Not long after merging as part of Universal Music Group UK’s restructure, Island EMI Label Group did a coveted double and won both the Record Company and A&R categories at the Music Week Awards. And the good times have kept rolling, with Lola Young, The Last Dinner Party and more all flying high. Here, group president Louis Bloom, MD Lucy Dann and Nicola Spokes – who is MD of its new department, The Collective – reflect on “the culmination of a roller coaster of emotions” and share their plans to build on the company’s iconic legacy...
WORDS: James Hanley
PHOTOS: Carsten Windhorst & Gerard Hynes
Island EMI’s stunning double victory at the Music Week Awards in May was already cause for celebration – but sharing the moment with a legendary figure from Island’s past made it truly unforgettable.
The team were joined by the label’s founder Chris Blackwell on their night of glory at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. The merged label group came out on top in the Record Company and A&R categories 66 years to the day that Blackwell birthed Island Records.
“That was incredible,” grins Island EMI president Louis Bloom today. “He is a visionary. When we celebrate our roster from the past, that’s his legacy – and he’s seeing that we are continually giving life to that legacy. Everyone goes, ‘Of course, Island is going to be great because it had Bob Marley and U2’, but there are other labels with great artists that don’t mean anything anymore. You’ve got to keep working and be focused on what’s new and relevant – whether that’s new artists, executives or strategies – and that’s what we are doing.”
Bloom highlights the hallowed past of EMI, for reasons both personal and professional.
“EMI probably meant more than anything to me because of The Beatles, and because of my dad [10cc’s Graham Gouldman], and Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Queen and Elton John,” he says.
Bloom was thrilled to see the newly formed group – which he reveals is working on an upcoming collaboration with Simon Cowell and SyCo – recognised by its peers.
“To get those awards does mean a lot, because it’s the coming together of a roller coaster of emotions,” he reflects. “The journey has been incredible and it really is just the start for us. I’m literally doing my dream job, looking after EMI as well as Island.”
The triumph resonated just as deeply with former Ministry Of Sound exec Nicola Spokes, who was UK label head at Caroline International before joining Island as MD in 2021. Her new role sees her spearheading its new division The Collective (more on which later).
“When Louis and I first met at the end of 2020, one of the first things we talked about was, ‘How can we get this label to a stage where we’re winning the Music Week Record Company award?’ So it meant so much – and to have Chris there was the icing on the cake,” she smiles.
The two iconic record companies were combined as Island EMI Label Group as part of the huge restructure of Universal Music Group UK’s frontline operations last year. Spokes serves alongside Island EMI MD Lucy Dann, who became EMI managing director in 2023 after a decade at Universal stablemate Polydor Records.
“I’ve been working with Louis and Nicola for about a year now, and it’s been brilliant,” says Dann. “We all bring something completely different, but we find ways to move forward within that. We approach things with a fair democracy and everyone has a fair share of voice.”
Clearly, the alchemy is working. The Last Dinner Party’s Prelude To Ecstasy (which has 125,357 sales to date, according to the Official Charts Company) achieved the best-selling debut chart appearance by a band since 2015 and is now gold-certified, with lead single Nothing Matters (586,468 sales) also gleaming gold.
Elsewhere on the Island EMI roster, English Teacher’s debut album, This Could Be Texas, was the winner of the 2024 Mercury Prize, while BRIT-nominated R&B trio FLO scored a Top 3 album in the UK with their debut LP Access All Areas last November and made history by performing the biggest US tour for a UK girl group since the Spice Girls. The label has also worked on the K-Pop Demon Hunters phenomenon this year.
Of course, that’s all without mentioning Lola Young, whose global hit Messy (1,515,765 sales) spent four weeks at No.1 and 51 weeks in the Top 100 in the UK, where it has gone double platinum. Internationally, it became the No.1 most-added track at US Top 40 Radio, reached No.5 on the Global 200, and topped the Shazam chart in eight countries. It also covered Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits playlist and hit No.1 on TikTok’s Top 50 chart. Also last year, Hozier’s Too Sweet was the fifth biggest-selling single in the UK, the highest placing on the list for a UK-signed act.
“Hozier’s in a league of his own, and becoming one of the biggest artists in the world,” hails Bloom, who signed the Irish star. “We have worked with him for some time and we’re in awe of his talent, dedication and vision. We’re beyond excited for what’s to come.
“We’re always looking to work with the very best,” he continues. “We don’t do things for the sake of it, we just sign what’s great. But we do see gaps in the market, like FLO, where we kind of made the market. We went out and sought a girl band. But it has to [already] exist. That whole nonsense about [The Last Dinner Party being industry plants], I wish we were that good that we could create something that amazing! We see it, we spot it, we care for it, we nurture it, and then we celebrate it. That’s our way.”
