The Music Week Women In Music Awards returned with another celebratory, star-studded awards ceremony for its 2025 edition.
The sold-out event took place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London (October 10) with an audience of executives, artists and music industry legends. The ceremony is staged in association with UK Music and AIM.
The hugely successful awards recognise the incredible careers of women and female-identifying people in the music business. From groundbreaking artists to visionary executives, Women In Music shines a spotlight on those who are at the forefront of our industry.
Executives in attendance included Warner Music UK COO Isabel Garvey, Sony Music UK chairman and CEO Jason Iley, Warner Music UK CEO Tony Harlow, Island EMI president Louis Bloom, Warner Records/Parlophone president Joe Kentish, MOBO CEO Kanya King, Atlantic co-president Briony Turner, Polydor Label Group president Ben Mortimer, Columbia president Dipesh Parmar and MD Amy Wheatley, UMPG MD UK & head of global A&R David Gray, Ministry Of Sound MD Negla Abdela, EMI MD Lucy Dann, Island MD Nicola Spokes, Fontana president Tom Lewis, Decca president Laura Monks, Spotify UK head of music partnerships Safiya Lambie-Knight, Downtown CEO Pieter van Rijn, Concord Music Publishing EVP, worldwide A&R Kim Frankiewicz, AWAL president Matt Riley, Labour MP (and potential London Mayoral candidate) Dawn Butler, Tunecore CEO Andreea Gleeson, CD Baby president Molly Neuman, and Dirty Hit CEO Jamie Oborne.
Meanwhile, artists who turned out to support industry colleagues included PinkPantheress, Brian Eno, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Skye Newman, Skin, Mabel, Katie Melua, London Grammar’s Dan Rothman, plus BBC Radio 1 presenter Jaguar, BBC 1Xtra’s Nadia Jae and Asian Network’s Nikita Kanda.
Having launched in 2014, Women In Music is now in its second decade. To quote its co-founders Lara Baker and Alison Wenham, the awards matter more than ever in order to help shape a more inclusive future for this industry.
Broadcaster Alice Levine returned to host what, incredibly, was her 10th stint overseeing the much-loved daytime ceremony. “Unbelievably, these awards are 11 years old,” said Levine, who suggested the occasion demanded a Women In Music commemorative Labubu.
In addition to the Women In Music category awards, there were 15 highly-deserving inductees to the Roll Of Honour in partnership with TikTok. The Roll Of Honour aims to highlight individuals who are ‘game changers’ in the music industry. You can read about the 2025 Roll Of Honour here (or scroll down to the bottom) – almost all attended the ceremony to join the dozens of execs who have been added over the last decade.
The awards kicked off with the Campaigner award (sponsored by Spotify EQUAL), which recognises those who have dedicated themselves to pushing for change, inclusion and acceptance within the music industry.
Presented by music legend Brian Eno, the Campaigner trophy went to Cathy Runciman, co-executive director of EarthPercent. As lead music partner and host of the Sounds Right Conservation Fund, the music industry climate foundation played a key role in securing sounds of nature credits on streaming platforms to help fund initiatives.
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Applauding the “annual joy fest of amazing women in music”, Runciman also thanked Eno, her team and the “courageous” industry partners who are “making the Earth a collaborator, a stakeholder and the beneficiary of music's incredible power".
The New Artist trophy, sponsored by PRS For Music and PRS Foundation, has a strong track record with recent winners including Flowerovlove, Nova Twins and Rina Sawayama.
The 2025 award went to Alt Blk Era, Nottingham sisters Nyrobi and Chaya Beckett-Messam, who released their debut album Rave Immortal earlier this year and have already been recognised by the MOBO Awards. The duo release new single Okay (Cyber Racing) via LAB Records on October 22 midway through their European tour with Pendulum.
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“Thank you so much for this award, and thank you to the PRS Foundation and all of the sponsors for championing us,” said Nyrobi Becket-Messam. “We pledge to pay this forward by continuing to champion and uplift other young women, wherever and however we can – thank you so much.”
Now in its fifth year, Live Music Inspiration (sponsored by O2) recognises a woman who has made a truly game-changing contribution to the UK live sector. This year’s deserving winner is Anna-Sophie Mertens, SVP touring UK at Live Nation.
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The senior promoter has spent more than 15 years championing new talent, including working with Lewis Capaldi from the early days and recent tours with Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Tate McRae. She also established Highways Festival at the Royal Albert Hall, a significant development for country and Americana music in the UK.
Mertens took the opportunity to call for more support for working mothers.
“When I started working at Live Nation 15 years ago, there were only a few female promoters around, and far fewer had chosen to be mothers,” she told the audience. “Things have improved but we still have a really long way to go.”
