It’s the moment the UK music industry has been waiting for! After being inundated with a new record number of entries, we are delighted to reveal the category shortlists for the Music Week Awards 2022.
Our annual ceremony, which recognises brilliance across the entire spectrum of the music industry, is set to take place on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at Battersea Evolution, London.
Long established as the best night out in the music industry calendar – with the 2021 edition officially the biggest in our history – the Music Week Awards 2022 will recognise the best work done from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
The night will see everyone from major and independent labels to publishers, streaming giants and the nation’s favourite broadcasters and radio stations going head to head. Indeed, the nominations revealed today have set up some very interesting contests on the night – with returning giants and first time nominees all competing for glory.
Polydor’s team are targeting a fourth consecutive win in the Record Company category, in which they face rivals including Adele’s label Columbia, Ed Sheeran’s label Atlantic and 2021 market share victors RCA.
Ahead of a new album from Fontaines DC, Partisan Records are chasing a third consecutive win in the Independent Record Company category. The roll-call of rivals includes Dry Cleaning’s label 4AD, Dave’s label Neighbourhood and Transgressive, who had a big year with Arlo Parks.
Meanwhile, Universal Music Publishing Group will be defending their title in the Publisher Of The Year category. Sony Music Publishing won in 2020 and will be challenging for the trophy, alongside Warner Chappell, Kobalt and Downtown.
Independent Publisher Of The Year is a contest between holders Concord and Beggars Music, Reservoir, Sentric, Stellar Songs, Wise Music Group and Young Songs.
With the growing importance of classic repertoire in the streaming era, the Catalogue Marketing Campaign is a category that’s drawing a wider range of entries. 2021 campaigns in the running include David Bowie, Leona Lewis, Oasis, Queen and the Spice Girls.
Damian Christian and his team at Atlantic will be vying for the honours in the Promotions Team category once again. Atlantic have dominated it over the years, but recent winners EMI and Warner Records will be among the competition this time.
BBC Radio 6 Music is another regular winner at the awards in the Radio Station category, but the digital network will be tested by BBC and commercial teams, including 2021 champions Radio 2, Radio 1, Absolute, Kiss and new station Capital Dance.
The popular Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene award will be handed out in acknowledgement of the key community role many grassroots venues have played both during the pandemic, and in helping spawn the superstars of tomorrow.
A total of 25 trophies are up for grabs this year, including The Strat – the special Music Week Award in recognition of a pioneering exec, which has previously been won by a host of legendary figures including Max Lousada, Darcus Beese, Sarah Stennett and last year’s recipient, MOBOs founder Kanya King.
Confirmed sponsors and partners for the Music Week Awards 2022 include Milk & Honey, PPL, UTA, LCCM, Official Charts Company, ERA, Radiomonitor, BPI, the Music Venue Trust and social media sponsor MQA.
We are also delighted to announce that KISS will be armed with the biggest and best songs for the after party. If their sets at last year’s Music Week Awards and Women In Music Awards are anything to go by, it’s going to be another rowdy end to the night.
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.
Click here to see last year’s winners.
The full list of finalists so far confirmed is below.
Accountancy Firm Of The Year
BigStar
CC Young & Co
Gelfand, Rennert And Feldman
Hentons
A&R Award
Atlantic Records
Columbia Records
Dirty Hit
Insanity Records
Island Records
Ministry Of Sound
Polydor Records
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Virgin Music UK
Warner Chappell Music UK
Artist Marketing Campaign
ABBA, Polydor
Adele, Columbia Records
Arlo Parks, Transgressive/PIAS
Central Cee, ADA
Coldplay, Parlophone
Dave, Neighbourhood
Ed Sheeran, Atlantic
Elton John, EMI
Griff, Warner Records
KSI, BMG
Little Simz, AWAL
Mimi Webb, RCA
Catalogue Marketing Campaign
Aurora, Decca
David Bowie, Rhino
Leona Lewis, Sony Music Commercial Group
Mick Fleetwood & Friends, BMG
Oasis, Ignition Records Ltd
Queen, EMI
Spice Girls, UMC
Suede, Demon Music Group
Sugababes, London Records
Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene - public voted (supported by Music Venue Trust)
Le Pub, Newport
Night & Day Café, Manchester
Omeara, London
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
The Boileroom, Guildford
The New Adelphi, Hull
The Sugarmill, Stoke
Trinity Centre, Bristol
Independent Publisher Of The Year
Beggars Music
Concord Music Publishing
Reservoir
Sentric Music Group
Stellar Songs
Wise Music Group
Young Songs
Independent Record Company
4AD
Because Music
Chess Club Records
Concord Recorded Music
Dead Oceans
MNRK Music Group
Modern Sky UK
Neighbourhood Recordings
Partisan Records
Perfect Havoc
Play It Again Sam
Transgressive Records
