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.