The music industry is hugely competitive, which is perhaps why everyone loves the Music Week Awards.
After a Covid-induced break last year, the awards are back tonight (September 14) at Battersea Evolution, hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo. There are 25 categories voted for by peers (including three new ones) and, of course, The Strat for an industry icon. And it’s our biggest ever edition.
The industry will be together again to see who emerges triumphant across the dozens of categories at the ceremony. Each of those contests will be hard-fought - getting on the shortlist was clearly an achievement.
The big award for the recorded music sector is, of course, the Record Company category. Polydor actually did the double last year with both the Record Company and A&R awards.
This year, Polydor will be aiming for a third consecutive victory in the Record Company category, but they face challenges from Sony Music (Black Butter, Columbia, Ministry Of Sound, RCA), Warner Music (Atlantic, Warner Records) and fellow Universal Music labels (Decca, EMI, Island).
Warner Records made a big splash last year with Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa, managed by Tap Music’s Ben Mawson & Ed Millett, who are battling to retain their Manager Of The Year title. Look out for challengers to the crown, including Peter Loraine at Fascination Management (currently in a chart battle for No.1 with Steps); Allison Main & Polly Bhowmik of A&P Artist Management (Kylie Minogue); Michael Adex, Northern Quarterz Limited (Aitch); David Furnish & Rachael Paley, Rocket Entertainment (Elton John), Jada Pollock, Starboy Entertainment (Wizkid) and Amy Morgan, September Management (Glass Animals).
Publisher Of The Year is a five-way battle between holders Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, UMPG, Downtown and Kobalt.
Independent Publisher Of The Year was a new category in 2020, when Reservoir were victorious. This year, they’ll be able to attend in person to defend their title against the likes of Concord, Peermusic, Sentric, Warp, Wise Music Group and Young Songs.
In the Independent Record Company category, Partisan Records - who had big records with Idles and Fontaines DC last year - are back to try and retain their title. Their independent rivals release a range of music, including rock (Earache), dance (Defected) and indie (Modern Sky).
Atlantic’s Damian Christian has been dominant in the Promotions Team category, although he lost out last year to EMI. Can he reclaim the award in 2021?
BBC Radio 6 Music has been another dominant presence at the awards over the years, including victory in 2020. New head of station Samantha Moy accepted the award last year. Tonight, she will be in competition with fellow BBC networks Radio 1 (2019 winners) and Radio 2, as well as commercial stations Absolute, Capital Xtra, Kerrang! Radio, Kiss FM and Planet Rock.
The 2021 ceremony includes three new categories - Live Music Innovation Of The Year (Event/Series), Live Music Innovation Of The Year (Platform) and Talent Agency Of The Year.
Also look out for the return of the coveted Strat award, which was not presented last year.
Click here to see last year’s winners.
Sponsors for this year's awards are: ERA, Music Venue Trust, Hentons, Official Charts Company, PPL, PRS For Music, Audoo, Wise Music Group, Radio Monitor, MQA, Kiss and Music Box. The BRIT Trust is this year’s charity partner.
The full list of finalists for the 2021 Music Week Awards is below.
