The contenders for this year’s Music Week Awards have been announced, with the industry’s best companies and executives set to shine on the music business’ biggest night out.
This year’s ceremony is set for April 5 at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, with winners decided by a combination of specialist panels and a wider group of senior music business executives.
After a stellar year for the music industry, there are some classic battles in store in the key categories – and some intriguing contests lined up for some of the new awards. Music Week received a record-breaking number of entries this year, with some shortlists expanded to reflect the unprecedented demand and high quality of the nominations.
As ever, the big award, The Strat, will be announced on the night, recognising an outstanding contribution to the music business by an exceptional individual.
Last year’s packed house saw legendary former Universal executive Max Hole pick up The Strat, while XL Recordings picked up the Record Company gong.
You can view the finalists for this year's awards in full below.
To book your table for the event, click here.
A&R AWARD
Atlantic Records
BMG
Columbia Records
Decca Records
Polydor Records
Syco Music
Warner Bros Records
ARTIST MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe (Decca Records)
Bastille (Virgin EMI)
Biffy Clyro (Warner Bros Records)
Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar/Secretly Group)
Christine And The Queens (Because Music)
Craig David (Insanity Records)
Kano (Parlophone Records)
Little Mix (Syco Music)
The 1975 (Polydor Records)
Ward Thomas (Sony Music Commercial Group)
CATALOGUE MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Black Sabbath (BMG)
Phil Collins (Rhino)
Lush (4AD)
Proper Music / Ian Hunter
Elvis Presley (Sony Music Commercial Group)
Pete Tong With The Heritage Orchestra Conducted By Jules Buckley (Polydor/UMC/UMOD)
FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Bestival
Boardmasters
British Summer Time Hyde Park
Creamfields
Glastonbury Festival
Isle Of Wight Festival
INDEPENDENT RECORD COMPANY
Because Music
Bella Union
Boy Better Know
Dirty Hit
Glassnote Records
Jagjaguwar
Play It Again Sam
Transgressive Records
INDEPENDENT RETAILER
Banquet Records
Drift
Forever Records
Monorail
Rough Trade
LABEL/ARTIST SERVICES COMPANY
Absolute
ADA
Believe Distribution Services
Caroline International
Cooking Vinyl
Ditto Music
Kobalt Music Recordings
The Orchard
Red Essential
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR
Hamlins LLP
Lee & Thompson LLP
Lewis Silkin
Olswang
Reed Smith LLP
Russells Solicitors
Simons Muirhead & Burton LLP
SSB Solicitors
LIVE MUSIC AGENT (INDIVIDUAL)
Natasha Bent (Coda)
Mike Deane (Earth Agency)
Jules De Lattre (UTA)
Lucy Dickins (ITB)
Geoff Meall (UTA)
Steve Strange (X-ray)
LIVE MUSIC PROMOTER (COMPANY)
AEG Presents
Communion
DHP Family
Kilimanjaro Live
Live Nation
SJM Concerts
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Riki Bleau (Since 93 / Avant Garde)
Mark Gillespie (Three Six Zero)
Richard Griffiths, Harry Magee and Will Bloomfield (Modest! Management)
Colin Lester (JEM Music Group)
Simon Moran, Conrad Murray and Dave Salmon (SJM Management)
Jamie Oborne (All On Red)
Dumi Oburota (Disturbing London)
Iain Watt and Martha Kinn (Machine Management)
MUSIC & BRAND PARTNERSHIP
Abbey Road Studios/Airbnb
CORD/Shell
Jack Daniels / Splendid Communications with This Feeling for Jack Rocks
Jägermeister/Bullet For My Valentine for Ice Cold Gigs
Sony Music UK/HSE Cake/EE/Britney Spears
Universal Music - Globe/Vans/MetallicaWarner Music Partnerships/Subway/Pepsi Max/Stormzy
Warner Music Partnerships/National Lottery/James Blunt
YouTube/Google Play Music/Africa Express
MUSIC RETAILER/STREAMING PLATFORM
Amazon Music
Deezer
Google Play Music
HMV
Sainsbury’s
Spotify
PR CAMPAIGN
Babymetal (The Noise Cartel)
Blossoms (Murray Chalmers PR)
The Carnabys (Fifth Element)
Christine And The Queens (Inside/Out)
Craig David (Dawbell)
Barry Gibb (RCA Records)
Grimes (Purple Entertainment)
Stormzy (Wired PR)
PROMOTIONS TEAM
Atlantic Records
Beggars Promotions
Caroline International
Copmedia
Hart Media
Island Records
RCA Records
Virgin EMI Records
PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
BMG
Good Soldier Songs
Imagem Music
Kobalt Music Publishing
Reservoir
Sentric Music
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Spirit B-Unique
Warner/Chappell Music
RADIO SHOW
A.Dot (BBC Radio 1Xtra)
Fresh Blood with Alex Baker (Kerrang! Radio)
Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music)
Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1)
MistaJam (BBC Radio 1/1Xtra)
Dermot O’Leary (BBC Radio 2)
Sunday Night Music Club with Danielle Perry (Absolute Radio)
RADIO STATION
Absolute Radio
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 2
BBC 6 Music
Classic FM
Planet Rock
RECORD COMPANY
BMG
Decca Records
Island Records
Sony Music Commercial Group
Syco Music
Virgin EMI Records
Warner Bros Records
SALES TEAM
PIAS
Proper Music Distribution
Red Essential
Sony Music
Warner Music
Universal Music
TICKETING COMPANY
Dice
Ents24
Eventbrite
Gigantic
Songkick
Ticketmaster/Ticketweb
Twickets
FINALISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE
Grassroots Venue
Independent retailer
WINNER TO BE REVEALED ON THE NIGHT
Outstanding Contribution To Charity
The Strat