Independent Retailer (supported by ERA)
Assai Records, Dundee & Edinburgh
Banquet Records, Kingston
Crash Records, Leeds
Drift, Totnes
Eel Pie Records, Twickenham
Resident Music, Brighton
Rough Trade, London, Bristol, Nottingham
Vinyl Tap, Huddersfield
Wax And Beans, Bury
Label/Artist Services Company
Absolute Label Services
ADA
Believe
Cooking Vinyl
AWAL
FUGA
Ingrooves Music Group
[Integral] UK
The Orchard
Virgin Music Label & Artist Services
Live Music Agent (Individual)
Andy Cook, CAA
Craig D’Souza, WME
Lucy Dickins, WME
Natasha Gregory, Mother Artists
Alex Hardee, Wasserman Music
Gary Howard, UTA
Jess Kinn, One Fiinix Live
Mike Malak, Wasserman Music
Live Music Promoter (Company)
AEG Presents
Broadwick Live
Cream Events Ltd
DF Concerts & Events
Kilimanjaro Live
Live Nation Music UK
Senbla
SJM Concerts
Live Music Innovation Of The Year (Company)
AXS & The O2 Arena, AXS Mobile ID
Driift, Driift Livestreams
Festival Republic, Test Events At Download, Latitude & Sefton Park
Gigseekr, Gigseekr Takeover App At Liverpool Sound City
National Lottery/Music Venue Trust, Revive Live Tour
Universal Globe, Fortnite x Easy Life x Island Records x The O2
Manager Of The Year (sponsored by LCCM)
Owain Davies, OD Management
David Furnish/Rachael Paley, Rocket Entertainment
Jazz Sherman, Hunger Management
Phoebe Gold/Jesse Gassongo-Alexander, Up Close
Richard Griffiths/Harry Magee/Will Bloomfield, Modest! Management
Ben Mawson/Ed Millett, Tap Music
Charlie Owen, Catch Management
Benny Scarrs/Jack Foster, Neighbourhood Management
Mams Taylor, Proper Loud
Music & Brand Partnership
Aitch x Relentless Energy #WithoutLimits – Universal Music UK Globe / Relentless Energy / Kode Agency / Exposure Agency / Thirty Pound Gentleman
AJ Tracey x McSpicy – McDonalds UK/IRE / Supernature / RED Brand Agency
Ted Baker x Eleven Creative Studio - Street Party Sessions ft Bastille, Joy Crookes, Alicai Harley, Jungle, Little Simz – Ted Baker / Eleven Creative Studio / Mata Agency / Good Culture / Renegade
Dua Lipa x Evian “Drink True" – Keep / Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam / Somesuch / GKLD / Warner Music
Gary Barlow x Benchmark Drinks – YM&U Group / Benchmark Drinks
Ghetts x Wray & Nephew – Warner Music X / Warm Street / 3 Monkeys Zeno
London Grammar x Calm – Ministry Of Sound / 4th Floor Creative / Calm / Warner Chappell
Mabel & Khalid x Levi’s Music Project – Hand In Hive / Metallic Management / BMG / Universal Music Globe UK / RiffRaff Films / Keep / Exposure / Parallel Consulting / Imprint
Ray Blk & Big Zuu x Vevo x Tommy Jeans “Less Buzz, More Music” – Vevo / Tommy Jeans
Wizkid x Tommy Hilfiger “'Pass the Mic” – 4th Floor Creative / Columbia Records UK / Starboy Entertainment / Tommy Hilfiger
Music Consumer Innovation
Amazon Music, Spatial Audio
Apple Music, Spatial Audio With Dolby Atmos
SoundCloud, Fan-powered royalties
TikTok, TikTok Music
Vampr Inc., Vampr Happy Hour
YouTube, ABBA Voyage Global Launch
YouTube, U2: The Virtual Road
YouTube, YouTube Shorts x Ed Sheeran
PR Campaign
ABBA, DawBell
Ed Sheeran, Atlantic Records
Ghetts, Run Music
Holly Humberstone, Artists’ Way
KSI, Carver PR
Lil Nas X, RCA Records
Little Simz, Good Machine/Wired PR
M1llionz, Wired PR
PinkPantheress, Satellite 414
Sam Fender, Chalk Press Agency
Self Esteem, Inside Out
Taylor Swift, Stoked PR
Promotions Team
Atlantic Records
Columbia Records
EMI Records
Island Records
Listen Up
Parlophone Records
Plugged In PR
Polydor Records
RCA Records
They Do
Warner Records
Your Army
Publisher Of The Year (sponsored by Milk & Honey)
Downtown Music Services
Kobalt Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Warner Chappell Music UK
Radio Show
BBC Introducing With Jasmine Takhar, BBC Asian Network
The Capital Weekender, MistaJam, Capital
Homegrown With Robert Bruce, Capital Xtra
Breakfast With Yinka and Shayna Marie, Capital Xtra
Future Sounds With Clara Amfo, BBC Radio 1
Jo Whiley, BBC Radio 2
Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 6 Music
Future Artists With Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1
Snoochie Shy, BBC Radio 1Xtra
Steve Lamacq Show, BBC Radio 6 Music
The Dotty Show, Apple Music Radio
The Skin Show, Absolute Radio
Radio Station (sponsored by PPL)
Absolute Radio
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 6 Music
Capital Dance
Capital Xtra
Kerrang! Radio
KISS
Planet Rock
Record Company
Atlantic Records UK
Columbia Records
Decca Records
EMI Records
Insanity Records
Island Records
Ministry Of Sound
Parlophone Records
Polydor Records
RCA Records
Warner Records UK
Sales Team
[Integral] UK
Lasgo Chrysalis Ltd
The Orchard
Proper Music Group
Republic Of Music
Sony Music UK
Virgin Music UK
Sync Team Of The Year
Beggars Group Media
BT Sport Music
Hipgnosis
Kobalt Music Publishing
Sentric
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Records (Globe)
Warner Music UK
Warner Chappell Music UK
Wise Music Group
Ticketing Company
Ents24
Event Genius
Eventim
Skiddle
Ticketmaster UK
Twickets
The Strat - judged by Music Week
For table or seat bookings, please contact Kate Smith, customer relations manager: kate.smith@futurenet.com
For information about sponsorship opportunities at the Music Week Awards 2022, please contact advertising manager Helen Hughes: helen.hughes@futurenet.com
