It’s the news the industry has been waiting for – the finalists for the Music Week Awards.
After a record number of entries, the category shortlists can now be revealed for the biggest and best night in the music industry calendar. The full list of awards is below.
Three new categories – Independent Publisher Of The Year, Sync Team Of The Year and Sync Of The Year – have been added to the 2020 awards, which return on May 6 at Battersea Evolution. The ceremony switched to the venue last year for its biggest ever edition.
Tickets for this year's event are already selling fast – click here to make sure you don’t miss out on the best night out in the industry.
The nominations revealed today have set up some big battles on the night.
Glastonbury returns to bid for awards glory in the Festival of The Year category after its fallow year. Reigning champion All Points East will be competing with the Eavis family, along with Black Deer Festival, Bluedot, BST Hyde Park, Isle Of Wight Festival, Latitude Festival, Reading & Leeds Festival and Wireless Festival.
Polydor will be defending their title in the Record Company Of The Year category. Co-presidents Tom March and Ben Mortimer are up against big guns including Atlantic, BMG, Columbia, Decca, Parlophone, RCA and Virgin EMI.
After a memorable speech by Damian Christian last year, the Atlantic exec will get a chance to do it again if he can secure yet another victory in the Promotions Team category. Warner Records did grab the award in 2018 – can they do it again in 2020?
Music Week cover stars DHP Family return in the Live Music Promoter – Company category, where they go up against AEG Presents, Kilimanjaro Live, Live Nation UK, Liz Hobbs Group, Rockfeedback and SJM.
The inaugural Independent Publisher Of The Year category will be fought out between Concord, Downtown, Good Soldier, Manners McDade, Ministry Of Sound Publishing, Reservoir, Sentric Music and Tileyard Music.
The Publisher Of The Year category will be a contest between BMG, Kobalt, Sony/ATV, Universal Music Publishing Group and Warner Chappell Music.
After a stonking RAJAR quarter, BBC Radio 6 Music will be hoping to get hold of the Radio Station award again. Last year their Music Week Awards run was broken by BBC Radio 1.
A total of 27 trophies are up for grabs this year, including The Strat – the special Music Week Award in recognition of a pioneering exec. Last year’s winner Darcus Beese, Island US president, jetted in to celebrate his incredible career with friends and family as industry leaders and artists paid tribute. Uk rap legend Dizzee Rascal was on hand to present the trophy.
Finalists for Accountancy Firm Of The Year and Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene will be announced at a later date. Nominations for Accountancy Firm Of The Year close on February 26. To join the biggest and best accountancy firms in the business in fighting it out for that award, click here.
Confirmed sponsors for the Music Week Awards include ERA (association partner – Independent Retailer), Music Venue Trust (association partner – Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene), BPI (category sponsor – Record Company Of The Year), Radiomonitor (category sponsor – Promotions Team Of The Year), the BRIT Trust (Charity Partner) and PPL (category sponsor – Radio Station).
Click here to see last year’s winners and click here for the highlights from the ceremony.
The full list of finalists so far confirmed is below.
