It’s the news the music industry has been waiting for… After receiving yet another record-breaking number of entries, the finalists have been confirmed across 24 categories for the Music Week Awards 2023.
The biggest night in the music industry calendar returns to Evolution London in Battersea on Wednesday, May 24. We'll say this now: be sure to book tables here to avoid missing out on the hugely popular event – especially as the 2022 edition was our biggest ever Music Week Awards so far.
We are excited to say that the BPI is this year’s headline sponsor of the Music Week Awards 2023. Adding to the celebrations, the UK recorded music trade body is also marking its 50th anniversary this year.
Speaking about the partnership, Sophie Jones, BPI Chief Strategy Officer & Interim CEO, said: “Our 50th anniversary is both a special moment when we can recognise the achievements of the BPI and our label members and an important springboard to continue our essential work promoting British music around the many exciting opportunities that lie ahead. In this landmark year we are particularly delighted to sponsor the Music Week Awards – always a wonderful occasion when the music community comes together to celebrate its phenomenal talent and many brilliant successes.”
As well as our category sponsors (see below), the drinks reception is sponsored by Wise Music and the branding sponsor is Blinding Talent.
The Music Week Awards is the only ceremony that recognises achievement across the whole industry, including labels, music publishers, live, radio, marketing and PR. Each year, these prestigious awards are peer-voted and judged by an independent panel of specialist judges. As well as the judged categories, The Strat is our special award decided by the Music Week team.
The finalists revealed today have set up some fascinating contests on the night across the hotly-contested categories. The entries represent achievements during 2022 – you can read the full list of finalists below.
A big one for the judges to consider will be Record Company, which sees 2022 victors Atlantic up against former winners Polydor (triumphant in 2019-21) as well as labels including 0207 Def Jam, Columbia, Decca, EMI, Insanity, Island, Ministry Of Sound, Parlophone, RCA and Warner Records.
New for 2023, the International Marketing Team Of The Year recognises the success of UK labels in growing the profile of acts in global territories. The category makes its bow this year with a contest between BMG UK, Partisan, PIAS, Sony Music Entertainment UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK.
The Independent Record Company category represents labels who have made an impact with acts across a range of genres, including Perfect Havoc, Defected, Partisan, Dead Oceans, Earache, Marshall, and more.
Following the victory for Team Adele at Columbia in 2022, the Artist Marketing Campaign category sees recognition for superstar acts including Harry Styles (Columbia), Stormzy (0207 Def Jam) and Taylor Swift (EMI), alongside rising stars such as Bad Boy Chiller Crew (Relentless), Rina Sawayama (Dirty Hit), Cat Burns (Since ‘93/RCA), Eliza Rose (Warner Records/One House), Sam Ryder (Parlophone) and Yard Act (Island).
This year’s ceremony also sees the return of popular category Festival Of The Year, with 2022 the first full season of events since Covid. The category will be contested by events including Bluedot, BST Hyde Park, Creamfields, End Of The Road, Liverpool Sound City, Reading & Leeds Festival, Southbank Centre: Grace Jones’ Meltdown, Standon Calling, Tramlines, TRNSMT and Wireless Festival.
As ever, Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene (supported by Music Venue Trust) will be decided by public vote which runs until 5pm on March 31 – click here to take part in the voting.
Radio Station (sponsored by PPL) will be a contest between the BBC and commercial stations, including BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music, Absolute Radio, Capital Dance, Hits Radio Network and Reprezent Radio.
Good luck to all of this year’s finalists, who are listed below across the 24 categories.
