LIMF Academy celebrates 10 year anniversary

LIMF Academy, Liverpool City Council’s pioneering music talent development programme, is marking its 10th anniversary with the release of a landmark impact report that highlights a decade of nurturing the city region’s most exciting emerging music creators.

Founded in 2014 as part of Liverpool International Music Festival to showcase local talent, the Academy has become a vital part of Liverpool’s music ecosystem, bringing together creative development, industry access, personal growth and performance opportunities.

To date it has supported over 200 young artists, delivered more than 400 hours of professional expertise, and created over 220 workshops and teaching sessions – all free to the participants.

The report, which has been produced by an independent music consultant, reveals that:

79.7 per cent of alumni are maintaining careers in the music industry
39.1 per cent have gained professional representation
24.6 per cent of alumni have signed with a record label, a label service or gone on to have distribution and marketing deals
Alumni average over 19,500 monthly Spotify plays – nine times more than non-Academy peers

It also outlines the Academy’s commitment to diversity, with 34.9 per cent of participants identifying as non-white and 44.1 per cent as non-male.

It highlights the success of initiatives such as LIMF Academy Orchestrated – a collaborative performance project that pairs LIMF Academy artists with the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra to reinterpret original music in a live orchestral setting, creating a powerful fusion of genres and showcasing emerging talent on a prestigious stage.

Some of the LIMF Academy alumni include:

Jalen Ngonda, 2015/16 cohort – hailing from Maryland, USA, Jalen chose to make Liverpool his home, and it was in the city where he would flourish as a musician. Now a prolific singer-songwriter he has received global critical acclaim and caught the attention of the likes of Snoop Dogg, Olivia Dean and Elton John.

Ni Maxine, 2021/22 cohort – this neo-jazz singer-songwriter has had sold-out shows from Liverpool to London, has won a Youth Music Award for Best Original Track and has performed alongside Corinne Bailey Rae and Laura Mvula.

KOJ, 2018/19 cohort – gaining the reputation as one of UK rap’s rising stars, KOJ is creating huge industry buzz, and with his acclaimed debut EP, he has attracted even more attention and gained a larger fanbase.

Michael Aldag, 2020/21 cohort – one of the UK’s most exciting singer-songwriters with an enormous online audience, Michael has had three sold-out headline tours and has numerous toured around Europe.

Jazmine Johnson, 2024/25 cohort – as well as gaining more than ten million worldwide streams from her debut collaboration with Netsky, Jazmine has a publishing deal with Ultra – one of the biggest dance labels around, and is due to play in her first London show very soon.

Mandela Week — Ni Maxine at Africa Oyé (Credit: Mark McNulty)

Yaw Owusu, LIMF Academy’s founder and Creative Director, said:

“This programme was built to break down barriers—financial, social, and structural—and to give young music creators the tools, knowledge, and confidence to thrive. This report is a celebration of their journeys and a call to continue investing in the future of music.”

LIMF Academy alumni from 2021/22, Ni Maxine, said:

“Being part of the Academy boosted my confidence and made me believe that I could have a career in the music industry. I applied because I wanted to gain a better understanding of the music industry, build my network to lay a strong foundation for my career and develop as an artist within a safe infrastructure. Funding supported me to work towards my goals. Working with a producer that I was introduced to through a production workshop taught me A LOT about the industry – particularly the major label space.”

The full report can be downloaded from the Culture Liverpool website.

To celebrate a decade of the award-winning LIMF Academy – from 6pm on Wednesday (30 July) the LIMF Academy alumni will head to Scale Liverpool (Kempston Street) for an evening of performances and to officially launch the impact report as well as a special, commemorative book. Only a few FREE tickets remain for the event, which are still available on the Eventbrite website.