During this year’s Women In Music Awards, we inducted a host of trailblazing industry executives into the Roll Of Honour, in association with TikTok.
They join a huge list of previous honourees, including some of the leading names from across the business like Kanya King, Sarah Stennett, Emma Banks, Charisse Beaumont, Rebecca Allen, Stacey Tang, Shani Gonzales and Mary Anne Hobbs, who have been selected since the awards began in 2014. The Roll Of Honour aims to shine a spotlight on the variety of individuals who are leading the charge in the music industry and consistently using their platforms to support women, or focus on empowerment and gender disparity.
Following the Women In Music Awards ceremony, Music Week is running Q&A interviews with all of this year’s Roll Of Honour inductees.
Atlanta Cobb is a strategist, coach, and social media marketing powerhouse who has carved out a unique space at the intersection of artist development, audience building, and digital innovation. Indeed, Cobb has dedicated her entire life’s work to music – working across multiple areas of the industry, from artist management, indie and major label marketing to social media strategy – and championing emerging talent and amplifying voices that often go unheard.
Beginning her music industry journey first and foremost as a fan, she cut her teeth by building the first Florence And The Machine fan-made fan-page “The Florence & The Machine Army”, building it to over 100,000 followers whilst at high school. This early experience led Cobb, at just 15 years old, to work alongside Florence Welch’s creative director at London Fashion Week – a formative opportunity that would come full circle years later when she joined the marketing team at Island Records, the label instrumental in Florence’s rise. During her time at Island, Cobb contributed to high-profile album campaigns for artists such as Drake, Post Malone, and Jessie Ware.
Over the years, she also held roles at Metropolis Studios, Eurovision with Rockart Design, marketing at Columbia Records (The Script, Leonard Cohen, Leon) and four years in artist management, playing an imperative role in multiple platinum-hit successes whilst working in the management teams of Ella Henderson, Becky Hill and Cody Frost.
In 2022, Cobb founded her own two-time award-winning music coaching and consulting agency, Music Industry Mentor, focusing on empowering independent artists across the world with the knowledge, tools, and strategic clarity to build sustainable audiences and long-term careers in music.
In less than three years, Cobb has built over 100,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn organically by herself, gained recent AIM Award and Women In Music Award Nominations for “Best Entrepreneur" – as well as establishing herself as a trusted voice in the creator economy, speaking candidly about the realities of building a career in music, and advocating for better treatment of artists and working professionals in the music industry.
Cobb has also secured major brand partnerships for Music Industry Mentor with the likes of Spotify, BBC Introducing, PRS For Music, Roland, MusixMatch, Duetti, Symphonic and Ditto Music, and has featured in Business Insider, Yahoo! Entertainment, Daily Dot, with a recent invitation to join The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) as a professional member.
She is widely respected for her content that blends educational insights, artist empowerment, and behind-the-scenes industry knowledge – resonating with artists, managers, and executives alike – her work has impacted artists from over 85 countries and counting.
Beyond her work with artists, Cobb is also a sought-after speaker on some of the largest global industry stages, she regularly delivers guest workshops and keynotes for organisations such as: SXSW, The Great Escape, Eurosonic, the Hollywood Independent Music Awards, Goldsmiths University, Sussex University, ACM, BIMM, LCCM, Point Blank, and Beyond The Music.
Her mission has always been clear: to demystify the music industry, challenge outdated models, and provide real, actionable support to artists and professionals navigate the complexities of digital music culture to help democratise the industry.
How do you feel about joining the Roll Of Honour?
“Absolutely delighted! And really grateful to be acknowledged by Music Week. As a remote-based business, it can often feel really lonely doing this alone. And sometimes it can feel like you’re ‘out of the cool club’ as you’re not part of a bigger team. I’ve had to give everything to get to where I am today in my career – so it really does mean so much to be included for all of the hard, relentless work that I’ve poured into Music Industry Mentor. And having the support of such a trusted establishment behind you is so reassuring when you’re a business owner.”
How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?
“With a lot of pride! I was so full of energy, excitement and determination when I began working to make an abundant career for myself in music, no matter what hurdles I came up against. I’m very proud of my younger self for going ahead and doing the damn thing, learning and growing as I went, and for not letting rejection, fear or doubt get in the way or hold me back.”
Did you have a mentor at that stage?
“I did not! Structured mentoring programmes like Music Industry Mentor didn’t really exist back then. I also came into the industry not having any contacts or knowing anyone. Which is why I’m so passionate about giving as much professional mentoring as possible to so many people, because I know how hard and overwhelming it can be.”
The Women In Music Awards shines a light on inequality and deep-seated issues around this area in the music industry. Can you share any personal experiences or points of view on this topic?
