UK Music has launched a new national framework aimed at helping the music industry embed diversity and inclusion across every level of its work.

The ‘Five Ps’ Action Plan – standing for People, Policy, Partnerships, Purchase and Progress – offers a practical toolkit for organisations to build fairer, more transparent structures and ensure that under-represented voices are supported across the sector.

Speaking at the launch, UK Music Diversity Taskforce Chair Ammo Talwar MBE said the plan was “not about ticking boxes, but rewriting the rules,” calling it a roadmap for a genuine cultural shift across the industry.

For NI the framework arrives at a moment when the sector is increasingly defined by inclusivity and social impact. From community-based initiatives and festivals to public sector programmes like Belfast’s UNESCO City of Music, there is growing recognition that diversity is central to a sustainable and representative music ecosystem.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council and a range of independent organisations have all major taken steps in recent years to widen access, improve opportunities and ensure the industry better reflects the communities it serves.

The Five Ps plan gives organisations – large and small – a shared language and set of goals to measure that progress, while encouraging regional voices, including those from NI, to take an active role in shaping the future of a fairer UK-wide industry.