Trans+ Future Sounds has made its debut at Abbey Road Studios, bringing together 45 trans+ producers, songwriters and industry professionals for a historic afternoon of mentorship and community on Friday 19th June 2026. Presented by Trans Creative Collective (TCC) and We Are Moving The Needle, the inaugural event saw some of music’s most exciting names give their time to a cause that remains critically underrepresented in the industry.
The centrepiece of the day was a 2.5-hour production workshop in Studio 3 led by Fred again.. and multi-genre DJ and producer MESSIE, covering everything from mental health and staying inspired to producing in professional environments and protecting your creative process. In a simultaneous session at the Gate House, artists Sans Soucis and SATCH ran a songwriting workshop for trans+ writers exploring creative practice, neurodivergence, and a live lyric clinic. The day was opened by charlieeeee, co-founder of Trans Creative Collective and founder of Trans+ Future Sounds, whose second EP FISH FOOD was released on the same day.
Studio 3 at Abbey Road, most well-known as Pink Floyd’s primary recording home and the site of Amy Winehouse’s final recording, hosted 15 trans+ producers for the production session. Fred’s enthusiasm for the project was evident from the start — he asked to extend the workshop beyond its scheduled time because, in charlieeeee’s words, “he believed in it that much.” Tracks were broken down, techniques for efficiency demonstrated, and the atmosphere kept conversational and open throughout.
The songwriting session across the hall was equally substantive, with the first half exploring how to identify and optimise creative practice through a trans+ and neurodivergent lens. The second half became a live lyric clinic, where participants submitted works in progress for Sans Soucis and SATCH to respond to. Following the workshops, Emily Green, director of A&R and catalogue at Warner Chappell, joined for a publishing Q&A covering everything from deals to the wider landscape of music publishing.
The afternoon concluded with a performance from trans choral collective Trans Voices, a panel discussion featuring charlieeeee, producer LEXA, Trans Voices, and Fuzz Chaudhrey (Network Producer, BBC Introducing), and an evening mixer for networking and community. A gear and plug-in giveaway rounded out the day.
charlieeeee, founder of Trans+ Future Sounds and co-founder of Trans Creative Collective, said: “To have trans+ producers, songwriters and artists celebrated and uplifted at such an institution as Abbey Road — that’s what Trans+ Future Sounds is all about. The talent in that room was extraordinary, and having Fred again.. give his time so generously, running a 2.5-hour workshop (he even asked to extend it because he believed in it that much) made the day brim with opportunity. Music transcends prejudice. Creativity and connectivity is what brings us all together — and on Friday at Abbey Road, we proved that.”
MESSIE, who co-ran the production workshop, reflected on the significance of the day: “To be in a place as renowned as Abbey Road, with such an amazing and talented group of creatives, felt incredibly special and empowering. It truly felt like the beginning of a special movement. Coming from New Zealand, what was surprising and moving was realising there were so many producers out there just like me. A network where any idea of labels and background is immediately looked past means the focus can always come back to what’s most important: the music.”
For SATCH, the day spoke to something deeper than access alone: “Roles within the music industry are fluid, like gender. Maybe that’s our strength as trans people — we know what it’s like to be put into boxes and how to break out of them, so we’re not about to let anyone do that to us in creativity and music either.”
The event arrives against a stark backdrop. According to We Are Moving The Needle’s Fix The Mix report, just 2.3% of producers are women, trans or non-binary. LEXA, producer and co-organiser for the inaugural event, was direct about what needs to change: “The industry needs to start hiring and platforming trans+ creatives proactively, because we are so capable, we just haven’t always been in the right rooms.”
Trans Creative Collective was founded in 2021 as a community for trans+ creators and allies across music, film and art. Since launch, TCC has built an international community through workshops, mentoring, socials and industry partnerships — most recently collaborating with BMG on a trans+ artist spotlight project — and has been featured in the UK Music Diversity Report as an exemplary campaigning organisation driving lasting industry change. True to TCC’s founding ethos, the event was inclusive not exclusive, with all genders welcome and priority given to trans+ and queer creatives.
We Are Moving The Needle was founded by Grammy Award-winning and nine-times nominated mastering engineer Emily Lazar. The organisation empowers women, non-binary and trans producers and engineers through scholarships, mentorships, research and advocacy.
Trans+ Future Sounds is now confirmed as an ongoing series, with further events to be announced across 2026.
Image credits: irenehacefotos
In this article: Fred Again, Charlie Deakin Davies, Sans Soucis, Warner Chappell Music, Bertelsmann Music Group, BBC Music Introducing, Abbey Road Studios, Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse. Generated by Wikidata Schema Link Builder.
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