A MUSIC venue in Carmarthen has been given money to help revamp it.

CWRW, the grassroots music bar, has won the Back to Live Music Venue prize of £10,000 from PRS for Music.

PRS for Music is an organisation that represents the rights of more than 160,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers across the world.

The company launched the Back to Live Music Venue Prize to provide a much-needed financial injection into grassroots venues across the UK, with six regional prizes of £10,000 on offer. CWRW is the winner of the Welsh regional prize.

Owner Michael Hilton plans to use the money to upgrade the venue lighting, add recording capabilities and create a more inclusive space so attendees with disabilities are able to access live music easier.

Mr Hilton said: “Winning PRS for Music’s Back to Live Music Venue Prize is incredible. Incentives like these are fundamentally important for grassroots venues like ours to continue to provide creative spaces for the community and emerging talent to develop their skills.

“The funds will be used to develop the audience experience, inclusion and continuing to support the next generation of artists.”

Tony Barton, head of writer support and relationships at PRS for Music, said: “Independent live music venues are pivotal within local communities, providing spaces that inspire the next generation of songwriters and performers.

“Congratulations to CWRW for keeping music at the forefront through a very difficult time.”

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Andrea Czapary Martin, CEO of PRS for Music, said: “It was obvious to the judges of the PRS for Music Back to Live Music Venue Prize that CWRW is so important to Carmarthen not only because it is the only venue in town but also because of how focused Michael Hilton and the team at CWRW are in creating a vibrant community music space. We’re proud to find ways to support local music venues across the UK.”  

The funds will hopefully allow for an increase in live music across the UK after covid-19’s impact saw an 84 per cent decline in the number of live performance setlists reported to PRS for Music – falling from 124,000 in 2019 to just 19,300 in 2021.