The BPI sponsored DE&I Initiative Of The Year, which focuses on a specific initiative championing diversity and inclusion. Last year’s honour went to Sony Music UK’s groundbreaking Childcare Policy.
Our 2025 winner was ESEA Music, the community-driven network created by UK-based East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) artists and music industry professionals. They were recognised for the SESAME mentorship scheme, which aimed to promote “communication and positivity” for its members, with a particular focus on supporting mental and creative health.
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Ines Dunn, songwriter at Universal Music Publishing Group, triumphed in the category Music Creative - Spirit of the Studio (sponsored by Downtown). At just 23, Dunn has already co-written a No.1 album (Maisie Peters’ The Good Witch) and worked with artists including Mimi Webb, Jazzy, Flowerovlove, Griff and Mette.
“She’s basically my favourite person to write with,” said Maisie Peters on the tribute video.
“I think the most exciting writer coming out of the UK at the minute,” said Lewis Capaldi.
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Accepting the award, Dunn said: “I don't think there's ever been a better time to be a woman in music, we’re seeing that from the top down with the success of so many amazing female artists. But we all know that it's not just about the artists. It's about songwriters, producers, engineers, mixers, A&Rs, agents, journalists. Talent isn't the problem, access is; ambition isn't the problem, opportunity is.”
Chantal Epp collected the Entrepreneur Award in recognition of her success in breaking new ground in music licensing and technology as founder & CEO of ClicknClear. The platform delivers officially licensed music to performance sports and fitness worldwide.
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Presenting the award, Ivors Academy CEO Roberto Neri said: “The result has been deals across worldwide sports including gymnastics, figure skating and aquatics. In one of the biggest moments of her career so far, she secured an agreement with the International Olympic Committee. And at the Paris Olympics, her system powered the licensing and cue sheets for the entire Games, reaching broadcasters and collecting societies worldwide.”
The Rising Star category (sponsored by Believe/Tunecore) was won by Satellite414 senior entertainment publicist Mofe Soy. The award was presented by chart star PinkPantheress, who Sey brought to the company as a client.
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Sey received a rousing reception with a passionate speech in which she acknowledged her team and clients, including PinkPantheress, Mabel and Leigh-Anne who were all in attendance.
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“It’s such an honour to be recognised as a rising star,” she said.
International Woman of the Year went to a French executive – Cécile Rap-Veber, CEO of SACEM, who walked up to the stage to the sound of Shirley Bassey’s version of My Way (which she pointed out was a lyrical adaptation of a French song). The trophy was presented by Jackie Alway OBE, EVP of international legal & industry affairs for Universal Music Publishing Group, who noted that hard work and talent had made Rap-Veber the first female CEO at SACEM since it launched in 1851.
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During her speech, Rap-Veber took the opportunity to make a stand against “AI companies that are trained on all our works without paying a single cent to the authors, composers and publishers”.
Warner Records A&R Jade Richardson, who also runs Jade-Inc, was a popular winner in the Music Champion category, which was presented by Warner Records and Parlophone president Joe Kentish.
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The award serves to recognise a woman working in a public-facing capacity who encourages the use of music as a force for change, inclusion, education or improvement. Former winners include Dotty, Jamz Supernova, YolanDa Brown, Sulinna Ong, Annie Mac, Amy Lamé and Clara Amfo.
Special Recognition is a recent addition to the Women In Music honours, which recognises an individual who has made a critical difference to their company.
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Semera Khan, creative director at Polydor Label Group, was the deserving recipient. A video tribute features colleagues including Universal Music UK CEO & chairman Dickon Stainer, Polydor president Ben Mortimer and Capitol UK president Jo Charrington, as well as artists such as Sam Fender and Inhaler.
“There isn’t anyone else who can interact with artists in that creative way,” said Stainer. “That special skill that only you have is as rare as a blue moon.”
“I’m constantly inspired by your creativity, your ability to passionately communicate a message, and your love of artists and artistry,” said Mortimer.
We at Capitol UK love working with her, our artists love working with her, and she thoroughly deserves this award,” said Charrington.
“You’re like my favourite person that I work with, let’s be real, c’mon,” said Sam Fender. “Sorry to the rest of the guys in the office but you’re the best.”
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Breakthrough star Skye Newman put in an appearance to present Businesswoman Of The Year to Amy Wheatley, MD at Columbia Records. Formerly MD of Ministry Of Sound, Wheatley has steered the success of Newman as well as overseeing talent at Columbia such as Central Cee, Calvin Harris, Robbie Williams and Wolf Alice.
“These awards highlight the power of amazing people – like you all – supporting women, because when we do this whole industry rises,” said Wheatley.
