Celebrating creativity no.249 - Punch Records and Rich Castillo Announce First Cohort of A&R Academy Participants

Celebrating creativity no.249

Punch Records and Rich Castillo Announce First Cohort of A&R Academy Participants

12 emerging music professionals selected from across the UK

Punch Records, in partnership with leading A&R executive Rich Castillo are delighted to announce the successful applicants selected for the inaugural A&R Academy.

The innovative talent development programme is designed to widen access to A&R careers, increase representation across the talent pipeline, and ensure the sector continues to benefit from fresh perspectives, new ideas and culturally connected voices within one of the music industry's most influential professions.

Following a highly competitive national application process, 12 participants have been
selected from hundreds of aspiring applicants across the UK. The cohort represents a diverse cross-section of emerging talent and includes a majority female intake, with seven women and five men selected for the programme.

The successful participants are:

• Bradley Bolton (20) - Surrey
• Shanon Chang (21) - London
• Louis Crowley (25) - London
• Sean Deacon (23) - Birmingham
• Louis Double (22) - Essex
• Shaziah Gordan (23) - Northampton
• Raveena Jassal (32) - Birmingham
• Lucy Major (23) - London
• Anais Rimaud (25) - London
• Ciara Rushe (26) - London
• Tallulah Tocher (18) - Surrey
• Ross Walter (26) – Coventry

Launched at the start of summer, the A&R Academy represents a major investment in the people who will shape the next decade of artist discovery and development. The eight-week programme will commence this month and aims to provide participants with hands-on training in talent scouting, artist development, branding, marketing, digital strategy and label operations, alongside direct access to industry professionals and live music experiences.

Rich Castillo, music industry executive and founder of LionBear Music Group, said: "The quality of applications was incredibly high, which made the selection process both exciting and challenging. What stood out was the depth of passion, knowledge and instinct for music coming through from applicants across the country. A&R remains one of the most important roles in the industry because it's about identifying and nurturing talent, shaping careers and ultimately helping define culture. We're excited to welcome this first cohort and look forward to helping them develop the skills and confidence needed to build successful careers in A&R."

Ammo Talwar MBE, CEO and Founder of Punch, said: "We're excited to announce the first A&R Academy cohort. The response exceeded all expectations and demonstrated a real appetite among young people to build careers in A&R and artist development. We're particularly pleased to see a majority female cohort, helping to address historic imbalances in parts of the music industry. These participants represent the future of music discovery and development, and we're proud to be creating meaningful pathways that open doors to long-term careers in the sector."

Sannah Sajid, Head of Campaigns at Punch, said: "The calibre of applications showed just how much untapped talent exists across the UK. The A&R Academy was created to break down barriers and provide clearer routes into the industry, and this cohort embodies exactly what we hoped to achieve. The fact that most of the participants are women is especially encouraging and reflects the changing face of music industry talent. We're excited to support them as they begin their journey and help shape a more representative future for A&R."

Throughout the programme, participants will work with industry leaders, attend key music events, build professional networks and develop the practical skills required to discover, support and champion new artists. The Academy will culminate in a final pitch event, where participants present an artist they believe in to a panel of music industry professionals.

The A&R Academy forms part of Punch's ongoing commitment to increasing access,
representation and opportunity across the music industry, while helping build a stronger and more diverse pipeline of future A&R talent.

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