It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for… After yet another year of record-breaking entries, we are excited to reveal the finalists for the Music Week Awards 2025.
Following on from last year’s star-studded event – which concluded with Peter Loraine being awarded the Strat honour by none other than Girls Aloud – we are returning to celebrate all of your achievements at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London on May 8. Tickets are available here – book early to avoid missing out.
As a reminder, the Music Week Awards remains the only ceremony in the British music business that recognises work conducted across a broad spectrum of the music industry – the place where the achievements of everyone from record labels and music publishers to live, radio, marketing, PR and more are celebrated in front of, well, everyone. Each year, our prestigious awards are peer-voted and judged by an independent panel of specialist judges.
As well as the 23 judged categories, The Strat is our special award decided by the Music Week team – read our history of The Strat for the full list of amazing executives who have been honoured over the years. Alongside Peter Loraine last year, recent winners include Emma Banks, Barbara Charone, Kanya King, Darcus Beese and Max Lousada. This year's winner will be revealed onstage on the night.
Already set to join us on are a host of sponsors and partners, with this year seeing SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Deezer, PRS For Music, Downtown, PPL, Radio Monitor, Official Charts Company, Music Venue Trust on board for the celebrations.
This year’s event will honour the work done between Jan 1 and December 31 2024 – a time period that saw everything from Charli XCX's Brat Summer (and Brat Winter) to big breakthroughs for Myles Smith and The Last Dinner Party, independent success stories from the likes of Fontaines DC and big comebacks by Dua Lipa, Coldplay, The Cure and the earth-stopping Oasis reunion.
There are going to be some fascinating contests across the categories at the awards. The full shortlist is below. But first let’s look at some key stories developing from it.
One of the biggest prizes on the night is, of course, the Record Company category. For the past two years it was claimed by EMI, now merged with Island. Island EMI will be up against fellow Universal company Polydor Label Group (who had a run of three victories from 2019 to 2021), 2022 champions Atlantic from Warner Music, as well as heavy hitters in the form of Columbia, Decca, Ministry Of Sound, RCA, Relentless, Robots + Humans and Warner Records Parlophone Label Group. It will make for a fascinating contest.
Island EMI president Louis Bloom and his team took home the A&R trophy last year and they are contenders once again following success in 2024 with Hozier, FLO, The Last Dinner Party, English Teacher, Nia Archives and more. The Universal company will be competing with strong entries from A&R teams across both labels and music publishers, including RCA, Warner Records/Parlophone Label Group, Atlantic, Columbia, Decca, EGA Distro, Ministry Of Sound, Polydor Label Group, Robots + Humans, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group and Warner Chappell Music UK.
The success of established stars and breakthrough talent is reflected in the Artist Marketing Campaign category, which recognises the teams behind releases from Aurora, Blossoms, Bring Me The Horizon, Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Kneecap, Nemzzz, Nia Archives, Nines, Rachel Chinouriri, Robbie Williams and The Cure.
Speaking of Charli XCX, her management team, Twiggy Rowley & Sam Pringle at Project Gold, are up for Manager Of The Year against managers from Chosen Music/FlyStr8, Spaceship Collective, Various Artists Management, Tileyard Music, Closer Artists, Fascination Management, UROK Management, Frame Artists, Tap Music and the teams behind Ghetts and D-Block Europe.
Warner Chappell Music UK were jubilant over their long-awaited triumph in the Publisher Of The Year category in 2024. They return this year to face BMG UK, Kobalt Music, Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group.
2024 champions EGA Distro return in the Independent Record Company category, in which the label faces a challenge from XL Recordings, as well as Communion Records, Concord Label Group, Defected Records, Dirty Hit, EMPIRE, Heavenly Recordings, Modern Sky UK, NQ Records, Partisan Records and The Other Songs Group.
Music Venue Trust returns to support the publicly voted Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene category – it follows a huge year for the sector with government encouraging the live sector to back proposals to help fund grassroots venues.
Good luck to all of this year’s finalists, who are listed below across the 23 categories, industry including teams in frontline labels, catalogue, music publishing, label/artist services, promoters, ticketing, live agencies, festivals, radio, marketing, PR, sales, sync and tech.
