn core skills in rap, creating rich lyrical content and catchy choruses and producing their own backing tracks using a DAW and samples. The group will produce a small EP featuring individual and group material from the workshops which will be uploaded onto Youtube/Spotify under their own band name. The activities aim to develop skills in articulating personal experiences and perspectives, as well as critical and imaginative thinking - breaking away from rap stereotypes and cultivating authenticity. The aim is to foster a sense of empowerment through well crafted words - being able to entertain as well as channel frustrations or interests towards their own situation/environment/political/cultural placement. The workshops focus on team work, inclusion and using rap, writing, technology and performance skills to broaden both their own thinking and those they perform to and with.
Kiki Olapado
Route is an ongoing hip hop theatre production exploring migration, cultural identity and belonging through a reversed historical lens. This bursary will support a period of creative development, rehearsal and research to further refine the work, pay collaborating dancers, and test new choreographic material. The project will strengthen the artistic quality of the piece while creating opportunities to share Route with wider audiences across Scotland through performances, scratch presentations and networking opportunities.
Rana Marathon
I am creating a four-track hip hop EP and two accompanying music videos. The project will involve commissioning four original beats, recording vocals, professional mixing and mastering, and producing visual content to support the release. The EP tells the story of my journey as a single mother from a council estate who returned to education later in life, overcame significant personal loss, and built a successful business. The project will support my artistic development while increasing representation of working-class women and single parents within Scottish hip hop.
Stefani
A dance film that showcases hip hop dancers from across Glasgow and Edinburgh, highlighting their individual styles while bringing them together in a collaborative choreographic work. The project aims to celebrate the diversity of Scotland’s Hip Hop dance community and foster new creative connections between artists who have not previously had the opportunity to work together. The film will feature music by a lesser-known UK-based artist, strengthening its connection to the culture of Hip Hop while supporting emerging creative talent.
Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026
SUNNY GOVAN COMMUNITY RADIO ANNOUNCES SCOTTISH HIP HOP BURSARY 2026 AWARDEES
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – Sunny Govan Community Radio, in partnership with UP2STNDRD and 644 Studios, is proud to announce the 17 successful awardees of the Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026.
With support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, the bursary programme has awarded grants of up to £1,500, alongside tailored professional mentoring, studio resources, broadcast exposure and development opportunities.
The Scottish Hip Hop Bursary was created to remove financial and structural barriers that can prevent artists and culture-builders from developing their work and progressing their careers.
This year’s awardees represent a broad range of Scotland’s Hip Hop culture, including rappers, producers, DJs, dancers, educators, theatre-makers, filmmakers and community organisers.
Selected through a highly competitive open call, the 17 awardees were chosen for the quality of their ideas, their commitment to their creative practice and their contribution to the continued growth of Hip Hop culture in Scotland.
The 2026 bursary will support a wide range of creative projects, including:
-
Recording and music releases:
Supporting artists and producers to write, record, mix, master and release new original music.
-
Visual arts and film:
Funding music videos, dance films and original multimedia projects.
-
Dance and movement:
Supporting dancers and collectives to develop Hip Hop theatre, create educational resources and access specialist training and masterclasses.
-
Professional development and research:
Providing artists, producers and culture-builders with equipment, technical training and research and development time to test new creative ideas.
In addition to financial support, awardees will receive one-to-one professional mentoring from Sunny Govan Community Radio, UP2STNDRD and 644 Studios. They will also have opportunities to share and promote their work through radio, digital platforms and future Hip Hop events.
Steven Gilfoyle, Development Manager at Sunny Govan Community Radio, said:
“Scottish Hip Hop is full of talented and dedicated people, but too often a lack of money, equipment, space and professional support stops strong ideas from moving forward.
“This bursary is about removing some of those barriers and giving artists and culture-builders the chance to develop their work properly. The range of projects supported this year shows the creativity, ambition and diversity of Hip Hop across Scotland, and we are excited to help each awardee take the next step.”
Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026 Awardees
-
Charlon Ndebele – £1,500 for a creative development project combining music creation, listening events and networking.
-
Andrew MacKenzie – £1,488 to complete a six-track EP.
-
Emma Ready – £1,466 to create an educational resource helping breakers develop their musicality skills.
-
Erin Friel – £1,500 to bring together women from Scotland’s Hip Hop community to collaboratively write, record and release an original single.
-
Eufragio Manguele – £1,500 for a collaborative music project blending conscious Hip Hop with Highland folk music.
-
Graham Shield – £1,250 to create a new music video.
-
Jay Lee – £1,000 to attend workshops and battle events in Amsterdam.
-
Juily Chen – £1,039 for a three-month, Glasgow-based Hip Hop theatre development process for a solo performance.
-
Karim Lahmamsi – £928 to purchase recording equipment and support the creation and production of new music.
-
Kiki Olapado – £1,480 for a period of creative development, rehearsal and research to further refine an ongoing Hip Hop theatre production.
-
Kirsty Heggie – £1,500 to deliver a six-week course teaching young people core rap skills.
-
Ladé Sheriki – £1,220 for a multimedia project exploring love through music, audiovisual installation and a digital archive.
-
Miran Mohammedi – £892 for a laptop, microphone, audio interface and headphones to support the creation and production of new music.
-
Natalie Ramsay – £1,260 to release a single and create an accompanying music video.
-
Rana Marathon – £1,500 to create a four-track Hip Hop EP and two accompanying music videos.
-
Sinead Swann – £1,200 for a reliable live performance and production setup to support confirmed 2026 festival appearances.
-
Stefani Chertsova – £1,325 to create a dance film showcasing Hip Hop dancers from across Glasgow and Edinburgh.
To learn more about the Scottish Hip Hop Bursary and follow the awardees’ projects, visit:
www.sunnyg.org/hip-hop-bursary-2026
Media Contact
Steven Gilfoyle
Development Manager
Sunny Govan Community Radio
Email: steg@sunnyg.org
Phone: 0141 445 3741
Website: www.sunnyg.org
Notes to Editors
The Scottish Hip Hop Bursary 2026 is delivered by Sunny Govan Community Radio in partnership with UP2STNDRD and 644 Studios, with support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow Creative Scotland on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.