Accountancy Firm Of The Year
BigStar
CC Young & Co
Gelfand Rennert And Feldman
Harris & Trotter LLP
Hentons
MSE Business Management LLP
Thomas St John
A&R
Columbia Records
Island Records
Ministry Of Sound
Partisan Records
Polydor Records
Transgressive Records
Universal Music Publishing Group
Virgin Music UK (formerly Caroline International)
Warner Chappell Music UK
Warner Records
Artist Marketing Campaign
AC/DC, Columbia Records
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe, Decca Records
Dua Lipa, Warner Records
Headie One, Relentless Records
Gorillaz, Parlophone
Joel Corry, Atlantic
Kylie Minogue, BMG
Little Mix, RCA
Rina Sawayama, Dirty Hit
Shygirl, Because Music
Yungblud, Polydor
Young T & Bugsey, Black Butter
Catalogue Marketing Campaign
Bob Marley, UMC
Donna Summer, Demon Music Group
George Michael, Sony Music Commercial Group
Mariah Carey, Sony Music Commercial Group
Neil Diamond, EMI
Oasis, Big Brother/Ignition
Prince, Rhino
The Rolling Stones, Polydor Records
Shakin’ Stevens, BMG
Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene
Broadcast, Glasgow
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Clapham Grand, London
The Globe, Newcastle
The Mill, Bradford
The Sugarmill, Stoke
Trinity Centre, Bristol
Windmill Brixton, London
Independent Publisher Of The Year
Concord Music Publishing
Peermusic
Reservoir
Sentric Music Group
Warp Publishing
Wise Music Group
Young Songs
Independent Record Company
Because Music
Chess Club Records
Dead Oceans
Defected Records
Dirty Hit
Earache Records
Modern Sky UK
Partisan Records
Stones Throw Records
Transgressive Records
Independent Retailer
Banquet Records, Kingston
Crash Records, Leeds
Drift, Totnes
Eel Pie Records, Twickenham
Resident Music, Brighton
Wax And Beans, Bury
Label/Artist Services Company
Absolute Label Services
ADA
Believe
Cooking Vinyl
FUGA
Ingrooves Music Group
Integral UK
The Orchard
Virgin Music Label & Artist Services (formerly Caroline International)
Law Firm Of The Year
Hamlins LLP
Harbottle & Lewis LLP
Irwin Mitchell LLP
Reed Smith LLP
Simons Muirhead & Burton
Van Straten Solicitors
Live Music Innovation Of The Year (Event/Series) - Special Award For 2021
1Xtra Live 2020, BBC Radio 1Xtra
Back To Mine, Sony Music – 4th Floor Creative Group
Defected Virtual Festival, Defected Records
Independent Venue Love Series, Frank Turner/Xtra Mile Recordings
Notting Hill Carnival, Notting Hill Carnival
Homegrown, DHP Family
Prime Day Live, Amazon
Radio 2 Live At Home, BBC Radio 2
Tap Music livestreams (Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, Dermot Kennedy), Tap Music
The Legacy Series: Fashion x Music, YouTube Music
The Streets – None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Live Alive, Island Records/Mercury Studios/Magus Entertainment
United We Stream, Live Nation
Live Music Innovation Of The Year (Platform) - Special Award For 2021
Barclaycard Share The Stage
Dice
Driift
Ents24
LiveNow
Liverpool Sound City
Music Glue
Manager Of The Year
Moe Bah & Kilo Jalloh, 2K Management
Allison Main & Polly Bhowmik, A&P Artist Management
Peter Loraine, Fascination Management
Michael Adex, Northern Quarterz Limited
David Furnish & Rachael Paley, Rocket Entertainment
Jada Pollock, Starboy Entertainment
Amy Morgan, September Management
Ben Mawson & Ed Millett, Tap Music
Music & Brand Partnership
Ashnikko x Beats By Dre – Parlophone / WMX / Various Artist Management / Beats By Dre
Koffee x H&M Holiday 2020 – Columbia Records UK / 4th Floor Creative / Levels
Leigh-Anne Pinnock/ASOS – RCA / 4th Floor Creative / Modest! Management
Lewis Capaldi x Samsung Galaxy S20 – Paradigm Agency / Universal Music / BMG / Samsung / Taylor Herring
Loyle Carner x Eric Cantona x FIFA 21 – Universal Music Globe / Spindle/ 160Over90 / EA Sports
Mabel x Kangol & H&M – Universal Music Globe / Metallic Management
Samm Henshaw x Samsung – BMG / Leland Music / Mother London / Kobalt / Warner Chappell / Jackie Davidson Management / AWAL
Take That x Compare The Market – YM&U Group / / IE Management / Compare The Market / Attachment London / VCCP / Exposure / Nordoff Robbins / Wavemaker
Music Consumer Innovation
Amazon Music, Mindshower.ai x The 1975
Deezer, Country Selector
PIAS, Love Record Stores
Spotify, Notting Hill Carnival Sounds
TikTok, TikTok Music
Vampr Inc., Vampr
