Universal Music Group UK was the big winner at the Music Week Awards 2026.
The market-leading major secured five trophies on the night, including winning the double at the end of the evening – the two big awards for Record Company and A&R.
Polydor Label Group (PLG) triumphed in the Record Company category, while PLG label Capitol Records won the A&R Award.
The double victory represented the huge success of Sam Fender (Polydor) and Olivia Dean (Capitol), including their duet Rein Me In, which has just logged a 10th non-consecutive week at No.1 in the singles chart (1,582,258 units – Official Charts Company). It is now the joint longest-running UK No.1 by a male-female duo, matching the record set by Rihanna and Jay-Z's Umbrella in 2007. What’s more, no other British female artist has spent more weeks at No.1 with a song than Olivia Dean has now done with Rein Me In
As its chart impact continues with 29 weeks in the Top 10, Fender made a guest appearance at Dean’s O2 Arena shows this month. The artists had the two biggest UK album releases of 2025 with People Watching by Fender and The Art Of Loving by Dean – both since surging past platinum status (People Watching is 335,565 units and The Art Of Loving is 586,558 units)
The story of Grammys, BRIT and MOBO winner Olivia Dean’s emergence as a global superstar was a thread that ran across the Music Week Awards, where there was also a significant victory for her manager Emily Braham of Yo&Co as Manager Of The Year. Braham was congratulated backstage by the team at Sony Music Publishing, which also has Dean on its roster. Meanwhile, in the Independent Music Publisher category, Concord Music Publishing’s victory was in part thanks to their past relationship with Dean’s co-writer and producer Zach Nahome.
There were also mutual celebrations between Braham and the teams at Capitol and Polydor Label Group.
“So happy that Emily Braham won Manager Of The Year – Olivia’s success is nothing short of spectacular and Emily, alongside Sarah [Howell], is truly in lock-step with Olivia,” Capitol president Jo Charrington told Music Week. “Tom [Paul, MD] myself and the team love working with them. It’s wonderful to see so many wins for team Olivia.”
Jo Charrington collecting the A&R Award with the Capitol team
Polydor Label Group has now won four times in the last decade – more than any other record company. As well as Olivia Dean and Sam Fender, PLG has made an impact in the past year with Lewis Capaldi, Florence + The Machine, Self Esteem, Holly Humberstone and dance acts Chrystal and Jazzy, alongside international stars such as Olivia Rodrigro, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar.
As well as being the label home of Sam Smith and Olivia Dean, Capitol’s A&R win recognises the development of new acts Sammy Virji and Divorce. The label has made an international impact this year with Only The Poets.
To celebrate their double win for Record Company and A&R, Music Week was joined backstage by Polydor Label Group president Ben Mortimer, Capitol Records president Jo Charrington, Capitol MD Tom Paul and PLG MD Jodie Cammidge to discuss their all-conquering campaigns and award-winning label strategy…
Olivia Dean’s success feels like the story of the Music Week Awards 2026, does that make these victories quite special?
Tom Paul: “It’s deserved for what she’s achieved this year.”
Jo Charrington: “Globally, yes, as well as in the UK. And we came together as a group with the Sam Fender collab, which is a huge hit.”
Ben Mortimer: “It’s the story!”
Jo Charrington: “Definitely.”
As it reaches 10 weeks at No.1, why do you think Rein Me In has resonated with such a wide audience? It’s not exactly a Sabrina Carpenter pop banger…
Ben Mortimer: “I think it is! It’s proven to be a hit.”
Jo Charrington: “When I heard it, I sent Richard Donovan [head of A&R, PLG] a message saying ‘that’s a No.1 record’ – it just took a long time. It’s the magic of those two artists, they’re both reaching their peaks, aren’t they?”
Ben Mortimer: “Yeah, we're really lucky. We've got two [artists] within the label group who I think are the most important artists in the country at the moment – and they're on the same song. We're very lucky.”
We've got two artists within the label group who I think are the most important artists in the country at the moment – and they're on the same song
Ben Mortimer
How painstaking was the A&R process on The Art Of Loving to get it just right?