A&R Award
• Atlantic Records
• Decca Records
• Good Soldier
• Island Records
• Polydor Records
• Relentless Records
• Since ’93
• Warner Chappell Music
Artist Marketing Campaign
• Lewis Capaldi, Virgin EMI Records
• Coldplay, Parlophone Records
• Little Simz, AWAL
• Mabel, Polydor Records
• Freya Ridings, Good Soldier
• Jack Savoretti, BMG
• Stormzy, Atlantic Records / Merky
• Harry Styles, Columbia Records
• AJ Tracey, Supernature
• Tom Walker, Relentless Records
Catalogue Marketing Campaign
• Mariah Carey, Sony Music Commercial Group
• The Clash, Sony Music Commercial Group
• Goldie – Drum & Bass Life, UMOD
• Joy Division, Rhino
• Kylie Minogue, BMG
• Oasis, Big Brother
• Luciano Pavarotti, Decca
• Shakespears Sister, London Records
• Spice Girls, UMC / Virgin EMI Records
• Rod Stewart, Rhino
Festival Of The Year
• All Points East
• Black Deer Festival
• Bluedot
• BST Hyde Park
• Glastonbury Festival
• Isle Of Wight Festival
• Latitude Festival
• Reading & Leeds Festival
• Wireless Festival
Independent Publisher Of The Year
• Concord Music Publishing
• Downtown Music Publishing
• Good Soldier Songs
• Manners McDade
• Ministry Of Sound Publishing
• Reservoir
• Sentric Music Group
• Tileyard Music Publishing
Independent Record Company
• 4AD
• Because Music
• Dirty Hit
• eOne Music
• Glassnote Music
• Heavenly Recordings
• Marathon Music Group
• Neighbourhood Recordings
• Partisan Records
• Transgressive Records
Independent Retailer - supported by ERA
• Assai Records, Dundee
• Banquet Records, Kingston
• Drift, Totnes
• Eel Pie Records, Twickenham
• Jacaranda Records, Liverpool
• Resident Music, Brighton
• Rough Trade, London, Bristol, Nottingham
• TNT Records, Barrow-In-Furness
Label/Artist Services Company
• Absolute Label Services
• ADA
• AWAL
• Believe
• Caroline International
• Cooking Vinyl
• PIAS UK
• The Orchard
Law Firm Of The Year
• Hamlins LLP
• Irwin Mitchell LLP
• Simons Muirhead & Burton
• Van Straten Solicitors
Live Music Agent (Individual)
• Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent
• Steve Hogan, WME
• Kara James, WME
• Heulwen Keyte, UTA
• Mike Malak, Paradigm
• Paul Wilson, CAA
Live Music Promoter (Company)
• AEG Presents
• DHP Family
• Kilimanjaro Live
• Live Nation UK
• Liz Hobbs Group
• Rockfeedback
• SJM Concerts
Manager Of The Year
• Riki Bleau, Since ‘93
• Chris Dempsey, YMU Music
• Vicky Dowdall, VDM Music
• Debbie Gwyther / Roy & Sam Eldridge, Urok Management
• Craig Jennings & Matt Ash, Raw Power Management
• Ben Mawson & Ed Millett, Tap Management
• Radha Medar, Metallic Management
• Tobe Onwuka, #Merky Management
Music & Brand Partnership
• Lewis Capaldi / Greggs / Paradigm Agency
• Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes / Brewdog / ATC
• The Chemical Brothers / Formula1 / Universal Music Globe / Wieden + Kennedy London / Pulse Films / Wake The Town
• Craig David / Tom Walker / Lady Leshurr / The Kingdom Choir / Deno / Riton / MLB London Series / Sony Music Entertainment UK / 4th Floor Creative / Ministry Of Sound/ CSM Sport and Entertainment
• Paloma Faith / Lady Leshurr / The Kingdom Choir / Alexis Ffrench / The Sherlocks / Skoda / Sony Music Entertainment UK / BMG/ Fallon / 4th Floor Creative / The Marketing Arm
• Mabel / Samsung / Universal Music Globe / Iris
• Kojey Radical / 1800 Tequila / Warner Music / Steely Fox / Armoury
• Ed Sheeran / Heinz / Warner Music / Wonderland / David / Starcom
Music Consumer Innovation
• Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD and Echo Studio
• Deezer, 360 By Deezer
• Music Glue, Marketplace Platform
• Peex, Peex Live
• Spotify, Spotify Wrapped
• TikTok, TikTok Music
• YouTube, YouTube Premieres
PR Campaign
