Omar Apollo to Take Part in YouTube Music’s On-Demand Video Festival #FoundryFest

Omar Apollo is joining the Foundry

YouTube Music‘s first-ever #FoundryFest will feature 20 performances, premieres, videos and discussions with YouTube Foundry artists, including the 23-year-old Mexican American bilingual singer-songwriter.

Omar Apollo

The “So Good”singer will be joined by Dua LipaBeabadoobee and Rina Sawayama as part of the festival, which launches at 9:00 am ET on Friday, October 23.

Fans will be able to scroll through the offerings in the on-demand video series by searching #Foundryfest on YouTube, with new treats popping up throughout the day on the artist’s official You Tube channels.

“YouTube Music Foundry was a great resource to me early in my career, and I’m happy to be an alum of a program that helps support emerging artists from all over the world,” said 2015 Foundry alumni Lipa in a statement.

Other past and current Foundry artists from the service’s artist development program slated to participate in the event include: Arlo Parks, Joesef, Rauw Alejandro. Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Natanael Cano, Guapdad 4000, Lost Stories, Tessa Violet, Baby Rose, Michael Brun, Eladio Carrion, Novelbright, Lime Cordiale, Rei Ami, Adam Melchor, TESSÆ and Isabella Lovestory.

As with last week’s #SOSFEST, which collected funds for the National Independent Venue Association, #FoundryFest will raise money to support the nearly 3,000 U.S. venues, festivals and promoters who’ve been severely impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown.

“YouTube created Foundry in 2015, to celebrate developing artists from around the world and help them build a global fanbase, which holds true today. Artists are always ingenious, creative problem solvers, but I’m especially impressed by how they’ve navigated change this year,” said Naomi Zeichner, YouTube’s Artist Partnerships Lead in a statement. “#FoundryFest is a testament to the resiliency of the artist community, and I’m excited for fans to explore what these artists are creating right now, and hear more about their experiences this year.”

Natanael Cano Named to YouTube Music’s Foundry Class of 2020

Natanael Cano is the head of the class…

YouTube Music has announced its first foundry class of 2020, highlighting 12 emerging artists who are creating a buzz in the music scene, including the 19-year-old Mexican corridos singer.

Natanael Cano

Foundry is YouTube’s global artist development program that “helps independent artists use music and storytelling to engage fans across borders and build careers with a vision they uniquely define on their own.”

In addition to Cano, a trailblazer in the Mexican corridos genre and beyond, this year’s inaugural class includes Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Adam Melchor, Puerto Rican trap star Eladio Carrion, Brooklyn-based multifaceted artist Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Birmingham grime artist and actor Jaykae, Glasgow R&B singer Joesef, Japanese indie-rock band Novelbright, Sydney pop-rock brothers Lime Cordiale, Mumbai DJ/producer duo Lost Stories, Korean-American multitalented REI AMI, Nigerian singer and producer Tems and avant-garde French pop-rap artist TESSÆ.

Since its inception in 2015, the YouTube program has helped over 120 rising acts in more than 13 countries, providing them with marketing, promotion, and development support and tools to help set them up for long-term success.

“YouTube is a platform that thrives on discovery and at its core, that is what Foundry is all about. We are so proud to bring this diverse group of artists together to help share their music and creative visions with new fans from around the world,” said Vivien Lewit, YouTube’s Global Head of Artist Relations in a statement.

Naomi Zeichner, YouTube Artist Partnerships Lead added: “This year, we’re all navigating a new industry, and the artists in this Foundry class are finding new ways to create content and stay connected. These artist’s journeys are a snapshot of today’s music landscape, and worth watching for anyone interested in the future of music and culture. We’re grateful to support them as they grow and build lasting relationships with their fans.”

The inaugural class of 2020 joins previous Foundry alumni like Dua LipaRosaliaCuco,Omar Apollo and Arlo Parks, to name a few.