Lucy Dickins has been awarded this year’s Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS).
It was presented to her by her brother, artist manager Jonathan Dickins (pictured), in a room full of her peers at a gala ceremony in The Great Room, Grosvenor House Hotel. The event was held in aid of the BRIT Trust and Nordoff & Robbins.
The MITS marked Lucy Dickins’ legacy and contribution to the music industry during her 25-plus year career. Read our exclusive digital cover story with the MITS winner and WME’s global head of contemporary music and touring.
Accepting her award, Lucy Dickins said: “I'd like to thank each and every one of you for this moment. May we continue to nurture, support and empower great talent and may we continue to live and love in music. I'm truly humbled to receive this award tonight and I hope that in some small way I've inspired the next generation of women in music, which translates into the live music business in the future. Thank you, all.”
After inviting her two children on to the stage to help accept her award, she added: “Life in this industry, as you know, is extremely busy. But being a working mother is another beast altogether. I have so much respect for you mothers who are fighting the fight because it is not easy. We're constantly feeling that we're sacrificing one part of our life for another... So whatever way you look at it, you have guilt... And it's really, really hard to balance it all and often people say ‘I don't know how you do it all.’ But you absolutely can't do it all.. All you can do is just do your best. That's what I tell everyone.”
During the tributes, many artists and colleagues sent their congratulations to Lucy Dickins, including Adele and Little Simz.
Adele recalled the time she and Lucy Dickins met.
“I started going on about being a singer and I whipped a demo right out of my bag and I said, ‘You're gonna be my agent,’” said Adele in her tribute. “I didn't hear back from her for quite a while and my details were on the demo. But I told my manager, who I was newly managed by, I told him that I found my agent. And he was like, ‘Great, what's their name?’, and I was like ‘Lucy Dickins’, and he said ‘That's my sister!’. So, we met separately and they've both worked with me since I was 18 years old.”
Little Simz said: “There's no one that's more deserving, that works as hard as you do and that really cares… and believes and backs their artists 100% and I'm so glad you're a part of my journey. I'm happy to be a part of yours!”
Before presenting her with the MITS Award, Lucy Dickins’ brother and founder of September Management, Jonathan Dickins, told the audience: “I'm really proud because I think I've learnt one thing, and that is that I have a newfound respect for what it means to be a working mum. Anybody that holds a career, and especially the level that she does, and happens to be a present parent is… I’m in awe of that. And that, to me, goes well beyond any achievements in music.
He added, “She's a fierce negotiator, strategic, loyal, and most importantly, the greatest sister I could possibly ever have.”
The evening closed with a performance from one of her first clients, Hot Chip. Earlier on, Loyle Carner took to the stage.
As a globally leading music agent, Dickins represents Adele, along with her roster including Mumford & Sons, Stormzy, Little Simz, Mahalia, Cleo Sol, Little Simz, James Blake and Jamie T. She also represents Hot Chip, Bryan Ferry and Laura Marling, as well as rising talent Reneé Rapp, David Kushner and Katie Gregson-MacLeod.
Lucy Dickins joined the ranks of previous MITS recipients including Annie Lennox, Kylie Minogue, Emma Banks, Sir Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Rob Stringer, Sir Lucian Grainge, Ahmet Ertegun, Michael Eavis, Pete Tong and Roger Daltrey. Last year’s ceremony was held in honour of the late music pioneer Jamal Edwards, the first posthumous award given in the history of the MITS.
Celebrating its 32nd year this year, the MITS Award is sponsored by PPL, SJM Concerts, Voly Music and YouTube.
PHOTO CREDIT: John Marshall, JM Enternational
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