PR Campaign
Arlo Parks, All Stripes
Biffy Clyro, Warner Records UK (now APPR & MoKho PR)
Bring Me The Horizon, We Care A Lot PR
Dua Lipa, Satellite414
Gary Barlow, DawBell
Haim, Polydor
Hayley Williams, Atlantic Records
Headie One, Outside
KSI, Carver PR
Kylie Minogue, Murray Chalmers PR (MCPR)
Pa Salieu, August
Unknown T, Imran Malik Publicity
Promotions Team Of The Year
Atlantic Records
Columbia Records
Decca Records
EMI Records
Island Records
Listen Up
Plugged In PR
Polydor Records
RCA Records
Virgin Music UK (formerly Caroline International)
Warner Records
Your Army
Publisher Of The Year
Downtown Music UK
Kobalt Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Warner Chappell Music
Radio Show
Capital Xtra Breakfast with Yinka and Shayna Marie, Capital Xtra
Capital Xtra - Homegrown with Robert Bruce, Capital Xtra
Clara Amfo, BBC Radio 1
Danny Howard, BBC Radio 1
Future Sounds With Annie Mac, BBC Radio 1
Introducing In Kent With Abbie McCarthy, BBC Radio Kent
Kerrang! Radio Breakfast Sophie K, Kerrang! Radio
Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 6 Music
Steve Lamacq Show, BBC 6 Music
The Matt Wilkinson Show, Apple Music Radio
The Skin Show, Absolute Radio
Radio Station
Absolute Radio
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 6 Music
Capital Xtra
Kerrang! Radio
KISS FM
Planet Rock
Record Company
Atlantic Records
Black Butter
Columbia Records
Decca Records
EMI Records
Island Records
Ministry Of Sound
Polydor Records
RCA Records
Warner Records
Sales Team
[Integral] UK
Lasgo Chrysalis Ltd
Proper Music Group
Republic Of Music
Sony Music UK
The Orchard
Virgin Music UK (formerly Caroline International)
Warner Music UK
Sync Of The Year
Celeste – A Little Love
Featured In: John Lewis Christmas Campaign
(Label: Polydor/Universal Music Globe / Publisher: Warner Chappell Music UK/Reservoir / Agency: Adam&Eve DDB / Music Supervisor: Leland Music)
Dreya Mac – Singin' In The Rain
Featured In: Burberry Festive
(Label: Dreya Mac / Twenty Below Music Ltd / Publisher: Sony Music Publishing / Agency: Burberry / Music Supervisor: Twenty Below Music)
Griff – Love Is A Compass
Featured In: Disney Christmas Advert 2020
(Label: Warner Music Group / Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group / Agency: Disney)
Kojey Radical – Time For A New Season
Featured In: Time For A New Season/BT Sport
(Label: Warner Music Group / Publisher: BMG / Agency: BT Sport / Music Supervisor: Pete Kelly)
Michael Kiwanuka – Light
Featured In: O2, You're Our Headline Act
(Label: Polydor/Universal Music Globe / Publisher: Kobalt Publishing/Warner Chappell Music UK / Agency: VCCP / Music Supervisor: Mr Pape)
Ray BLK – Warrior
Featured In: Rocks
(Label: Island/Universal Music Globe / Publisher: BMG / Director: Sarah Gavron / Music Supervisor: Thinksync)
Roots Manuva – Witness (1 Hope)
Featured In: Ikea, The Hare
(Label: Ninja Tune / Publisher: BMG / Agency: Mother / Music Supervisor: Theodore Music)
Ry X – Berlin
Featured In: Normal People
(Label: Magnus Bohman Holding AB under exclusive license to Infectious Music Ltd / Publisher: BMG / Agency: Silverstream)
Stevie Nicks – Edge Of Seventeen
Featured In: The Crown
(Label: Warner Records/ Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing / Agency: Netflix / Music Supervisor: Sarah Bridge)
Stormzy – Rainfall
Featured In: Ubisoft Partnership - Watch Dogs: Legion, Official Music Video
(Label: Atlantic Records / Publisher: Warner Chappell Music UK / Agency: Ubisoft )
The Who – Baba O’Riley
Featured In: PlayStation The Edge
(Label: Universal / Publisher: Fabulous Music Ltd / Agency: Adam&Eve DDB / Music Supervisor: Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
Tom Odell – Another Love
Featured In: Marie Curie
(Label: Sony Music/Columbia / Publisher: Warner Chappell Music UK / Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi)
Sync Team Of The Year
Beggars Group Media
BMG
BT Sport Music
Kobalt Music Publishing
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Records (Globe)
Warner Chappell Music UK
Warner Music UK
Talent Agency Of The Year – Special Award For 2021
CAA
MBA Live
Primary Talent International, an ICM Partners Company
UTA
WME
The Strat
The Strat is bestowed upon a deserving winner by the Music Week team.
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