“I’ve definitely felt the weight of inequality in my career. When I first entered the industry, I didn’t have contacts, family connections, or a mentor to lean on, and that alone put me at a huge disadvantage compared to others who did, it made me feel like I had to prove myself and ‘make an impact’ ten times more than others who did have those luxuries behind them. I’ve also seen how often opportunities are gate-kept and how women are sometimes expected to prove themselves twice over just to be taken seriously, or paid fairly. For me, one of the biggest challenges has been how invisible the work of women can feel at times. You can be delivering results, building careers, and breaking ground, yet still find your contributions overlooked or minimised. That’s part of why I built Music Industry Mentor – to give visibility and opportunity to those who might not otherwise get through the door. I think the conversation has shifted over the last few years, but progress isn’t linear. Until equality and fair access are woven into the very foundations of the business, it will take constant effort, advocacy, and collective accountability to create lasting change.”
Having started out in management, what led you to launch MIM?
“Honestly? It’s all down to hitting burnout whilst working at a management company in 2021, which led me to leave the music industry entirely for nine months to focus on rebuilding my mental health. During that time I re-established my love for helping artists, and through TikTok I found a way to impact thousands of independent musicians that needed my expertise and knowledge to help grow their careers. From existing inside the major label circuit of the industry throughout a lot of my career and then leaving it, it made me realise how much real-world help is gate-kept to independent artists, and how useful my knowledge is to that community. I love the process of building businesses, and knew I had what it took to go out on my own, I just needed a push to go after it with both hands, and turns out that push was the demise of my mental health! Once I took the leap of faith, it all became a very natural process for me, and everything started flowing (thank god for going viral). Since launching in 2022, everything has all been 100% in-demand, and organic via the power of social media, reputation, and network.”
What is the secret to your content – can you put your finger on why it’s cutting through in the way it is?
“I think it’s largely down to my content getting straight to the point. I aim to cut the noise and give people clear, practical steps they can put into action straight away and get results from, even before they go on to hire me! Everything I share comes from my own lived experience in the industry, so it’s never cookie-cutter advice, or stuff that I know hasn’t been tried and tested. I’ve also never tried to pretend I know it all or put on a front. I am simply me with my own experience on screen. What I have done is consistently back the underdog, fight for what’s right, and speak up when others can’t. That honesty and focus on real people’s challenges is what I believe makes it resonate with so many, which I’m endlessly grateful for as it’s changed my life for the better.”
I came into the industry not having any contacts or knowing anyone, which is why I’m so passionate about giving as much professional mentoring as possible – I know how hard and overwhelming it can be...
Atlanta Cobb
There’s a lot of talk about what’s wrong in the industry – your platform shines a light on the positive side and what’s possible. How do you see the future for the industry generally?
“I’ve been very intentional about focusing on what is possible. Not in a sugar-coated way, but because I’ve seen how easy it is to get stuck in a cycle of negative content about the industry, and then seeing how it stops talent from moving forward. If that’s all you consume, it shapes how you view your own career. I’ve had my fair share of being burnt and mistreated within the industry, however I believe you can still build your own experience by finding and connecting with the good people in music. And I want to show that it’s still possible to live a fulfilling life in this business, and sometimes people just need to see that hope and proof to keep going. I always encourage people to remember their ‘why’, especially in this business. The industry has made progress, but there’s still work to do when it comes to inclusivity, access, and supporting diverse voices.”
What’s your biggest achievement so far?
“Having the guts to walk away from a ‘safe job’ to build something entirely on my own when my mental health had hit rock bottom after working in such an intense job. To go on and rebuild myself from the ground up, to then seeing the domino-effect of my actions having an onwards impact across thousands of artists from more than 85 countries has not only restored my own self-belief and confidence in my professional skills, but also restore my love for working in the music industry. Taking that risk has opened the door for so many others: helping artists and managers go full-time, secure record deals, land management, get paid live shows, national TV sync placements, and millions of organic views and streams. It’s been incredible to be a part of so many artists, management and record label journeys in music – I truly love to see it when clients get long-lasting results like these.”
What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?
“Surround yourself with good, loyal people who will back you when you’re not in the room, and who will stick with you when the going gets tough. The right circle will make the biggest difference to your confidence, opportunities, and longevity in this business.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Lead with kindness, don’t be a dick, be mindful about who you take advice from, and always give more than you take.”
Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?
“Chelsea Wood, who's independently managing Finn Forster currently. She deserves so many flowers, and I know her breakthrough moment in her career is right around the corner.”
Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?
“Cristina Hart and Enna are ones to watch for sure.”
Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2025 so far?
“To have more fun with it, and really take this crazy journey all in – and enjoy the fruits of your labour! Not every season has to always be complete insane work hours, and it’s okay to rest – the business will not go up in flames if you take some time off. And lastly, to get more comfortable with outsourcing work to others, as a former-artist manager I find this the toughest one to learn, as it’s engrained in me to do absolutely everything, but it’s just not possible if you want to scale a business without hitting burnout. I’m looking forward to building out my team this year, and really looking after them and their talent.”
