BBC Wales and Arts Council of Wales are today announcing that the search for Horizons artists to join its 2018 project is now underway.  The applications process is now open and the 12 successful acts will be supported and promoted in various ways by Horizons over the next 12 months.

Horizons is a unique showcase of new, independent contemporary music in Wales.  Now in its fourth-year, Horizons is a collaboration between BBC Wales and Arts Council of Wales.

Since its inception in 2014, more at festival stages and help release ambitions through the Launchpad fund.

The Horizons project aims to be a comprehensive showcase of promising talent in Wales.  From providing promotional and performance opportunities, over the past four years Horizons has provided new Welsh acts with a breadth of support and some unforgettable experiences as they start their journeys into music.

Horizons acts have been showcased at some of the biggest festivals at home and internationally from Glastonbury,  The Great Escape, Festival No.6, Sŵn, to Eurosonic and SXSW and performed sessions at the legendary Maida Vale Studios.  In the three years of the project previous Horizons alumni include Candelas, Swnami, CaStLeS, Violet Skies, Afrocluster, Baby Queens, Kizzy Crawford, Seazoo, The People the Poet, Reuel Elijah, Danielle Lewis and many more who have benefitted from the Horizon’s Project.

- The 12 artists will be offered a platform at events across Wales and on BBC Wales’ national services - BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales.

- Acts who want to be considered fill in a form online via bbc.co.uk/horizons. Horizons acts will be selected by a panel of experts from within the partnership and the wider music sector.

The Horizons project will be bringing music to many festivals over summer 2018 and will offer more exciting opportunities to Welsh musicians later in the year through its Launchpad funding scheme.

Also new for this year, The Horizons Project has hand picked 12 'Horizons bloggers' who will help spread the word about the Horizons 12 new acts for 2018. Providing personal, insightful and in depth coverage of the acts selected with blogs, podcasts and exclusive content. Horizons Bloggers will also be appearing on panels and on the BBC to help promote the acts and the project's work online and on social media.

Music fans can follow the Twitter account @horizonscymru for all the latest news.

Applications are open from April 23 to Midnight, May 7, and announcements will follow from May 21 at the Biggest Weekend Fringe.

Y CHWILIO AM ARTISTIAID A BANDIAU I YMUNO Â GORWELION 2018 WEDI CYCHWYN!

Mae BBC Cymru a Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru yn cyhoeddi heddiw bod y gwaith o chwilio am artistiaid i ymuno â phrosiect Gorwelion ar gyfer 2018 bellach ar droed. Mae’r broses ymgeisio ar agor a bydd y 12 artist a band llwyddiannus yn cael eu cefnogi a’u hyrwyddo mewn amrywiol ffyrdd gan Gorwelion dros y 12 mis nesaf. 

Mae Gorwelion yn cynnig llwyfan unigryw i gerddoriaeth gyfoes annibynnol, newydd. Cydweithrediad ydyw rhwng BBC Cymru a Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, ac mae bellach ar ei bedwaredd flwyddyn.

Ers ei sefydlu yn 2014, mae Gorwelion wedi rhoi llwyfan i dros 36 o artistiaid newydd o Gymru, gan roi cefnogaeth iddynt a’u mentora er mwyn eu cynorthwyo i gyrraedd cynulleidfaoedd newydd yng Nghymru, y DU a thu hwnt. Mae hefyd wedi cefnogi llawer mwy o artistiaid ar lwyfannau gwyliau ac wedi cynorthwyo i wireddu uchelgeisiau trwy gyfrwng y Gronfa Lawnsio.

Nod prosiect Gorwelion yw cyflwyno amrywiaeth gynhwysfawr o dalent addawol o Gymru. Drwy gynnig cyfleoedd hyrwyddo a pherfformio, dros y tair blynedd diwethaf mae Gorwelion wedi rhoi ystod o gymorth a phrofiadau bythgofiadwy i artistiaid a bandiau newydd o Gymru wrth iddynt ddechrau ar eu taith ym myd cerddoriaeth.

