In 2021, Shesaid.so got Patreon in as sponsor for its Alternative Power 100 Music List (aka #AltList) which looks to address some other industry power lists that tend to favour individuals from narrow demographics. 

In short, these lists were seen as “pale, male and stale”. The Alternative Power 100 Music List was designed to be the antidote to that, spotlighting the people the more traditional lists tended to overlook or simply ignore. 

Shesaid.so has been a key diversity driver in the industry, giving an important platform to underrepresented voices. The awards were the very public face of all that work behind the scenes. 

The #AltList started in 2017 and has been running every year since. In 2021, however, it became a real-world awards show. Rather than just publish a long list of winners, as it did in the past, it worked across 10 different categories and debuted the Breakthrough Artist award for creators on Patreon, showing how alternative funding was unlocking things for underrepresented creators. 

It was part of a wider connection between Shesaid.so and Patreon. The community and lobbying group has been using Patreon as part of its own funding drive, offering three different membership tiers: 1) Alice is for “women and gender minorities at all levels of the music industry”, costing £5 a month; 2) Allies is for “individuals who don’t identify as a woman or gender minority and want to support our mission”, also costing £5 a month; and 3) Nina is for “women and gender minorities with at least 7 years of experience in the music industry who are interested in leadership, mentoring and speaking opportunities”, costing £10 a month. 

Shesaid.so says this funding route is essential to ensure it stays “100% independent and focused on our mission of equity and inclusion”. 

Verena Grosssteinbeck, head of marketing Europe at Patreon, said, “We recognise the daily realities and challenges of our creator community around the world and this partnership demonstrates that they are seen and heard and, most importantly, that we understand them. Ultimately, we want to give those who are under-represented a vital voice in the music business.”

The 2021 #AltList was themed around The New Creative Economy, forging a neat fit with Patreon. There is also a demonstrable link between the two, where Shesaid.so actually uses (and relies on) the platform. Here it stands as genuine proof of concept, rather than just having sponsor “involvement” that amounts to little more than a logo on a marketing message or on a trophy.