Now in its fourth year, the Black Music Coalition’s Excellence Honourees initiative recognises emerging talent changing the industry. Here, chair Sheryl Nwosu introduces this year’s Honourees and reflects on the impact and importance of the project...
WORDS: SHERYL NWOSU
PHOTO: CALVIN CEILE
As the BMC started looking towards the fourth year of our Excellence Honourees awards, the team and I sat down and reflected that we were also coming up to our fifth birthday as an organisation. It was an opportune pit-stop to take stock of not just who would make the longlist of potential Honourees, but also what we wanted to celebrate by continuing these awards, which have now become a staple in our year.
When we created the BMC, we didn’t know the road that lay ahead. In 2020, at the flashpoint of Blackout Tuesday, we, along with many others, were all resolutely passionate about what would become our overarching cause, namely the eradication of anti-Black racism in the music industry. But for the BMC specifically, it was also about creating a space where Black music executives – and supporting, celebrating and recognising their experiences – would be the primary focus. Through each year since, we’ve remained steadfast in ensuring that Black music, Black creatives and execs remain at the centre of what we do.
This five-year point was also a moment to look at the industry and all the names put forward to us with a bit of a retrospective lens on. Through the nominations, our observations and discussions, the word ‘despite’ continuously came up. As we talked and counted votes, we realised that these execs were excelling despite the difficulties facing various areas of the industry. Their passion remained and, through their work, it shone through.
And so it was with this in mind that this year’s Honourees were selected: these execs were lauded for pressing forward despite obstacles, creating their own spaces and in turn their own successes despite notable downturns, and it is fair to say that our final picks really stood out in this respect.
This year’s Honourees embody excellence, resilience, creativity and transformation, and so it’s with a real sense of pride that we honour them
Sheryl Nwosu
This year’s Honourees embody excellence, resilience, creativity and transformation, and so it’s with a real sense of pride that we honour them. In my view, they represent the very best of the talent the UK music industry has in its ranks: diverse, dynamic, innovative, sharp and community minded – and those are just a few of their combined qualities. Between them, they are claiming their own professional space while also making ways for diasporic connections, building and adding to the music industry by cultivating and guiding rising music stars or navigating and solidifying the paths of more seasoned artists. They are creating organisations which are unapologetic in their aim to highlight and importantly respect the culture whilst dealing with the commerce, and moving upwards in the corporate space maintaining integrity and authenticity.
Announcing this year’s Honourees during the UK’s Black History Month is a serendipitous happenstance brought largely about by schedule and capacity, but I am personally delighted about it. Despite promises of change it is now undeniably clear that the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion have slipped to all but a footnote on many an agenda. Black History Month therefore provides a moment to reflect loudly on the stories and successes of Black professionals across all industries.
This is why we are passionate about our Honourees, because shining a spotlight on Black executives’ stories is important in building what will be not only their individual legacies, but also the shared legacy of the UK music industry. I’m so pleased to announce this year’s Excellence Honourees as:
Alex Omisesan (founder, Late Bloomer & artist manager, Nemzzz)
Chris Chance (CEO & director, Single Channel Films)
Janay Marie (founder & managing director, Tallawah Agency)
Kara Harris (senior promoter, Live Nation)
Keecia Ellis (founder/director, Rekodi Music)
Nasra Artan (head of international A&R, Sony Music Publishing)
Neicee Oakley (tour manager & co-founder, Blk Kactus)
Nnamdi Okafor (senior manager, global commercial partnerships, AWAL)
Terry Appiasei (CEO, Golden Boy Entertainment/co-founder, Black Pearl Music Group)
Uchenna Ubawuchi (Twnty Four Music)
From all of us at the Black Music Coalition, congratulations! We see, support and salute you. Connect with us across our social platforms to learn more about this year’s Honourees, and if you are an exec of any background working in the UK music industry, we welcome you to join the BMC and be part of a growing body of executives who want to create a better, more equitable industry.
A massive thanks is once again due to Ben and George and all the team at Music Week for supporting the BMC and giving us this space to showcase this year's Honourees. Big shout out to photographer Cali who, as always, got the Honourees to ‘show us their best’, and set up the vibe for a brilliant shoot. Also, thank you to one of our membership benefit partners, the Qube Studio (in Acton) for providing the studio time and space.
Sheryl Nwosu (chair and co-founder, Black Music Coalition)
