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Nash announced the news to her fans on Instagram, posting a story and writing, “Proud to be a new MVT Patron. The work I have been doing aligns with theirs. I’m ready to make bigger & better changes to my industry.” Nash and Berry were joined by music industry figures Summer Marshall, Robert Kilpatrick, Neal Thompson, and Colin Newman.  

Nash’s appointment comes as grassroots venues are in crisis, struggling to keep their doors open and closing at an alarming rate. According to the MVT 2024 report, a UK venue shuts down every two weeks, and a quarter of all venues face risk the of permanent closure. Even with pledges and donations, experts warn that there needs to be a holistic approach to the issue rather than short-term solutions that focus on immediate survival. 

Did you know one-third of Music Venue Alliance members are now not-for-profit? That’s a massive 29% rise in just a year! [image or embed] — Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust.bsky.social) 5 February 2025 at 19:09

The ‘Foundations’ singer has been vocal about these issues, teaming up with Save Our Scene in November. Paraded around London on a converted fire truck, Nash used a megaphone to drum up support for venues and artists alike, as well as visiting the UK headquarters of Live Nation and Spotify to denounce the companies for failing the music industry.

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She also made headlines in December when she joined OnlyFans in order to raise funds that would support her tour. Named ‘Butts for Buses’, Nash used the opportunity to grab headlines and make the wider public aware of the costs of being a musician.  

Nash’s visit to the Palace of Westminster on January 27 put her in front of the people capable of making a real difference. As the singer said on her Instagram, “This gives me the chance to meet MPs & advocate for live music & artists in the UK.” Her visit coincided with the release of the MVT Annual Report.

The report laid out the grim reality faced by some of the UK’s most iconic venues. Despite contributing £526 million to the UK economy, these spaces remain under significant financial strain, prompting MVT CEO Mark Davyd to call for action: “Venues are still closing, still under extreme and totally unnecessary financial pressures, still failing to be recognised when government designs policy, taxation, and legislation. We need action, not words.”  

Sian Berry has also been a voice for change in the fight to protect grassroots venues, doing so as the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion. She published a letter on her website in which she fought against a planning application that would threaten the closure of local venue, Alphabet. Speaking at the launch of the 2024 report, Berry said: “I have seen firsthand the incredible and tireless work of the Music Venue Trust. As an MP, it’s hugely reassuring to have their insights and expertise.”

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Nash and Berry are the latest to join a growing list of high-profile supporters, including Sam Fender, who has pledged £1 from every ticket of his tour to the trust. Sir Paul McCartney is also a supporter, saying, “Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to play in venues of all different shapes and sizes, from tiny clubs to massive stadiums all over the world. Without the grassroots clubs, pubs and music venues my career could have been very different.”

Although their efforts have very much been in the same area, the partnership between MVT and Nash, as well as Berry and the four others, will reinvigorate the movement and hopefully bring even more awareness to just how vulnerable these important venues really are.

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Nash, who has been a vocal advocate for the survival of smaller venues, used her platform to stress the importance of grassroots music spaces in fostering new talent and keeping live music alive. “Thank you to all the MP’s who came to listen to all the passionate speakers about the state of the music industry. The future of UK music is in your hands (and my bum).” The singer said on her Instagram.

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Her advocacy work comes at a critical time. Over the past few years, the UK’s live music scene has seen a troubling wave of venue closures. Many venues, which often operate on slim margins, have been hit hard by rising costs, the impact of the pandemic, and a lack of government support. According to MVT, more than 35% of grassroots music venues in the UK have closed over the 20 years and the situation remains dire. The Music Venue Trust’s report highlights the urgent need for government intervention and new policies to ensure the survival of these cultural institutions.

MVT is a key partner in Independent Venue Week. Both organisations share a mission to support grassroots music venues and collaborate to amplify IVW’s impact. MVT provides resources, advocacy, and campaigns like ‘Save Our Venues’, which align with IVW’s efforts to celebrate and protect these vital spaces. Together, they raise awareness about the challenges venues face and highlight their importance to the music ecosystem.

Additionally, the ‘Foundations’ singer has turned to OnlyFans, a platform typically known for adult content but increasingly used by musicians and creators to engage with fans and generate income. Nash revealed that she had been using the platform to fund her career and creative projects.

Kate Nash is such a real one#MusicBusiness #LiveMusic #Touring pic.twitter.com/fnxtSNCnEt

— Julia Thee Junglist Historian (@Miss_Toppin) January 25, 2025

The singer’s activism and transparency about her financial struggles resonate with many other artists who are increasingly turning to crowdfunding, merchandise sales, and platforms like Patreon to fund their work. As Nash’s career continues to thrive outside the mainstream industry structure, her performance at Parliament underscored the broader issues facing independent musicians, who often rely on grassroots venues as much as they rely on independent funding to stay afloat.

The evening’s performance and advocacy brought together artists, industry leaders, and policymakers in a conversation about the future of live music and the survival of grassroots venues. Nash’s performance is a call to action for the government to do more to support these essential spaces, ensuring they continue to provide a platform for the next generation of artists.

British pop artist Rebecca Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, has commented on misogyny in the in the music industry in light of the WEC’s latest report. Speaking with Jonny Greenwood for BBC radio 4, Taylor outlined how she thought the music industry as a whole is “not a safe environment” for women and people of colour. When questioned about the lack of female representation at major UK festivals, Taylor said that “most women quit” before their career gets to the point where they are successful enough to headline major music events.

