BRIT Trust Diaries: Dr Jo Twist OBE on her first year as BPI CEO

In this edition of the BRIT Trust Diaries, we hear from Dr Jo Twist OBE, now a year into her role as CEO of the BPI, who reflects on the power of the BRITs brand and in particular the symbiotic relationship that exists between the awards, the BRIT Trust and the BRIT School to support the music ecosystem and its talent… 

The moment it really hit me that I was well and truly working in the music industry was when I attended my first BRIT Awards as the BPI’s CEO in March. I’ve always been a huge fan of the show and its many iconic  moments that are now part of our popular culture, so to witness it first-hand was both humbling and a real privilege. 

The staging and artistry on such evident display was simply breathtaking. As a woman, it felt incredibly empowering and emotional. Exactly what our art is about.  Most of all, it gave us all a wonderful snapshot of exciting new British music that is thriving in all its rich diversity together with the world-class creative production and technical skills that showcased it. 

The event, which has now been viewed well over two billion times across Meta social channels, confirmed the arrival of a brilliant new generation that is taking its place alongside such stars as Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding and Becky Hill, including BRITs Rising recipients The Last Dinner Party, Group of the Year Jungle and, of course, Raye, who claimed a record six trophies, including the blue riband hat-trick of Artist, Album and Song of the Year.  It was wonderful to see her truly human artistry recognised in such a resounding way. 

Coming from the games industry – itself a place where magic is created – I have always been aware of the particular and un-matched power of music to elicit wonderful emotions and to improve lives, but seeing it this close up, its ability to inspire and move is even more potent.

If I had to pick just one moment from the many that were memorably on offer, it has to be when a clearly disbelieving Raye received the Artist of the Year Award – her sixth on the night – from her former school principal, the equally inspirational Stuart Worden, who has now spent three decades with The BRIT School in Croydon. To borrow from our valued BRIT Awards partners of 26 years, Mastercard, it was “priceless”. 

This supremely touching moment helped to bring into sharp focus the very special bond that clearly exists between The BRIT Awards, its charity the BRIT Trust and the main cause it supports in turn, The BRIT School – as well as with so many other brilliant causes that promote education and wellbeing through music, including, music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins, as well as Music Support, Key4Life and many others.

Much of the near £30 million distributed by the BRIT Trust to hundreds of causes since its creation by record labels and the BPI in 1989 has come from the BRIT Awards, and over half of this has gone directly to The BRIT School to support its world class teaching and extra curricular activities, helping it ensure that it remains free to attend. The School has rewarded The BRIT Awards and British music back in turn by generating sales of more than 250 million albums, or their equivalent, and billions of streams, as well as providing over 20 BRIT Awards winners. Undisputably, there is a symbiotic relationship between the Awards, the Trust and the School that in turn also feeds into and supports our wider music ecosystem.  

The BRIT School is not solely about the artists or music, however. Thousands of its students and alumni have been involved working on and performing in The BRIT Awards down the years, from graduates working as production runners, technical crew, musicians, dancers, choreographers and in choirs, giving them professional show experience to build their portfolios for meaningful careers in the creative industries. It underscores the vital importance of music and creative arts education, and the critical role that the school, together with East London Arts & Music (ELAM) and other places of specialist support and learning play in helping to supply the talented artists whom our BPI record label members are able to sign, nurture and then help realise their creative potential as UK and global talent. This in turn underpins the international success of British music and is a source of our cultural power. 

As British music and our creative industries more generally come under increasing pressure globally, we need to do more as an industry to support music and creative education; and also to tap into more talent with creative potential across the country. It is for this reason the BPI drew inspiration from the success of the BRIT School and ELAM and bid to open a new specialist creative school in Bradford, West Yorkshire. 

The more we support The BRIT Awards, The BRIT Trust and the BRIT School and the special relationship that exists between them, the more we can also support our wider and increasingly essential ambitions for British music and for our industry.