When it comes to the wider picture, Bloom subscribes to the adage that a rising tide lifts all boats.
“Everything has to come together to break through in such a fragmented market,” he reasons. “If everyone’s not aligned, then we won’t make a dent. That’s why when something happens like Olivia Dean – who is not on our books – we celebrate it massively. It’s fucking great for the UK music industry, therefore it’s good for everyone, and every record company should be supporting it. It means we’re relevant. It means we’ve got clout. It means we can make an impact.”
Tipping his hat to Universal Music Group UK CEO & chairman Dickon Stainer, Bloom lavishes praise upon his fellow UMG bosses and trumpets the wider culture at the major.
“We care so much,” says the president. “We’re music-first. We’re beyond passionate. We love what we do, and we all actually miss it when we go on holiday.”
Our encounter with Bloom, Spokes and Dann offers up living proof of this fervent dedication. Here, the trio break down a new era that has raced out of the starting blocks…
To start us off, how did you feel when you got the call about the merger, Louis?
Louis Bloom: “Oh my God, I could not believe it. I literally fell off my chair. I didn’t see it coming, but I never see anything coming like this, because I just have my head down and I don’t think politically. I’ve never thought like that. When I was head of A&R, I never thought I’d be president of Island, I was always very happy in that role. When it came, I embraced it and I was so excited, but I never even imagined I would be able to run EMI, so it’s a dream.”
In short, what is your vision for Island EMI?
LB: “That’s an easy answer – to be the leading home of artist development, but there is a difference between Island and EMI. I know the header says Island EMI, but there is a distinction: they both have the same values in terms of being the leading home of artist development, but are doing it in slightly different ways in different genres. We’ve just moved out of the office and we’re going to move back in February, the point being that we’ve been given the opportunity to refurbish and to set out the different identities of the labels. Island has always been about culture, subculture, counter-culture – it’s going to be a bit more alternative in the artists we sign – and EMI is going to be more of a pop label. When I look at the history of EMI, it’s Elton, it’s the Spice Girls, it’s The Beatles. It’s exporting pop from this country around the world and that’s what we want to focus on. Not that Island doesn’t have the same ambition, but that’s going to be done in a more subversive way.”
How do you plan to ensure that EMI keeps its identity through all this?
Lucy Dann: “It’s a really good question. We’ve got unbelievable artists on EMI, which is the most critical piece of all. For us, it’s about working with the artists who have very consistent campaigns sonically and creatively, and making sure the team on EMI are the best people to do the job. And I really believe that they are.”
LB: “We draw on the history of the label – that’s what we always did at Island. When I signed Mumford & Sons, or Hozier, or Ben Howard, I was drawing on the past of Nick Drake, John Martyn, Cat Stevens… the history of folk and singer-songwriters. There’s this beautiful lineage, and so it always made sense that we were signing artists that had a foot in the past in terms of influence, but who were reinventing the genre. And now the icons [pictured] on the wall are those acts that we signed, like Mumfords, Hozier, and they influence the next generation. It’s this virtuous circle, and it’s the same with EMI. Yes, of course it’s about the music, but it’s also about how it changed culture; and that is what pop music is for. So that is the ambition for EMI. That’s how big we’re thinking. It’s not just about music, it’s about culture and it’s amazing that we’re being backed to do this. We’ve got Dickon Stainer, who is relentless in the conversation about global breaks. We’ve got Sir Lucian Grainge, who comes to this country all the time, holds A&R meetings and reveres the UK. We’re in this amazing position to take these artists and break them throughout the world. This consolidation of Island EMI gives us more resources and clout than any other record company in the country. How do you compete with America? Well, we’ve got that scale, we’ve got that infrastructure, we’ve got the backing to really do that.”
How have you all found working with Dickon so far?
Nicola Spokes: “It’s been amazing to see him be so hands-on and so demonstrably passionate about artist projects. One of my first interactions with him was when he came into an artist planning meeting, which was just incredible to see. That immediately signalled how important that artist project is and how important we are to him as a label. He is really involved in driving things through, and pushing things into action. You can really feel it in the wider business, but most importantly, in the label and on the floor.”
LD: “He’s very clear with the overall vision, but also really approachable. He feels like one of us, but is very clearly the leader. I’ve really enjoyed working with him and the future feels very exciting under his leadership.”
LB: “Dickon is a remarkable executive. He’s an incredible leader. He’s a very dynamic guy, and he’s in the detail, but he’s also incredibly empowering and it is such a beautiful combination. He believes in us as executives and makes us do our very best work. Label identity is so important and, because we’re in the weeds, we’re empowered to make the changes that are right for the artist – because we see what the artist needs every single day. We’re allowed to make not just the micro decisions, but the macro decisions on behalf of them, and Dickon empowers that.”
What do you make of these new label structures and how Universal is now operating in the UK?
