BRIT Trust Diaries: Janine Irons OBE from Tomorrow's Warriors

In this March 2026 edition of the BRIT Trust Diaries with Music Week, Janine Irons OBE, Co-Founder and CEO of Tomorrow’s Warriors, explains the origins and mission of the talent development organisation and charity, which works to champion and empower jazz talent from the grassroots upwards, and this year celebrates its 35th anniversary.

In 1991, Dr Gary Crosby OBE and I shared a vision for a better future for young, nascent talent from diverse and often challenging backgrounds – jazz musicians at the very dawn of their artistic journeys, when they are most vulnerable to being marginalised, undervalued or ignored.

Tomorrow’s Warriors was conceived at the very grassroots of the music industry – at the start of the talent pipeline, the critical entry point. It is the very core of why we exist. By giving young people without the socio-economic means access to free, high-quality music education and structured opportunities to develop their artistry through our free-to-access Learning and Development Programmes, we are able to incubate and elevate artists across the spectrum - from emerging talent to world-class performers.

Thirty-five years ago in the UK, there was no home for young British jazz musicians from diverse backgrounds to learn their craft and hone their skills. No organisation that truly understood their lived experiences. No infrastructure to support and develop homegrown talent. No safe space to experiment, to fail, to grow, or to be mentored by those who had walked the path before them. And, certainly, no organisation offering all of this for free. From this determination, Tomorrow’s Warriors was born.

This year, as we celebrate our 35th anniversary, what began as a Black-led grassroots intervention has grown into a pioneering jazz talent development organisation, creative producer, music educator, charity and consultancy of national and international significance, and with 63 awards for excellence. 

We have now reached over 20,000 young people aged 11–25, providing those on our free-to-access, award-winning Young Artist Development Programme with between 1,000 and 5,000 hours of free, artist-led jazz training and personal development.

Time and again, we witness the transformational impact of free tuition, authentic mentorship and meaningful performance opportunities. Our alumni have gone on to headline major festivals and venues nationally and internationally, earning innumerable accolades along the way.

Ezra Collective, who emerged from our Youth Ensemble, represents a living example of what is possible through Tomorrow’s Warriors’ programmes. They made history as the first jazz group to win the Mercury Prize in 2023, followed by a BRIT Award for Best Group – a milestone that underscores our ability to nurture talent from grassroots development to the global stage.

Ezra Collective’s bandleader, Femi Koleoso, is now one of our recently announced inaugural Patrons. Femi has spoken powerfully about his experience: “Tomorrow’s Warriors was a community and space that helped me grow in more than just music. It was a place where you turn up and get to be yourself. Becoming a Patron is all about being able to give the next generation more space and opportunities to express themselves creatively.”

As we mark this milestone year, we have been proud to announce 12 inaugural Patrons whose appointments speak to equity and justice, cultural transformation and business innovation. Alongside Femi, fellow Alumni artists ESKA and Moses Boyd join us as Patrons, as well as distinguished figures including Baroness Amos, Margaret Busby, Nick Hornby, Guy Chambers and Robert Elms, and their advocacy not only strengthens our mission but signals the breadth of belief in what Tomorrow’s Warriors represents.

Our core free programme reaches young musicians aged 11-25 and, beyond this, our outreach work extends into schools and the wider community. With free music provision in schools on its knees, our outreach role has been more critical than ever in partnering with schools and Music Hubs across London and nationwide, and has seen pupils, who would otherwise be locked out of development opportunities, flourish into professional training and emerging artist careers. 

As a Resident Organisation at the Southbank Centre, we deliver our free Young Artist Development Programme to 120 school and college-age musicians each week, more than 75% of whom are from Global Majority backgrounds. Through our Emerging Artist Programme, we present over 200 performances annually to audiences of 30,000+. Our Emerging Artists receive mentoring, performance opportunities, training, traineeships, talks, masterclasses, and bursaries to support them into professional careers. We are also a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and a member of the PRS Foundation Talent Development Network.

Crucially, the funding from the BRIT Trust will provide year-long dedicated support for 40 young people on the Standards and Jazz Hang strands within our Young Artist Development Programme. As a result of this industry specialist weekly tuition and mentoring, many will go on to perform in flagship ensembles, the majority will develop their musicianship towards professional training, and all will have cemented the value of their self-expression. Funding support for our programme enables us to sustain and futureproof the talent pipeline, nurturing young musicians and ensuring that Black and female artists, and those facing socio-economic barriers, have equitable access to professional careers in music.

Programmes like ours are not just about music. They are about equity, representation and meaningful change. With support from the BRIT Trust, we will accelerate our mission: to champion the next generation of jazz musicians and creative leaders, to build a richly diverse music industry from the ground up, and to ensure that every young person who walks through our doors has the space, support and belief to discover their magic and thrive.

Visit their website to learn more about the work of Tomorrow’s Warriors.