Mae artistiaid a bandiau Gorwelion wedi cael llwyfan yn rhai o’n gwyliau mwyaf gartref ac yn rhyngwladol, o Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Gŵyl Rhif 6 a Sŵn i Eurosonic a SXSW, ac wedi perfformio sesiynau yn stiwdios enwog Maida Vale.  Mae artistiaid Gorwelion yn ystod tair blynedd gyntaf y prosiect yn cynnwys Candelas, Swnami, CaStLeS, Violet Skies, Afrocluster, Baby Queens, Kizzy Crawford, Seazoo, The People the Poet, Reuel Elijah, Danielle Lewis a llawer mwy sydd wedi elwa yn sgil prosiect Gorwelion.

- Bydd y 12 o artistiaid yn cael cynnig llwyfan mewn digwyddiadau ledled Cymru ac ar wasanaethau cenedlaethol BBC Cymru - BBC Radio Cymru a BBC Radio Wales.

- Bydd angen i artistiaid/bandiau sydd eisiau cael eu hystyried lenwi ffurflen ar-lein ar bbc.co.uk/gorwelion. Bydd artistiaid/bandiau Gorwelion yn cael eu dewis gan banel o arbenigwyr sy’n rhan o’r bartneriaeth ac o’r sector cerddoriaeth yn ehangach.

Bydd prosiect Gorwelion yn dod â cherddoriaeth i lu o wyliau yn ystod haf 2018 ac yn cynnig rhagor o gyfleoedd cyffrous i gerddorion o Gymru yn nes ymlaen yn y flwyddyn trwy gyfrwng cynllun ariannu y Gronfa Lawnsio. 

Un peth newydd eleni yw’r 12 o ‘Flogwyr Gorwelion’ sydd wedi cael eu dethol yn arbennig gan brosiect Gorwelion ac a fydd yn cynorthwyo i roi’r gair ar led am 12 artist/band newydd Gorwelion ar gyfer 2018, gan roi sylw personol, treiddgar a manwl i’r artistiaid a’r bandiau a gaiff eu dewis, trwy gyfrwng blogiau, podlediadau a chynnwys arbennig. Bydd Blogwyr Gorwelion hefyd yn ymddangos ar baneli ac ar y BBC i helpu i hyrwyddo’r artistiaid, ac yng ngwaith y prosiect ar-lein ac ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol.

Gall dilynwyr cerddoriaeth ddilyn cyfrif Twitter @horizonscymru i gael yr holl newyddion diweddaraf.

Gellir ymgeisio rhwng Ebrill 23 a hanner nos ar Mai 7, a daw’r cyhoeddiadau wedi hynny o Ŵyl Ymylol y Penwythnos Mwyaf.

Dilynwch Gorwelion ar Twitter a Facebook - @horizonscymru – er mwyn cael yr holl wybodaeth.

After announcing her comeback last month with shows in LA, NYC, London and Paris, Christine and the Queens today reveals additional shows. Their critically acclaimed debut album, Chaleur Humaine, was a tremendous success; selling 1.3 million units across the world and becoming the biggest selling debut album in the UK in 2016. Chaleur Humaine spent an incredible 10 weeks in the top 10 of the UK album chart, peaking at #2, #1 on iTunes and #1 on Amazon Music and was certified Gold in this country.

Christine and the Queens performed at the biggest festivals including a sensational set at Glastonbury and appeared on several TV shows such as Later with Jools Holland and the Graham Norton Show. She graced the cover of Time Magazine's ‘Next Generation Leaders’ issue where she was proclaimed as of the most influential young creatives in the world.

The album featured in critics’ top albums of the year across the board, from the Guardian, Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph to Q, NME and Time Out, amongst many others, as well as being named in Apple Music and  iTunes’ Best of 2016, and won Best Album at the ELLE Style Awards 2017; the album’s lead single, ‘Tilted’, was named Apple Music and iTunes Song of the Year. She was nominated for International Female Solo Artist at the 2017 BRIT Awards alongside Beyonce, Solange, Rihanna and SIA.

17 November - BOURNEMOUTH - BIC

20 November - LONDON - EVENTIM APOLLO - SOLD OUT

21 November - LONDON - EVENTIM APOLLO

23 November - GLASGOW - ROYAL CONCERT HALL

24 November - EDINBURGH - USHER HALL

26 November - BIRMINGHAM - O2 ACADEMY

27 November - MANCHESTER - O2 APOLLO

30 November - DUBLIN - RDS