NS: “We’ve talked a lot before about the immediate family – the label around us – but we’ve also got this extended family of Nickie Owen leading the International Marketing department and Rebecca Allen leading the Audience, Media and Strategy [AMS] team. You’re surrounded by the best of the best in all fields. Whether it’s creator, marketing, audience, promotions, the people that we’ve got wrapped around us as a label are of the highest calibre.”
LD: “Working with Becky is always a joy. I’ve learned so much from her and we’re constantly checking in with each other. All we’re ever doing is looking at the artist, figuring out what the ambition and objective is, and getting the best people across the whole business to work on it to get the result we want. That’s what we can now do with this AMS team. Every single leader is excellent and when we all come together, you can feel it in the room. The structure is working really well. Here we are a year in and, of course, it takes time to figure everything out. We’re always checking how to improve things, but overall it’s been a brilliant experience with a hell of a lot of learning.”
Nicola and Lucy, how does the new MD structure operate in practice?
NS: “Lucy is leading on the frontline artist roster side, if you like, and I’m helming this whole new area called The Collective, including managing EMI North. The yin and the yang of that works really well on a day-to-day level, but aside from that we support each other. It’s a big label and these are big roles, and it’s just been amazing to have Lucy there – someone that completely gets every nuance of the job – to be able to bounce stuff off. The coming together of the Island and EMI teams has been seamless. It certainly gave me a lot of heart and it’s been brilliant to make this connection with Lucy as part of that.”
LD: “It’s a huge role and I’ve got extremely big boots to fill. To be honest, when I met Louis and Nicola, there was a small part of me that thought, ‘Can I do this with two young children at home?’ And I want to say that on the record, because I want other women to read this and see that there is a world in which you can take big jobs. There were a few weeks where I maybe didn’t think I could and I was a bit nervous, but I’m surrounded by unbelievable people. Nicola has been more than supportive; I’ve learned so much from her and we love working together, and Louis is one of life’s good people. I’m still learning, but I think we’re all in a good place.”
LB: “Working with Lucy has been incredible. She is the most amazing executive, she is incredibly creative, cares deeply and people love her. And Nicola is the most remarkable person and an incredible executive. I genuinely feel so lucky to be working with both of them. I’ve searched all my life for great executives and they are as hard to find as great artists. Nicola had been very much part of the Island journey and now she’s working on The Collective, a new company set up to find the new entrepreneurs on the outside. There’s no one better placed than Nicola to run that.”
What more can you tell us about The Collective?
NS: “As well as building incredible artist rosters, the greatest labels have also always had incredible, entrepreneurial A&R talent, and we are building a label stable led by brilliant A&R entrepreneurs. It includes EMI North, which has an office up in Leeds helmed by Scott Lewis, and a couple of labels already within the Island EMI stable, but a lot of new talent as well. I think it really plays to my strengths to be able to develop a new stable of next gen A&R entrepreneurs, and these two great labels have entrepreneurialism imbued in them. You’ve got Chris Blackwell on the Island side and then Richard Branson, with his Virgin DNA, on the EMI side. For me to have the opportunity to helm an area where we could find those next Blackwells and Bransons is really exciting.”
Louis, what have you learned from overseeing two legendary labels at once?
LB: “How to have a nice glass of wine at the end of the day to relax! I like the fact that we have so much choice as to where to put our attention. But then you have to narrow it down, and that’s the skill. Every day, you’re making decisions: which creatives you collaborate with, what team you put around an artist, what the right strategies are. When you’re forced into concentrating, you realise what’s great because everything is on such a high level. We’re working with the very best people, the very best artists and the standards are so high. That’s why I feel so confident about what we’ve got coming up in terms of new music and artists, because I think it’s the very best of British music at the moment.”
Part of the job has, of course, included getting to know legendary figures on the EMI side such as Elton John. What’s it been like getting acquainted with him?
LB: “When I got the EMI gig, that came into my head immediately. I was so excited because I was obsessed – and am obsessed – with him as an artist, and now I’m obsessed with him as a human being, because it’s just so obvious why he’s had the career he’s had. Not just for the music, but his energy, his humour and his kindness. It’s like going into an A&R meeting with him every time we speak, he’s so insightful. He’s like, ‘You should use this producer here. Why don’t you try this out? Are you sure you went with the right single there? Who directed that video?’ He knows everything, and he’s right all the time. We’re a lucky country to have an ambassador like him for UK music.”
In terms of the role of a record label, what do you think artists want and need right now?
LD: “I think they need someone to hold their hand and guide them to get their vision realised. It’s about building creative partnerships and plugging into different teams. An artist can come to us for a full team of experts to get their project into the world in a time when it’s difficult to make a dent, and our pre-existing relationships globally help augment that message.”
To what extent have your deals evolved to reflect the ever-changing world of today’s business?