A&R Award (Sponsored by SoundCloud)
Atlantic
Columbia
Decca
EGA Distro
Island EMI Label Group
Ministry Of Sound
Polydor Label Group
RCA
Robots + Humans
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Warner Chappell Music UK
Warner Records/Parlophone Label Group
Artist Marketing Campaign (Sponsored by the Official Charts Company)
Aurora – Decca
Blossoms – Odd SK/The Orchard
Bring Me The Horizon – RCA
Charli XCX – Atlantic
Dua Lipa – Warner Records
Kneecap – Heavenly Recordings/[PIAS]
Nemzzz – ADA
Nia Archives – Island EMI Label Group
Nines – Zino Records/EGA Distro
Rachel Chinouriri – Parlophone
Robbie Williams – Columbia
The Cure – Polydor Label Group
Catalogue Marketing Campaign
Amy Winehouse – Universal Music Recordings
Bananarama – London Records
David Bowie – Rhino Records
George Harrison – Dark Horse/BMG
James Blunt – Atlantic
Mason & Princess Superstar – Armada Music UK
MF Doom – Rhymesayers/Secretly Distribution
Natasha Bedingfield – Sony Music Commercial Group
Oasis – Big Brother Recordings Ltd
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Universal Music Recordings/Polydor Label Group
Suede – Demon Music Group
Wham! – Sony Music Commercial Group
Festival Of The Year
American Express Presents BST Hyde Park
AVA Festival
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend
Bearded Theory
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Latitude Festival
Liverpool Sound City
Planet Rockstock
Reading & Leeds
Wireless
Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene (Supported by Music Venue Trust)
Camden Assembly, London
Little Buildings, Ouseburn, Newcastle
The Leadmill, Sheffield
The Bodega, Nottingham
The Boileroom CIC, Guildford
The Bunkhouse Music Venue, Swansea
The Half Moon, Putney
The Sugarmill, Stoke
Tunbridge Wells Forum, Kent
The Sound Lounge, Sutton
Independent Publisher Of The Year (Sponsored by PRS)
Beggars Music
Concord Music Publishing
Defected Music
Dirty Hit
Downtown Music Publishing
Phrased Differently
Reservoir
Sentric
Stellar Songs/Tim & Danny Music
Tileyard Music Publishing
Ultra Music Publishing
Young Songs
Independent Record Company (Sponsored by Downtown)
Communion Records
Concord Label Group
Defected Records
Dirty Hit
EGA Distro
EMPIRE
Heavenly Recordings
Modern Sky UK
NQ Records
Partisan Records
The Other Songs Group
XL Recordings
International Marketing Team Of The Year (Sponsored by Deezer)
Partisan Records
[PIAS]
Sony Music
The Orchard
Universal Music UK
Warner Music UK
Label/Artist Services Company
Absolute Label Services
ADA
AWAL
Believe
Cooking Vinyl Limited
EGA Distro
FUGA
[Integral] UK
Secretly Distribution
SoundOn/TikTok
The Orchard
Virgin Music Group
Live Music Agency
ATC Live
CAA
Earth Agency
Mother Artists
Primary Talent International
Pure Represents
UTA
WME
Live Music Promoter (Company)
AEG Presents UK
Communion ONE
DHP Family
Kilimanjaro Live
Live Nation
Metropolis Music
Music Plus Sport
Senbla
SJM Concerts
TEG Live Europe
Manager Of The Year
Alistair Goldsmith, Prof Jonathan Shalit OBE & Ade Shonubi – Chosen Music/FlyStr8
Bose Ogulu – Spaceship Collective
David Bianchi, Hannah Browne, Rebecca Dixon, Joseph Etchells, George Shepherd & Sheena Welch – Various Artists Management
Neil Hughes & Charlotte Malecki – Tileyard Music
Paul McDonald and Ryan Lofthouse – Closer Artists
Peter Loraine, Adam Klein & Sarah Jackson – Fascination Management
Sam Eldridge, Roy Eldridge and Kate Hardwick – UROK Management
Sophie Kennard & Becci Abbott Black – Frame Artists
Tony Beard & Liv Plunket – Tap Music
Trenton Harrison-Lewis, Daniel Tuffin & Akosua Scantlebury – Ghetts
Twiggy Rowley & Sam Pringle – Project Gold
Wes Banton – D-Block Europe
Music & Brand Partnership
Anne-Marie x Teddy Swims x Craig David/Wes Nelson x Rockstar Energy Drink x Truant London x UTA x WME - Summer of Music
Ayra Starr x Saint Harison x Platoon x Honda x Orci – Honda Stage