Jo Charrington: “It was quite painstaking. And you take a lot of belief and a lot of confidence…”
Tom Paul: “And also there's the deadlines that I'm providing! But the creativity comes first.”
Jo Charrington: “We don't take anything for granted, I suppose. So we put the pressure on ourselves, don't we?
Ben Mortimer: “Yeah, you totally, as I believe the kids say, firmed it though as well, because there was pressure on it. And you were just able to be so single-vision to shut that noise out. It was really amazing to watch it.”
Jo Charrington: “Yeah, it's true, it’s true.”
How did Olivia Dean make that progression from an impressive debut to a global follow-up with The Art Of Loving?
Jo Charrington: “I just think she was evolving. She's very ambitious. Bringing Willem [Ward, A&R] on board was a game-changer for her. That was something she wanted to do. She had a very clear vision for what the record was going to be about. I think Willem bringing on Zach [Nahome] as an exec producer across the record was a game-changer. And also building the studio in the house in Hackney, creating that home-like atmosphere so that she could really relax and be herself, was crucial. So it was a real A&R job.”
Olivia is very ambitious… She had a very clear vision for what the record was going to be about
Jo Charrington
Tom Paul: “Also those songs from the debut [Messy] are having their peaks now. They just never had their moment when they originally came out. OK Love You Bye from the first EP is still peaking. So those songs were always quality, they just hadn’t found the audience yet – and now we have.”
The Art Of Loving is still supplying new hits, most recently with Baby Steps charting…
Tom Paul: “It did, last week. I think before this year [2025, the judging period], she had no Top 40 songs [apart from Amazon Original cover The Christmas Song], and now she’s got 12. But as I said, it's old songs, it's new songs. It's just people discovering Olivia, that is a joy. And once you find one song, you're searching for the next one.”
Jo Charrington: “It's the beauty of a catalogue, and breaking an artist slightly later means that they're discovering the first record.”
Ben Mortimer collecting the Record Company trophy
While the music industry has always been competitive, does it feels like everyone is cheering everyone else on at the moment with every UK artist success?
Ben Mortimer: “I totally agree with that. I think it's because it was, in truth, quite a tough period. British acts were not really coming through. Any success is generally celebrated across the whole business now, it's good for all of us. So I totally agree with that. And there's been a lot of change, especially at major labels, where there has been a lot of restructuring and changes. I've worked with some of the people at Polydor for 15 years, but [with the formation of Polydor Label Group in 2024] these were new relationships. We were kind of thrown together.”
Jo Charrington: “Luckily, the artists helped us work it out really.”
Ben Mortimer: “We had these incredible artist campaigns about to launch, Olivia, Sam Fender. So it was like – okay we're going to have to gel together quickly. And you know, I think it's testament to everyone that we managed it. There were a few little bumps, but we got there.”
At the Grammys this year, it felt like British music was cutting through again.
Tom Paul
Tom Paul: “At the Grammys this year, Olivia won Best New Artist. But then when Lola Young won [Best Pop Solo Performance], we were equally excited for that moment as well. It felt like British music was cutting through again.”
Jo Charrington: “I think that's also probably testament to the energy that Dickon [Stainer, Universal Music Group UK CEO & chairman] has brought as a leader to us as well, that global outlook and rooting for us all.”
And he's here tonight, celebrating as well…
Jo Charrington: “Yeah, he’s so supportive.”
As well as getting Olivia Dean and Sam Fender together on the track, Sam also appeared at her O2 Arena shows…
Jo Charrington: “Yes, he did, I had so many reports saying, ‘I've never heard screams that loud’. It was the moment that I think the public had been waiting for for months, wasn't it?
Jodie Cammidge: “That song had only actually been performed four times as of last weekend [before the O2 shows], so now it's been performed six times.”
Jo Charrington: “Jodie definitely made sure that performance happened.”
Jodie Cammidge: “Everyone was obviously delighted, but I think it felt like it was such a big moment for both artists. And I think, like Jo just said, people have been desperate for that, and it's finally happened, and the song’s peaking again. It's No.1 for a 10th week. It's just completely blowing everybody's minds constantly.