Accountancy Firm Of The Year
CC Young & Co
Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman
Harris & Trotter LLP
Hentons
Prager Metis International
A&R Award (sponsored by BPI)
Atlantic Records
Columbia Records
EMI Records
Island Records
Kobalt Music Publishing
Parlophone Records
Polydor Records
RCA Label Group/Since ‘93
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Warner Chappell Music UK
Warner Records
Artist Marketing Campaign
Andrea, Matteo & Virginia Bocelli, Decca
Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Relentless
Cat Burns, Since ‘93/RCA
Charli XCX, Atlantic
Eliza Rose, Warner Records / One House
Florence + The Machine, Polydor
Harry Styles, Columbia
Rina Sawayama, Dirty Hit
Sam Ryder, Parlophone
Stormzy, 0207 Def Jam
Taylor Swift, EMI
Yard Act, Island
Catalogue Marketing Campaign
ABBA, Universal Music Recordings/Polar Music
The Beatles, Universal Music Recordings
David Bowie, Rhino/Warner Music
Coldplay, Warner Global Catalogue/Parlophone
George Michael, Sony Music CG
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, BMG/Trojan Records
Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes, Demon
Music Group
Steps – Platinum Collection, Sony Music
Festival Of The Year
Bluedot
BST Hyde Park
Creamfields
End Of The Road
Liverpool Sound City
Reading & Leeds Festival
Southbank Centre: Grace Jones’ Meltdown
Standon Calling
Tramlines
TRNSMT Festival
Wireless Festival
Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene – public voted (supported by Music Venue Trust)
Boileroom, Guildford
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Dubrek Studios, Derby
The Globe, Newcastle
King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
Leadmill, Sheffield
Le Pub, Newport
Night & Day Café, Manchester
Trinity Centre, Bristol
Windmill, Brixton
Independent Publisher Of The Year (sponsored by PRS For Music)
Concord Music Publishing
Defected
Downtown
Manners McDade
Peermusic
Phrased Differently
Reservoir
Sentric Music Group
Stellar Songs/Tim & Danny Music
Tileyard Music
Wise Music Group
Independent Record Company
Because Music
Concord Label Group
Dead Oceans
Defected
Dirty Hit
Domino
Earache
Marshall
Modern Sky
Partisan
Perfect Havoc
Play it Again Sam
International Marketing Team Of The Year
BMG UK
Partisan
PIAS
Sony Music Entertainment UK
Universal Music UK
Warner Music UK
Label/Artist Services
Absolute Label Services
ADA UK
AWAL
Believe
Cooking Vinyl
Ditto Music
FUGA
Ingrooves Music Group
[Integral] UK
The Orchard
Virgin Music
Live Music Agency
ATC Live
CAA
Mother Artists
Primary Talent International
Pure Represents
UTA
Wasserman Music
WME
X-Ray Touring
Live Music Promoter
AEG Presents UK
DHP Family
FKP Scorpio
Kilimanjaro Live
Live Nation Music UK
Senbla
SJM Concerts
Manager Of The Year
Michael Adex, NQ
Emma Greengrass/Ian McAndrew, Wildlife Entertainment
Ben Mawson/Ed Millett, TaP Music
David Furnish/Rachael Paley, Rocket Entertainment
Rob Harrison, Listen Generously
Ryan Lofthouse, Closer Artists
Sandy Abuah/Dion Sincere Lizzy/Markhenry Nwachukwu, TruTribe
Kate Hardwick/Sam Eldridge/Roy Eldridge, UROK Management
David May, Fifteen 04
Whitney Asomani/Matt Johnson
Jamie Oborne, All On Red Management
Music & Brand Partnership
The Absolut Choir x Olly Alexander x Absolut x M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment – Absolut Born to Mix
ArmonieJay, Aimee Vant/Brompton, Denzel Chain, Kyle Reppa & Sad Alex/TikTok x Universal Music Group x Republic Records x Syco Entertainment x Samsung – StemDrop
Aitch x Relentless x Kingdom Collective x Universal Music Globe – Aitch-S2
Amaria BB, Bellah, Sha Simone & Le Juiice x Puma UK x JD x Sony Music Entertainment UK/4th Floor Creative Group – Puma Mayze Stack