Inspirational Artist (sponsored by Vevo) went to an independent music icon, FKA Twigs, who’s nominated for next week’s Mercury Prize. It was presented by Skunk Anansie’s Skin – a former winner in the same category – who flew in from the US to be at the ceremony.
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In a stirring introduction, Skin described FKA Twigs as a “rule breaker, a traditional true artist”.
In a compelling and courageous acceptance speech, FKA Twigs saluted Skin (“without artists like yourself I wouldn’t be here today”) and acknowledged the doubt that has plagued an incredible career as she negotiated a male-dominated industry “rife with unwanted sexual advances and fragile egos”.
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“If we don’t use our voices collectively to raise our concerns, how do we expect anything to be different for the next generation of women,” she added.
While she acknowledged men in the industry who have supported her vision, she said there was a “despicable” lack of women in production, engineering and top label jobs.
FKA Twigs also used her speech to pledge to launch an educational grant in partnership with Saffron, an organisation that supports women and non-binary people in music tech, to bring on more talent in engineering, production and other areas.
“I hope by telling the truth tonight we can ignite more opportunities for the next generation of incredible talented women,” she said to huge applause in the room.
Finally, Outstanding Contribution was awarded to Warner Music COO Isabel Garvey in the week that she announced she would be stepping down at the end the year. It was presented by friend and former EMI exec Baroness Hazarika.
“I’m really not done yet,” stressed Garvey, as she said accepting the award was about celebrating the journey in her career so far.
"My career in this industry has been a wonderful and exhilarating ride," she add.
Garvey also acknowledged the incredible female industry talent.
"I have some of the brightest and best women of Warner with me – and that’s just one company," she said.
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Acknowledging the challenges in the sector as it faces technological change, she said it was a time suited to more empathy and a lack of egos.
"I truly believe that women are better equipped to deal with change," she said to cheers in the room.
As well as Roll Of Honour sponsor TikTok, this year’s sponsors included O2, Downtown, PRS For Music & PRS Foundation, Spotify EQUAL, Vevo, BPI, Believe/Tunecore and Virgin Music Group. Our charity partner is Music Support, and our event partners were Girls I Rate, MOBO Mobolise and Small Green Shoots.
PHOTOS: Louise Haywood-Schiefer / Panni Renner
WOMEN IN MUSIC 2025 WINNERS
Campaigner - Sponsored by Spotify EQUAL – Cathy Runciman, Co-Executive Director, EarthPercent
New Artist - Sponsored by PRS For Music – Alt Blk Era
Live Music Inspiration - Sponsored by O2 – Anna-Sophie Mertens, SVP Touring (UK), Live Nation
DE&I Initiative Of The Year - Sponsored by BPI – SESAME Mentorship Scheme, ESEA Music
Music Creative – Spirit Of The Studio - Sponsored by Downtown – Ines Dunn. Songwriter, Universal Music Publishing Group
Entrepreneur Award – Chantal Epp, Founder & CEO, ClicknClear
Rising Star - sponsored by Believe & TuneCore – Mofe Sey, Senior Entertainment Publicist, Satellite414
International Woman Of The Year – Cécile Rap-Veber, CEO, Sacem
Music Champion – Jade Richardson, CEO, Jade-Inc.
Special Recognition – Semera Khan, Creative Director, Polydor Label Group
Businesswoman Of The Year – Amy Wheatley, Managing Director, Columbia Records
Inspirational Artist - Sponsored by Vevo – FKA Twigs
Outstanding Contribution – Isabel Garvey, COO, Warner Music UK
ROLL OF HONOUR 2025 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TIKTOK
Becky Ayres
Managing Director, Sound City
Charlene Brown
Chair Of The Ivors Academy Ethics Committee And Managing Director/Co-Founder Of Howlett Brown
Portia Clarke-Millanaise
Head Of Marketing, BET UK & Founder Of Aisle Forty Four
Atlanta Cobb
Founder Of Music Industry Mentor, Social Media Consultant, Speaker And Artist Coach
Kate Head
Stoked PR Founder and Director
Cherish Kaya
Artist Manager And A&R Manager, Dirty Hit
Kat Kennedy
Managing Director, Big Life Management
Ally Horn
Partner, Russells Solicitors
Bernice Maria 'Billi' John
Co-Founder Of Everything RNB/ Founder Of Thirty FREE
Laura Lukanz
Head Of Music Industry UK, Australia & New Zealand, Amazon Music
Bina B Mistry
Director, Content Licensing & Music; Business & Legal Affairs, SoundCloud
Laura Monks
President, Decca Records
Victoria Needs
Co-Managing Director, AWAL
Akosua Scantlebury
Founder, TwoFourSix Global
Becci Scotcher
Senior Grants And Programmes Manager, PRS Foundation & Board Member, European Music Exporters Exchange And Manchester Music City