Tom Paul: “And it’s fueled by Rein Me In winning the BRIT Award as well for Song Of The Year.”
Jo Charrington: “Of the decade!”
Ben, where do you think Sam Fender can go from here?
Ben Mortimer: “He's definitely working hard. I think he's feeling incredibly inspired by everything that's happened with Rein Me In. I think watching Olivia, it's pushing him on and he's got global ambition – this song's opened doors for him around the world. He’s had his first hit in Australia, New Zealand it has been No.1; Belgium, Holland, you know, it's really moving. So he's really ambitious. We're really ambitious.”
Will Lewis Capaldi be coming back with a new album?
Ben Mortimer: “Yeah, he's working on it. He's just such a lovable guy. We're all just rooting for him. He's just great fun, and it's good to see him doing well.”
Polydor is also strong in dance music – including the Chaos label – is that an area you are focused on, Ben?
Ben Mortimer: “We always have a dance hit every year.”
Jo Charrington: “Chrystal was a massive one this year.
Ben Mortimer: “It’s a global hit and it wasn't an obvious record – it's a UK garage remix of a song about smoking weed in the park. But it went around the world, and I think that that was just another good example of Britishness getting out there, taking over. So, yeah, I do love a rave! (laughter)”
You are also having a good run of success with Jazzy…
Ben Mortimer: “She's going to have a brilliant year, the music is phenomenal.”
This is the fourth win for Polydor in the last decade, how do you remain so competitive?
Ben Mortimer: “I’m not counting but yes, you’re right, it is four.”
Jodie Cammidge: “It's the first for Polydor Label Group, I think that's the most important part of it actually. We've come together as a group, and it's a whole fresh new beginning. It's not Polydor any more, it's Polydor Label Group. We're a family now and, honestly, with everybody that's around us now, with the three presidents and also the central team within Universal – Ben shouted all of them all out on stage – it just feels like a completely different place. The wins in the past have been great, but honestly, in the way that the company's restructured and changed over the last 18 months, this one feels even more important to us.”
We've come together as a group, and it's a whole fresh new beginning
Jodie Cammidge
Olivia Dean has come to define the Capitol label in the past year but you have also had other A&R successes, such as Sammy Virji…
Tom Paul: “Also, Sam Smith obviously defined us from the beginning and will continue to define us. Sam’s about to release their fifth album…”
Jo Charrington: “We’re working with new and established artists.”
Tom Paul: “We’ve got Sammy Virji in dance. We've got a label deal with Gravity. We've got Divorce, who are up for an Ivor as Best New Artist. We are way more diverse than we've ever been, and it's exciting.”
Following this win, what is coming up for Polydor?
Ben Mortimer: “There's tons, we had A&R meetings today with Sir Lucian [Grainge, UMG CEO & chairman]. So it's all fresh in our minds. I was absolutely blown away by the new stuff that's coming. Charlie Jeer’s so exciting; Arthur Hill on Capitol; Polydor has signed a band called Bleech 9:3, you can just feel great things happening around them already. Alec [Boateng] and the 0207 Def Jam team have signed some really great artists – Kitty Hall and Cikho, who’s really really exciting, they've just closed that. There's really good stuff to come, big returning stuff – Jazzy, like you mentioned, Lana Del Rey, the Rolling Stones, The Cure. It's busy, and then there are all of our American artists as well. We're expecting a brilliant year with Olivia Rodrigo.”
Does Sir Lucian take a lot of interest in the UK companies?
Ben Mortimer: “He does. And definitely anything that's on Polydor he takes an interest in, having been there himself. He really cares about the UK still, which is great and inspiring for us. He's a very inspiring, intelligent leader.”
Congratulations again. The bar is set very high at the moment for Polydor, how will you build on this?
Ben Mortimer: “It's going to be hard to do a year like that [again]. But it resets and we go again – yeah, I think we can do it.”
Click here to discover all the winners at the Music Week Awards 2026.
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