IWMS
International Women’s Music Showcase
Live stages, mentoring and artist development for emerging women in music.
First edition held on
28 May 2026
21SOHO, London
About the showcase
The International Women’s Music Showcase champions underrepresented voices in music: emerging women and non-binary artists who write and perform their own material and are based in the UK.
The showcase is international in make-up. Music in Britain is made by people of every background, and our stage is open to artists of any nationality who live and work here. International artists face more barriers, from relocation to adaptation and access to the industry, so a platform and real support matter all the more.
IWMS is more than a stage. It is a development programme that combines live showcases, industry networking, online masterclasses and hands-on artist development, so that artists can be seen, build industry connections and grow their craft, whatever their budget or starting resources.
IWMS is created and run by Muscreators, a UK-based music platform and community that helps emerging artists reach new audiences and develop their careers.
Why it matters
According to USC Annenberg (2025), women make up just 36.1% of artists, 14.5% of songwriters and 4.4% of producers. The stage, the mentoring and the professional development that would change this are still missing for most emerging women in music. IWMS exists to build exactly that.
How it works
IWMS is a series of showcases with a built-in competitive element, wrapped around a learning programme. At the selection rounds the audience votes; in the final, the audience vote is joined by the assessment of invited industry experts. The strongest acts go through, and across the season every participant takes part in masterclasses and development.
The season runs from February to September and combines showcases, masterclasses and studio work:
February
open call for the new season; applications and additional intake.
First masterclass
online training with an industry expert to open the programme.
March
first showcase.
Second masterclass
online training between the showcases.
April
second showcase, plus the third masterclass.
May
grand final in London.
June–July
artist development with the winner, including studio recording of a new track.
August–September
release and promotion campaign for the winner’s track.
Masterclasses
Learning sits at the heart of IWMS. Across the season we run online masterclasses led by music-industry experts, covering production, release, promotion and career development, open to every artist in the programme.
If you work in the industry and would like to deliver an online masterclass for emerging artists, we would love to hear from you.
What the artists receive
The grand-final winner moves into a full development phase with us: a professionally produced track recorded with British producers Dave Landers and Jo Perry, whose work has been played on BBC Radio 1 and KISS FM, followed by artist development and a promotion campaign for the release.
The first edition
On 28 May 2026 at 21SOHO in London, seven emerging artists across a range of genres performed live for industry professionals, media and international partners.
170+
applications
7
artists on stage
3
progressed
~100
in the audience
11,148
accounts reached
18,648
views
10+
media outlets
Hosted by
MAR’YA
A Ukrainian singer-songwriter, frontwoman of AMARIIA and a semi-finalist of the Eurovision national selection.
On stage
Jade Ross
Soul-pop singer-songwriter and guitarist with honest, storytelling-led songs.
Dolly Doops
Queer-femme artist and producer making indie and synth-pop with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and upbeat grooves.
Mia Reed
Indie-folk-pop singer-songwriter from West Sussex and a Yamaha 2026 Ambassador finalist.
Nati Gaile
Folk vocalist fusing traditional Ukrainian melodies with jazz and contemporary styles.
Grace Alyson
Alt and blues-pop singer, producer and mixing engineer with a distinctive electronic edge.
Khensanii
South African alternative artist with classical and jazz roots.
April Amstadam
London-based neo-soul, soul and R&B singer-songwriter and spoken-word artist.
Who progressed
Khensanii received the Audience Choice Award; Dolly Doops and Jade Ross were the organisers’ picks.
Media
The first edition was covered and shared across the industry, all organically, without paid promotion.
Covered by: United Action TV, the first Ukrainian television channel in the UK, with a full report and interviews from the evening; and media outlets Sonic Hub and Radar Network.
Shared and championed by: Melita Dennett (BBC Introducing Brighton) and PRS, who supported the showcase in their stories.
The team
Olha Bilozir, founder and CEO of Muscreators, organiser of one of the largest music festivals in Eastern Europe. Currently studying Music Business Management at LCCM in London.
Maria Arkhipova (MAR’YA), host of the showcase, a Ukrainian singer-songwriter, frontwoman of AMARIIA and a semi-finalist of the Eurovision national selection. Project Manager and co-founder of the project.
Producers The Qworkz, Dave Landers and Jo Perry: credits include Stooshe (“Black Heart”), The X Factor and The Voice UK, with airplay on BBC Radio 1/2 and KISS FM.
Partnership
Would you like to become involved in supporting emerging artists with us? We welcome partners, media and industry experts to deliver our masterclasses. We would be glad to hear from you: hello@muscreators.com
FAQ
Who can take part?
Emerging women and non-binary artists who are based in the UK. Any nationality; the key requirement is being based in the UK.
Do you accept international artists?
Yes. The main condition is being based in the UK. We especially welcome international artists.
Are there genre restrictions?
No. We are open to artists of all genres.