Black Sabbath x Adidas x Aston Villa FC x CAA – Kit Launch 2024/2025 Season
Burna Boy x G-Star x UTA – SS24 Global campaign
Cat Burns x New Balance x Wasserman x OKQ Agency – European Ambassador Partnership
Charli XCX x H&M x Warner Music – H&M Global Rebrand
Coldplay x Warner Music x FC Barcelona x Spotify – Moon Music FC Barcelona Partnership
Ezra Collective x Pale Waves x Maverick Sabre x Nova Twins x Metropolis Studios – Jack Daniel’s Presents Live To Vinyl
Laufey x AWAL x Microsoft – Microsoft Live Performances
Olivia Dean x DHL x Globe, Universal Music Group – From Rio With Love
Raye x O2 x Live Nation x Wasserman – Priority Gig At O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Tom Grennan x Gillette x Various Artists Management x Sony/4th Floor Creative x Insanity – The Best A Man Can Get
Music Consumer Innovation
Apple Music – Manchester In Focus
Bring Me The Horizon x RCA x 4th Floor Creative – Post Human: Nex Gen NFC Card
J Hus x 4th Floor Creative/Sony Music UK x Picnic Studios x P4SD – Alien Girl Interactive Video & Tokenised Engagement
Meta x BRIT Awards – BRIT Awards 2024 Digital-first Partnership
Music Glue – Ticket Access Pass
Saarey Music – Saarey Music App
Serenade x Whynow x Rise Records – Sum 41 x RockSound Collaboration
TikTok – Add To Music App
Universal Music UK x Yoto – Yoto Cards
Vodafone x Glastonbury – The Official Glastonbury App
PR Campaign
Beabadoobee – Inside Out
Central Cee – Wired PR
Charli XCX – Huxley
Dua Lipa – DawBell
English Teacher – Super Cat PR
Ezra Collective – August Agency
Idles – MoKho PR
Jade – Simon Jones PR
Nia Archives – 9T9T
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – The Outside Organisation
Oasis – DawBell/Fear PR
Rachel Chinouriri – Chalk Press Agency
Promotions Team Of The Year (Sponsored by Radio Monitor)
Atlantic
Brace Yourself PR
Columbia
Got Your Back
Listen Up
Plugged In
RCA
Virgin Music Group
Warner Records & Parlophone Label Group
Your Army Ltd
Publisher Of The Year (Sponsored by PRS For Music)
BMG UK
Kobalt Music
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Warner Chappell Music UK
Radio Show
Ace – The KISS R&B Show, KISS
Dotty – The Dotty Show, Apple Music 1
Elton John – Rocket Hour, Apple Music 1
Jack Saunders – New Music Show, BBC Radio 1
Jamz Supernova – BBC Radio 6 Music
Jasmine Takhar – The Official British Asian Music Chart, BBC Asian Network
Jordan North, Chris Stark & Siân Welby – Capital Breakfast, Capital
Jo Whiley – BBC Radio 2
Remi Burgz – BBC Radio 1Xtra
Rickie, Melvin and Charlie – BBC Radio 1
Romesh Ranganathan – For The Love Of Hip Hop, BBC Radio 2/Sounds
Steve Lamacq – BBC Radio 6 Music
Radio Station (Sponsored by PPL)
BBC Asian Network
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 6 Music
Capital Dance
Capital Xtra
Heart
Hits Radio
Kerrang! Radio
KISS
Radio X
Record Company (Sponsored by Amazon Music)
Atlantic
Columbia
Decca
Island EMI Label Group
Ministry Of Sound
Polydor Label Group
RCA
Relentless
Robots + Humans
Warner Records Parlophone Label Group
Sales Team Of The Year
Believe UK
[Integral] UK
Lasgo Worldwide Media
Proper Music Distribution
Sony Music UK
The Orchard
Virgin Music Group
Universal
Sync Team Of The Year
Beggars Group
Believe UK
BMG
Concord Music Publishing
Kobalt Music Publishing
Sentric
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Publishing
Warner Chappell Music UK
Warner Music
Universal Music Group, Globe
Universal Music Publishing Group
Ticketing Company
AXS Europe
Dice
Gigantic Tickets
Music Glue
Ticketmaster
Ticketek UK
Tixel
Twickets Limited
The Strat
To be awarded by the Music Week team
For information about sponsorship opportunities at the Music Week Awards 2024, please contact lawrence.cooke@futurenet.com for more information.
If you have any booking queries, please contact: Kate Smith, customer relations manager: kate.smith@futurenet.com
