Amazon Music Announces Breakthrough, a New Global Developing Artist Program

(NASDAQ: AMZN) Amazon Music today announced Breakthrough, a new developing artist program aimed at championing emerging artists at the most crucial moment in their careers, accelerating them to the mainstream. Breakthrough will actively support artists across a wide spectrum of genres, encompassing country, U.K. rap, R&B, indie, and more.

Amazon Music’s first selections for Breakthrough are rising country powerhouse Gabby Barrett, emerging R&B singer Kiana Ledé, breakout U.K. Rap star JAY1, 19-year-old rising alt R&B singer/poet Arlo Parks, critically acclaimed folk pop group Provinz, and rising German pop sensation Malik Harris. Drawn from the U.S., U.K., and Germany, Amazon Music will work with each Breakthrough artist and their teams to develop a long-term, customized global plan tailored to their specific needs. This support includes video and audio content, global marketing support, custom merch stores on Amazon.com, increased visibility across Amazon Music’s playlists and programming, high-profile Amazon Original tracks available only on Amazon Music, support for the artists’ Twitch channels, and more.

“Amazon Music is uniquely positioned to support developing artists,” said Kirdis Postelle, Global Head of Artist Marketing for Amazon Music. “By using Amazon’s marketing resources, Breakthrough campaigns will be true collaborations between the artist and Amazon Music, with each campaign centered around the artist’s brand and vision.”

As part of Breakthrough, fans can look forward to mini-documentaries on JAY1’s rise in the Coventry U.K. rap scene, Kiana Ledé’s jump from acting to music, and Provinz’s place in the German music scene, and additional stories from Breakthrough artists. Amazon Music will work with each Breakthrough artist to create brand-new Amazon Original tracks, extensive out-of-home advertising in major cities across the globe, and much more. Amazon Music will also feature each artist extensively on key Amazon Music playlists—like Rap Rotation and Country Heat. Amazon Music has already devoted increased playlist space to songs like Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” and Malik Harris’ recently released Black Lives Matter anthem “Faith.”