• Lewis Capaldi, MBC PR / DawBell / APB PR
• Lana Del Rey / Satellite414
• Liam Gallagher, APPR / Warner Records / Fear PR
• Michael Kiwanuka, Chalk Press Agency
• Krept & Konan, Stoked PR
• Lizzo, Atlantic Records
• Lil Nas X, RCA Records
• Freya Ridings. Dedikated PR / Lucid PR
• Sigrid, Island Records
• Spice Girls, DawBell PR
• Stormzy, Wired PR
• Tool, Turn The Page / Music For Nations
Promotions Team
• Atlantic Records
• Columbia Records
• Island Records
• Plugged In PR
• Polydor Records
• Virgin EMI Records
• Warner Records
• Your Army
Publisher Of The Year
• BMG
• Kobalt Music Publishing
• Sony/ATV Music Publishing
• Universal Music Publishing Group
• Warner Chappell Music
Radio Show
• 1Xtra’s Rap Show With Tiffany Calver, BBC Radio 1Xtra
• Clara Amfo, BBC Radio 1
• Danielle Perry’s The Sunday Night Music Club, Absolute Radio
• DJ Target, BBC Radio 1Xtra
• Future Sounds With Annie Mac, BBC Radio 1
• Homegrown With Robert Bruce, Capital Xtra
• Jo Whiley, BBC Radio 2
• Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 6 Music
• Steve Lamacq Show, BBC 6 Music
Radio Station
• Absolute Radio
• BBC Radio 1
• BBC Radio 1Xtra
• BBC Radio 2
• BBC Radio 6 Music
• Capital Xtra
• Heart
• Virgin Radio
Record Company
• Atlantic Records
• BMG
• Columbia Records
• Decca Records
• Parlophone Records
• Polydor Records
• RCA Records
• Virgin EMI Records
Sales Team
• Caroline International
• PIAS
• Proper Music Group
• Republic Of Music
• Sony Music UK
• The Orchard
• Warner Music UK
Sync Of The Year
• Blinded By Your Grace – Stormzy
Featured In: BT ‘Beyond Limits: Tale Of Two Cities’ (Label: Merky/Atlantic / Publisher: Warner Chappell/Kobalt Music Publishing / Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi)
• Bury A Friend – Billie Eilish
Featured In: Killing Eve Series 2 Trailer
(Label: Universal Music Globe / Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group / Kobalt Music Publishing / Music Supervisor: Catherine Grieves)
• Can’t Fight This Feeling – Bastille
Featured In: John Lewis Christmas 2019
(Label: Virgin EMI / Publishers: Universal Music Publishing Group/Mojo Music Publishing / Agency: Adam & Eve DDB)
• Fighting For – Roots Manuva
Featured In: Top Boy
(Label: Big Dada / Publisher: Just Isn’t Music / Sony/ATV / Music Supervisor: Abi Leland)
• Fresh N Clean – D Double E And Star.One
Featured In: Ikea ‘Silence The Critics’
(Label: Bluku Music / Publisher: Wake The Town & Metropolis Songs/ Agency: Mother London / Supervisors: Arnold Hattingh & David Bass)
• Last Christmas – George Michael
Featured In: Last Christmas
(Label: Epic/Sony Music UK / Publisher: Warner Chappell / Film Company: Universal Pictures)
• Love Really Hurts Without You – Billy Ocean
Featured In: Sex Education
(Label: Sony Music UK / Publisher: Sony/ATV / Music Supervisor: Matt Biffa)
• Says – Nils Frahm
Featured In: Ad Astra
(Label: Erased Tapes Records / Publisher: Manners McDade Music Publishing)
• The Light – Sophie And The Giants
Featured In: Grid Trailer
(Label: Universal Music Globe / Music Supervisor: Stephen Root)
• Wonderwall – Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne
Featured In: All New Renault Clio: The French Exchange
(Label: Soundtree / Publisher: Sony/ATV / Agency: Publicis Poke)
Sync Team Of The Year
• BBC
• Beggars Group Media
• BMG Sync UK
• BT Sport Music
• PIAS
• Sony/ATV Music Publishing
• Theodore Music/Wake The Town
• Universal Music Globe
• Universal Music Publishing Group
• Warner Chappell Music
Ticketing Company
• Ents24
• Event Genius by Festicket
• Gigantic
• Music Glue
• See Tickets
• The Ticket Factory
• Ticketmaster UK
• Twickets
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