“We revere Bowie and the Beatles, but there were so many women who were just as good but they never got the chance” - Rebecca Taylor (2024)

One testimony, outlined by the Women and Equalities Committee was that of X-factor runner-up, Rebecca Ferguson. Speaking to the commission, Ferguson said: “members of my team told me they were ‘threatened ‘or ‘bribed’ to not work with me when I ended what I deemed to be an exploitative and abusive contract.” This only illustrates Taylor’s point that many women and people of colour are placed between a rock and a hard place: either put up with abuse and economic exploitation or leave the music industry altogether.

As a result of an in-depth investigation, the commission has put forward the suggestion that freelance workers should be subject to the same protections against discrimination as employees. The commission specifically mentions section 14 of the 2010 Equalities Act, which prohibits favourable treatment of employees on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Many in the music industry are self-employed, often signing temporary agreements and deals as freelancers rather than as contracted employees. Although freelancers are, on paper, protected under section 14, the WEC argues that there is no current legislative infrastructure to uphold this protection.

The WEC has also outlined how non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been abused by individuals and companies within the music industry, especially with regards to incidents involving victims of sexual harassment and assault. An NDA is a legally binding contract that ensures that the signee will not speak about certain topics that are outlined within the document. NDAs are often used by companies to make sure that trade secrets or business plans do not become publicly available, however the WEC has found that victims of sexual harassment and violence in the music industry are forced into silence through these legally binding ‘agreements’.

“Women we spoke to described how they were coerced into signing by businesses who threatened to ruin them financially or reputationally if they refused to sign.” ­– WEC Report (2024) P53

Despite hardship, abuse, and discrimination, the WEC’s report could push the industry in a more positive direction. The commission has outlined specific legislative changes that, they say, must be enacted upon to improve the working conditions of women and people of colour in the music industry. It is now up to parliament as to whether these proposed changes are enacted upon.

Speaking hopefully about the report, Rebecca Taylor said: “this report is quite exciting because I didn’t think in my lifetime that we would see any transparency about it [misogyny in the music industry].” Although this report is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, Taylor was quick to point out that “equality is a long way away”.  

Annie told the House of Commons committee that an alarming number of stories have yet to emerge. Her further comments on the music industry were that it was a “boys club” and “the system is kind of rigged against women.”

Author of the new book The Mess We’re In, Annie Mac, gave evidence to the committee at the House of Commons, where she told them of a young singer and a record producer who kept asking her not to go home, and “then when they go out in the street, he sexually assaulted her,” she said.

@itvnews DJ Annie Mac says music industry has ‘tidal wave’ of sexual abuse cases and is ‘boys’ club’ #itvnews #anniemac #music ♬ original sound – itvnews

Musicians Union published survey evidence to UK Parliament in 2022, were the idea of the music sector being a “boys club” was reported in the latest stats. They MU published this statement, “Respondents to the MU 2022 snapshot survey commented on the lack of women in workplaces across the sector and a distinct lack of female role models and women in leadership positions. More than one participant commented “it’s a boys club”. This emerged as a main theme and one of the reasons why respondents felt that many cultures and working environments in the music industry are misogynistic by nature” “The 2020 UK Music Diversity Taskforce survey found that in there is an underrepresentation of women in senior positions within the sector. Women represent 40.4% of the sector at senior level. “

Musicians Union is the UK’s trade union for all musicians across the UK, working in all sectors of the music business. They help members negotiate with major employers in the industry and offer a range of support services for musicians; however, most are unaware of them.

Annie further comments, “There needs to be some sort of a shift in women feeling like they’re able to speak out without their careers being compromised.”

Further reports from the MU snapshot survey presented statistics on sexual harassment. At 48%, almost half of the 800 musicians surveyed reported sexual harassment; 58% said they had witnessed sexual harassment; 85% had experienced sexual harassment but did not report it; and 40% did not report it for fear of losing work.

Macmanus told the MP’s “That is that women, especially young women in the music industry, are consistently underestimated and undermined, and freelance women are consistently put in situations where they are unsafe.”

Findings by the Musician Union allegedly found that there were power imbalance’s between freelancers and the people who engage them. The common views of many members during the survey said “When a freelancer relies on an individual for work, they are less likely to speak out.”

Misogyny in the music industry, suggests it may spread further than just alleged claims of a sexual nature but to supposed pay gaps, mental health, a lack of access to professional training and development, and being passed over for promotions. These alleged claims come from Be The Change case study of sexual harassment in the music industry in 2023.

The UK Parliament Women and Equalities Committee launched its ‘Misogyny in Music’. This brought in evidence from the BBC, that last year only one in ten headliners were female at the UK’s top music festivals. It also has MP’s asking questions about the safety of female musicians at UK music festivals.

Annie Mac said she has not “experienced or witnessed any sexual misconduct firsthand.” and believes her 19 years working with the BBC provided her with a “shield of protection to talk about such issues.” but most concerning she added “The thing that worries me the most is the rapes that are going unreported. That’s what concerns me the most – the fact that women feel like they can’t speak up.”

To purchase Annie Macmanus’s new book click the link here.