Tareic Alphonse announced as Westminster’s seventh and final Richard Antwi Scholar

The Richard Antwi Scholarship, which was established in 2016, aims to provide full support to a student on the Music Business Management MA course at the University of Westminster. It is dedicated to building a more inclusive and equitable pipeline for future industry leaders. As an annual award, it has established itself as a trusted progression pathway into professional careers for young, aspiring music executives from underrepresented communities.

The award is comprised of a bursary for the full course fees, a London Living Wage Stipend totalling £22,000, and mentorship and assistance with a work placement aligned to the scholar’s professional focus and aspirations. The scholarship is funded by Universal Music UK, Universal Publishing UK, Sony Music UK and Sony Music Publishing UK.

Tareic Alphonse has been immersed in the music world from a young age and was influenced by long days and evenings listening to a huge range of music, both conventional and unconventional, with friends. Growing up in London during the rise of Grime, one of the UK’s most influential music genres, had a profound impact on Tareic’s identity, teaching him what it truly means to be an East Ender. At the same time, Richard Antwi played a pivotal role in safeguarding many of these rising artists from exploitation as they navigated their newfound success in the music industry. His efforts helped protect the integrity of the scene as it gained mainstream recognition.

Tareic continued his artistic and musical journey when he joined Young Friends of the Almeida, where he had the chance to experience performing and find out more about the complexities of putting on a show and the business of the arts. With the love for the dramatic arts in full flow he was accepted to study Drama and Theatre Management at Anglia Ruskin University, becoming the first of his family to go to university. Through his studies and later work at The National Theatre, Tareic began to evolve as an artist, discovering his true calling in the behind-the-scenes work of productions and music. Following this, he became the Membership Manager at The Ivors Academy, one of Europe’s largest professional associations for music writers, a role he has held for the past five years.

Tareic moved with his mother and brother and sister from St Lucia to London when he was nine. He loved growing up in the UK and exploring the vibrant music and art scene across London, spending time at the Tate, the British Library, and The National Theatre. However, he dreams of bringing a taste of London to St Lucia and St Lucia to London. By embarking on this course, he hopes to use the valuable lessons he learns to support his passion for inspiring the next generation of St Lucians and creating a hub of music creativity and entrepreneurship, bringing opportunities and jobs for musicians across the country.

Richard Antwi was a much-loved and widely respected music manager, lawyer and entrepreneur who played a pivotal role in the careers of Wretch 32, Lethal Bizzle, Daley, Wiley, Tinie Tempah and others. His untimely death in 2016, at the age of just 38, triggered a flood of tributes from across the music industry. He regularly mentored young Black and Minority Ethnic entrepreneurs in the community and contributed to the Music Business Management MA course at the University of Westminster as a guest speaker.

Looking to the future as he embarks on the course, Tareic said: “I am so excited to learn from my classmates and from the incredible lecturers here at Westminster. It feels just the right place for me - to be at learning from the likes of Sally Anne Gross, who like Richard Antwi, who this scholarship is inspired, is very much a silent operator in the industry who wants to support those around her. That's very much what I want to do. I like being on stage and I like performing, but I don't want the spotlight being put on me. If I can create a community for people so that they can be in the spotlight and then they can flourish and they can shine, then that's enough for me.”

Sally Anne Gross, Reader in Music Business at the University of Westminster, said: “On the Music Business Management MA we are so grateful for the generosity and support from our sponsors across the UK Music Industry, especially Universal Music UK and Sony Music UK. We are so proud of the contributions the Richard Antwi Scholars are already making across the music ecosphere, it is a real testament to Richard Antwi’s legacy. So, we are really excited that Tareic Alphonse is this year's final Richard Antwi Scholar. He comes with a wealth of industry knowledge and boundless enthusiasm and the whole year has got off to a very exciting start! I can’t wait to see how his future unfolds.”

Phillip Antwi added: “I would like to give my heartfelt congratulations to Tareic Alphonse as the final Richard Antwi Scholar. Together with my family, we welcome him into our community of scholars. We couldn’t be happier for Tareic, a hugely deserving individual who strives for and embodies Richard’s vision and values of contributing to a more equitable industry for those from underrepresented backgrounds. I want to give huge thanks also to the scholarship team past and present, who have worked tirelessly over the 6 years the scholarship has existed to gain support and funding across the industry for the scholarship, to raise awareness and tell the story of our dear Richard.

“Thank you also to our generous funders. Seven years on since my dear brother Richard’s passing, we are humbly grateful and happy to see and be part of his legacy. Richard made a difference to aspiring young music business leaders through the Scholarship, and his impact will be felt long after his passing. Richard would have been so very proud.”

Find out more about Music courses at the University of Westminster.