Becky Hill x Stefflon Don x Ultra Naté x Pepsi MAX – UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Final Show
Burna Boy x Burberry x UTA – Festive Campaign
Bury Tomorrow x Cradle Of Filth x Witch Fever x Activision Blizzard x Sony Music UK 4th Floor Creative/Music For Nations – Diablo Immortal
Central Cee x Jacquemus x UTA – Jacquemus’ Winter Line
Joy Crookes x Lexus x Sony Music UK 4th Floor Creative/Insanity Records – Lexus UX
Kylie Minogue x Peggy Gou x Magnum x Warner Music Artist & Brand Partners, WMX – Magnum #ClassicsRemixed
Lewis Capaldi x Activision x Universal Music Globe x UMG For Brands – Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Liam Gallagher x Clarks x Warner Music Artist & Brand Partners, WMX – LG Rambler
Music Consumer Innovation
Amazon Music UK x +44 x Stormzy – This Is What I Mean Campaign
Amazon Music UK x AWAL x Minecraft x Alfie Templeman – Mellow Moon Virtual Festival
Elton John x Rocket Entertainment x Vodafone – BST AR Experience
EMI x Bastille – Give Me The Future Campaign
Metropolis Studios – 5G Festival
Music Venue Trust/The National Lottery – Revive Live
Polydor & BRITs Digital Committee – BRIT Awards 2022 Digital Campaign
Serenade x Warner Records x Muse – Will Of The People Digital Pressing
Spotify, Rap UK Day 1 Club
Vevo, Vevo TV App
Virgin Music x Amazons – Digital Box Set NFT
YouTube, YouTube Shorts
PR Campaign
Beabadoobee, Inside/Out
Bob Vylan, Good As Gold
Denzel Curry, August
FLO, Artists’ Way
Foals, MoKho PR
Nia Archives, Triple Threat
Nova Twins, Public City
Rema, Emerald East
Rosalía, Columbia
Sam Ryder, DawBell
Stormzy, Wired PR
Wet Leg, Domino
Promotions Team (sponsored by Radiomonitor)
0207 Def Jam
Atlantic Records
Columbia Records
EMI
Island Records
Listen Up
Parlophone
Polydor
Plugged In PR
RCA
Warner Records
Your Army
Publisher Of The Year (sponsored by PRS For Music)
Kobalt Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Warner Chappell Music UK
Radio Show
BBC Introducing With Jasmine Takhar, BBC Asian Network
Elton John’s Rocket Hour, Apple Music 1
Ellie Prohan, KISS Nights Specialist Show, KISS
Future Artists With Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1
Future Sounds With Clara Amfo, BBC Radio 1
Jamz Supernova, BBC Radio 6 Music
Jo Whiley, BBC Radio 2
Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 6 Music
Rickie, Melvin & Charlie, BBC Radio 1
Romesh Ranganathan, For The Love Of Hip-Hop, BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 2
The Dotty Show, Apple Music 1
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
Hits Radio Network
Kerrang! Radio
KISS
Radio X
Reprezent Radio
Scala
Record Company (sponsored by Confetti Institute Of Creative Technologies)
0207 Def Jam
Atlantic Records
Columbia
Decca Records
EMI Records
Insanity Records
Island Records
Ministry Of Sound
Parlophone Records
Polydor Records
RCA Records
Warner Records UK
Sales Team of the year (sponsored by OCC)
[Integral] UK
Lasgo Chrysalis Ltd
The Orchard
Proper Music Group
Republic Of Music
Sony Music UK
Virgin Music UK
Warner Music UK
Sync Team Of The Year
AWAL
Beggars Group Media
BMG
Hipgnosis Song Management
Sentric
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Records (Globe)
Warner Chappell Music UK
Warner Music UK
Wise Music Group
Ticketing Company
AXS Europe
Dice
Eventim UK
Gigantic Tickets
Shoobs
Ticketmaster UK
Tixel
Twickets
Sponsors and partners so far confirmed for the 2023 Music Week Awards include the BPI, Wise Music, Confetti Media, PRS For Music, PPL, RadioMonitor, Official Charts Company, Blinding Talent and Music Venue Trust.
For table & ticket booking queries, please contact: Kate Smith, kate.smith@futurenet.com
Final call for 2023 sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Lara Jaggon, lara.jaggon@futurenet.com
