The Music Producers Guild has unveiled the shortlist for its 2019 awards after receiving a record number of submissions.
The event will take place in London on February 28 next year.
Over a third of those shortlisted are women and the three names shortlisted for the MPG’s 2019 Breakthrough Engineer category are all women - Cecile Desnos, Dani Bennett Spragg and Rhiannon Mair.
Catherine Marks (pictured), the MPG’s 2018 Producer of the Year, said: “The MPG Awards are such a great event in our year as it gives us an opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievements of our engineering and producer community. It was such an honour to win Producer of the Year in 2018, especially in a year where so many other women were acknowledged and awarded. I am looking forward to the MPG Awards next year and wish everyone who is nominated the best of luck.”
Other notable names on the 2019 shortlist include Cam Blackwood, Dave Eringa and James Ford who are in the running for the Producer of the Year Award; Four Tet (Kieran Hebden), Jon Hopkins and Tori Amos who are shortlisted in the recently introduced self-producing artist category and David Byrne, Greg Kurstin and Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) and Ludwig Goransson who are shortlisted in the International Producer category.
Now in its 11th year, the MPG Awards feature 16 award categories that celebrate the best and brightest talent in music production, along with the industry’s rising stars. Previous award winners have included Sir George Martin, FKA Twigs, Roni Size, Sylvia Massy, Brian Eno, Trevor Horn and Dave Stewart.
Final judging for the 2019 awards will take place at Abbey Road Studios on December 4. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London, where broadcaster and breakfast show presenter Shaun Keaveny will be the host.
The shortlists for each of the MPG 2019 Awards categories are as follows:
- UK Producer Of The Year
Cam Blackwood
Dave Eringa
James Ford
- Recording Engineer Of The Year, sponsored by AMS Neve
Guy Massey
Matt Wiggins
Sean Genockey
- Mix Engineer Of The Year, sponsored by Miloco Studios
Cenzo Townshend
David Wrench
Mark 'Spike' Stent
- Re-mixer Of The Year
IYEARA
Matthew Herbert
Shura
- Breakthrough Producer Of the Year, sponsored by Focusrite
Dilip Harris
Mark Rankin
Rhiannon Mair
- Self-Producing Artist Of The Year, sponsored by Spitfire Audio
Four Tet (Kieran Hebden)
Jon Hopkins
Tori Amos
- Breakthrough Engineer Of The Year, sponsored by Genelec
Cecile Desnos
Dani Bennet Spragg
Rhiannon Mair
- International Producer Of The Year, sponsored by RME
David Byrne
Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) and Ludwig Goransson
Greg Kurstin
- Mastering Engineer Of The Year, sponsored by Kii Audio
John Davis
Mandy Parnell
Tim Young
- UK Album Of The Year, sponsored by Universal Audio
Arctic Monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Everything Everything: A Fever Dream
Nadine Shah: Holiday Destination
- UK Single Song Release Of The Year, sponsored by Shure
Anna Calvi: Don't Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy
George Ezra: Shotgun
The 1975: Love It If We Made It
- The A&R Award
Briony Turner
Gilles Peterson
Holly Manners
- Studio Of The Year, sponsored by Soundgas
British Grove Studios
Strongroom
Urchin Studios
PHOTO: Mark Sethi