Ezra Collective grew from a London youth club jazz band into Mercury Prize winners – a journey powered by community and funding support. Their story proves that even in a niche genre, the right funding at the right time can catapult artists to mainstream success.

Intro

Ezra Collective are a five-piece jazz ensemble who in recent years have achieved what no UK jazz act had done before: winning the Mercury Prize (2023) and even taking home a BRIT Award for Group of the Year (2025). It’s a remarkable leap for a band that started jamming in a youth program. How did they get from local jam sessions to the Brits stage? Alongside talent and hard work, one answer is strategic funding and industry support. This case study explores how PRS Foundation grants and showcase opportunities helped Ezra Collective break new ground – and what independent musicians can learn from it.

“This moment right here is because of the great youth clubs and the great teachers and the great schools that support young people playing music.”– Femi Koleoso, drummer of Ezra Collective, BRIT Awards 2025

Background & Challenge

Ezra Collective formed in 2012 through Tomorrow’s Warriors, a London youth jazz programe. The band – drummer Femi Koleoso and his brother TJ on bass, with Joe Armon-Jones (keys), James Mollison (sax), and Ife Ogunjobi (trumpet) – bonded over a love of jazz mixed with Afrobeat, hip-hop, and other genres. Early on, they faced a tough question: how do young jazz musicians find their place in a music industry that often overlooks jazz? Ezra Collective saw that jazz could be perceived as “an elite art form” that felt inaccessible to kids like them. They were determined to change that.

In their teens, the band built a following playing London clubs and festivals, bringing a fresh energy that attracted both jazz aficionados and new listeners. Still, as an independent group, they confronted practical challenges. A five-member band has considerable costs – instruments, travel, studio time – and jazz doesn’t typically get the commercial push that pop acts do. Breaking through would require not just musical innovation, but resources and exposure beyond what their grassroots network could provide.

Funding Support

Key opportunities arrived via PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading music funding charity. In 2017, Ezra Collective was selected for the Momentum Music Fund, a grant program for talented artists ready to reach the next level (PRS Foundation, 2017). This fund (supported by PRS Foundation, PPL and partners) awards £5k–£15k to help cover recording, touring and marketing costs. For Ezra Collective, the Momentum grant came at a perfect time – it enabled them to record new material and expand their touring footprint just as buzz around the band was growing (PRS Foundation, 2017). Gaining this financial boost meant they could focus on honing their debut album and live show without worrying about how to pay for the next project.

Soon after, PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund (ISF) helped the band take an even bigger leap. In 2018, Ezra Collective received ISF support to perform at SXSW in Austin, Texas, as part of a showcase of emerging UK jazz talent (PRS Foundation, 2018). International showcases are music industry events where new artists play for global audiences, including festivals like SXSW. They’re crucial for networking and press – but flying a whole band overseas is expensive. ISF grants cover travel and accommodation so that artists can seize these opportunities. In Ezra Collective’s case, PRS Foundation teamed up with BBC Music Introducing to present a special UK jazz night at SXSW, where the band thrilled new audiences and industry figures in the US (LPR, 2019). This exposure laid the groundwork for future international tours.

Individual band members also benefited from targeted support. Femi Koleoso (Ezra’s drummer and bandleader) won the Steve Reid Innovation Award in 2016 (PRS Foundation, 2023) a talent development bursary for emerging artists. Through this, he received mentorship and funding to experiment and grow as a musician – growth that fed back into Ezra Collective’s evolution. It’s a great reminder that funding isn’t only about big grants; small awards and mentorship programs can also make a difference in a young artist’s journey.

In summary, PRS Foundation “further backed” Ezra Collective at pivotal moments with: Momentum funding to scale up their album production and touring, and Showcase funding (with BBC Introducing) to reach new markets overseas (PRS Foundation, 2018). Armed with these opportunities, the band built a bridge from the UK underground to the global stage while remaining true to their collaborative, jazz-rooted spirit.

Impact

The results speak volumes. With their debut album and subsequent releases supported by these initiatives, Ezra Collective rapidly ascended from niche act to nationally acclaimed artists. In 2023, their second album Where I’m Meant To Be won the coveted Mercury Prize, making Ezra Collective the first ever jazz act to win in the award’s 31-year history. This was a groundbreaking moment not just for the band but for UK jazz as a whole. It validated years of work by the band and the organisations that had supported them – in fact, Ezra Collective became the second Momentum-funded artist in a row (after Little Simz) to win the Mercury Prize (PPLUK, 2025).

The following year, the group achieved another milestone by winning Group of the Year at the 2025 BRIT Awards, again as the first jazz band to do so. Consider that for a moment: a largely instrumental jazz ensemble sharing a stage with pop and rock superstars and taking home a top award. It underscores how far their reach had grown. Their 2024 album Dance, No One’s Watching even cracked the UK Top 10 charts – a remarkable feat for an independent jazz release. The band also sold out London’s iconic Wembley Arena in 2024, another first for their genre. These achievements aren’t just trophies; they represent a widening of what is possible for independent, genre-blending artists.

Crucially, Ezra Collective’s rise has been about more than awards. They’ve inspired a renaissance in the UK jazz scene, encouraging young musicians to follow in their footsteps. The band often credits the support of community programs and funding for their success, emphasizing that their journey is “a special moment for every single organisation… ploughing efforts and time into young people playing music”prsformusic.com. In other words, their victory is shared with the networks of mentors, funders and fans who believed in them. By leveraging those networks, Ezra Collective turned financial support and mentorship into a sustainable, flourishing career.

Lessons for Other Creatives

• Think beyond your genre’s limits: Ezra Collective didn’t accept that jazz had to stay underground. They combined genres and sought mainstream platforms. Whatever your niche, aim high – the right support can help you break through perceived barriers. 
• Use funding to build momentum: Target grants that match your next career stage. Early on, Ezra Collective used a Momentum Fund grant to finance touring and recording when they needed a boost to reach wider audiences (LPR, 2019) Identify what will level up your career (be it a first album, better equipment, or travel to a key event) and seek funding for that purpose. 
• Take your show on the road (with help): Playing international showcases or tours can hugely expand your network. Programs like the International Showcase Fund exist to help cover those travel costs. Don’t let money stop you from saying “yes” to that big festival invite – look for grants or showcase opportunities to get you there. 
• Build on community support: The band’s quote above about youth clubs and teachers is telling – local and national support structures matter. Engage with artist development schemes, workshops, and community initiatives. They not only improve your skills but can connect you to funding opportunities (Ezra Collective’s start at Tomorrow’s Warriors led to later support). 
• Stay true to collaboration: Finally, remember that no artist is an island. Ezra Collective’s journey was fueled by collaboration – between band members, mentors, and funders. Nurture your relationships in the creative community. A recommendation or partnership can open doors to funding that you might not find alone.
  
  

Whats next

Ezra Collective’s success shows that with talent and support, independent artists can rewrite the rulebook. What could funding do for your creative project? GrantFunderUK is here to help you find out. We offer free resources to guide UK creatives in discovering grants, bursaries, and funds tailored to their needs. Whether you’re a band looking to tour or a solo artist ready to record, our tools and articles will empower you to take that next step. Don’t wait for opportunity to knock – go ahead and unlock it. Visit GrantFunderUK to jumpstart your funding journey and turn your musical dreams into reality. Your breakthrough could be one grant away!