Overnight, Youtube announced the recipients of their first Black Voices Fund – a worldwide, multi-year commitment that will see the platform working to grow and centre Black creators and artists through a number of initiatives. Youtube launched the $100 million fund back in October.
Long term, Youtube is planning to directly invest in 500 creators by the end of 2023. They’re hoping to give Black creators the resources they need to succeed on the platform.
The fund’s inaugural year will see the platform investing in narratives that “emphasize the intellectual power, authenticity, dignity, and joy of Black voices”.
Youtube have announced the fund’s first grant recipients, with 132 creators, including 21 musicians, from across the globe receiving some support from the platform.
There are three Australian artists copping some of that sweet mulah, with Tkay Maidza, Jerome Farah and Miiesha on board.
This means that they’ll cop some dedicated partner support from the platform, with funding being put into the development of their channels – this means funding for things like hiring a video editor. They’ll also have access to some specialised training and networking programs too.
It’s a massive fund that is arguably one of the biggest of its kind and hopefully, it means we’ll get to see some killer content from these three sometime soon.
