The Gospel Music Industry Alliance (GMIA) is proud to announce the official launch of the United Gospel Music Archive (UKGMA) at ukgma.org.uk on Wednesday, 13th May at 6:00 PM. This landmark project is a collaborative movement to document the definitive history of British Black Gospel music for posterity.

This initiative is a primary GMIA led project that has been made possible through the dedicated support of key partners, including Liverpool Lighthouse (National Gospel Music Centre), Gospel Link 360 CIC (ReCounted), SoundsAyce, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

As the lead body for the UK Gospel sector, the GMIA has developed this platform to address the critical lack of documentation surrounding the contributions of the Windrush generation, their descendants as well as later contributions from African and Black British progeny. While the site launches with a premiere documentary series, “Untold Stories of UK Gospel,” the GMIA is issuing a direct call to the public to help build this “living archive” by contributing their own stories, photos, and historical records.

The UKGMA aims to bridge the gap between the pioneers of the 1960s and the artists of today. The platform features 12 definitive interviews with architects of the sound, such as Bazil Meade MBE, The Wades, and Junior Robinson, but the GMIA recognises that thousands of essential stories remain in the “front rooms,” church basements, and private collections of the community.

Roger Moore, Co-Chair of the GMIA and Project Lead for this 24-month heritage project, commented: “The GMIA is here to tell the story, but we cannot tell it alone. We are inviting everyone—from the pioneers who sang in the first choirs to the gospel-loving community of today—to input their stories and help us curate a legacy that is accurate, diverse, and lasting. This is our history, and it is time we wrote it together.”

Anu Omideyi, Director for the National Gospel Music Centre at Liverpool Lighthouse and Co-Chair of the GMIA, added: “We believe this is a momentous move forward to document for posterity the UK Gospel music’s rich history through our music practitioners past and present, our communities and our audiences. It will incorporate first-hand accounts and received information from living legends, musicians, historians, educators, etc., but, maybe most importantly, from the Gospel Music loving community itself through their submissions onto the platform. This is an incredible moment to be part of.”

Ayce of SoundsAyce, stated: “It is of paramount importance to document and archive our UK Gospel legacy. We have such a rich history and if we do not tell our own story, it will die with the people that have lived it and that would be a travesty. Each new generation will benefit greatly from knowing where their sound is rooted and take pride in the work and accomplishments of the people that blazed the trail before them.”

Janet Simpson, GMIA Director and Project Delivery Partner, noted: “Archiving Gospel music in the UK is vital for preserving a powerful cultural, spiritual, and historical legacy that has shaped communities and the wider music scene. It safeguards the stories of Black British experiences, migration, and faith, while documenting the contributions of choirs, artists, and church communities – often overlooked by mainstream archives.”
A Call to the UK Gospel Community
The GMIA and its partners recognise that a complete history of UK Gospel cannot be told by a single organisation alone; it lives within the memories and archives of the people who built it. The UKGMA is an open invitation to the entire UK Gospel community to contribute to this legacy. Whether you are a pioneering artist or musician, a promoter who organised landmark concerts, a media personality who championed the sound, or an educator who trained the next generation, your story matters. No contribution is too great or too small. From iconic tour posters and rare photographs to personal testimonies of faith and music, we are looking for every piece of the puzzle. This is the initial phase of a wider move to cement UK Gospel’s legacy into history. Visit ukgma.org.uk from Wednesday 13th May at 6:00 PM to learn how you can input your story and ensure that our collective history is preserved for generations to come.

ENDS