NS: “When I meet an artist for the first time, if I have to give them one piece of advice, it’s always about signing to people. In a world where authenticity is more important than ever, being paired with a team that you feel will hold that authenticity dear and help you create your vision around it is more important than whatever form the deal may take.”
LB: “We’re not just competing with other majors, we’re competing with distro, we’re competing with indies. We’ve got America coming in, trying to steal our lunch. I believe in competition, I embrace it. It makes you the best version of yourself, I really believe that, so we have to move with the times and be flexible where we can be. The ultimate aim of all of it is to have a long, meaningful relationship with an artist over a long period of time. But how do you get to that point? How do you attract entrepreneurs? How do you attract the more innovative artists out there? That’s the question we ask ourselves every day.”
Why do you think you’ve had so much success with cultivating superfans at the label?
LB: “It’s not new to us. I feel that a lot of people are playing catch-up when it’s in our bones. [Senior director of streaming & commerce] Al Smith has got this great line, which is, ‘Your database is your pension’.”
NS: “We have an incredible team, and how we collect and collate fan data is our bread and butter. But in order to attract those fans and build that relationship in the first place, the artist has to have a strength of creative vision. Every single day, we talk about world building around the artists, and bringing fans into that world is what enables that dialogue to happen in its myriad forms. It all spins off from the artist having a brilliant visual world created for them. And Studio Island, our in-house creative studio, is just the best of the best.”
Are there lessons you can take from the big chart stories of 2025 as we approach the end of the year?
LD: “Consistency is key. You’ve got to be consistent and persistent, have clarity on the artist proposition and partner with the wider team to make sure the artist has an amazing live plot and is being seen in as many places as possible. It almost feels like a return to the traditional way of breaking an artist, just on different platforms. I’m sure anyone with children at home has been overtaken by K-Pop Demon Hunters. I think it’s my son’s first entry into music. One thing you can’t predict is catching a cultural wave, but the more persistent and consistent you are, the more you’re going to pick up people along the way.”
What have you made of the UK’s progress on the international stage this year?
LB: “Coming out of Covid was tough for the UK industry, but Olivia Dean and Lola Young are going to be here for the next five, 10, 15 years. They’re career artists. FLO are going to break next year, I’m 100% convinced of it. They’re going to be a phenomenon. There’s lots more to come from the UK, but I’m putting them at the top of our priority list at the moment.”
Speaking of Lola Young, how do you assess the different stages of her breakthrough?
LB: “Lola always had the kind of top-tier talent that you rarely see. It always takes that special spark to cut through, and it wasn’t just Messy, there were a few points leading up to it. You had people like Tyler, The Creator supporting her before she had a hit. We signed her about six years ago, and then two years ago it suddenly started to work with the song Don’t Hate Me, so we knew it was coming. She is not only one of the all-time great talents, she’s among the all-time great people. She’s the most amazing soul.”
What did you learn from her having to cancel her tour this year?
LB: “She’s been very public about her mental health, so it’s something we’ve always been aware of and have done our best to manage. What was challenging is how ambitious she is and how she never wants to stop. Her dreams were coming true after all these years of work and she really wanted to keep going. But ultimately, she had to take a break and it’s something that we were obviously supportive of. We’ve never put commercial success ahead of her health and she recognises that, and now she’s got the help and is doing really well, I’m pleased to say. Let’s watch this space, but we’ll only move when she’s ready to move. We’re moving at her pace, not the market’s, and we always have done.”
As a label that has signed lots of bands in recent years, how is the landscape for new groups and guitar music?
LB: “Brilliant. Jack [Greengrass, head of A&R] and I have been on a mission. We find ourselves up against the independents, who we love and respect, more than anyone else, and we are winning some of those deals. We started with Sports Team and Easy Life, and now we’ve got Yard Act, English Teacher, The Last Dinner Party, Jacob Alon…”
NS: “And Westside Cowboy, a next tip for you there.”
LB: “We’ve just signed this band called Keo, managed by Tav [Stephen Taverner], Wolf Alice’s manager. Why did they sign with us? One of the reasons is because of our history with bands, and we’re convinced that one is going to break through. It’s been a while since one’s become Arctic Monkeys or Coldplay, but I think there’s enough happening in the scene to build one up that will dominate. We’re in something akin to the early phase of Britpop, hopefully.”
To finish, how do you reflect on Island EMI’s year so far?
LB: “It’s the start of something incredible. We don’t want success just for the sake of success, we want success because we deserve it. We want it because our artists are making the most incredible work. I love getting awards, of course, but the real win is in meaningful careers, that’s the objective. We want to be involved in musical history. We want to change people’s lives. I think about legacy – not for us, but for the labels that we work for. We’re just passing through, but we hope the label will go on forever and we want to give it our best shot.”
