PHOTO: CALVIN CEILE

Now in its third year, our Excellence Honourees award really is one of the highlights of the year for the Black Music Coalition. From receiving names of nominees, right up to the announcement of the year’s picks, it’s a chance to take off the critical lens we often find ourselves having to assess the industry through and take a more enthusiastic and optimistic look at who’s doing what and where.

The road to announcing this year’s Honourees has been no different. It has been a pleasure for us to take our annual look across the industry, with the sole purpose of finding and celebrating Black execs who deserve recognition for the quiet or indeed bold strides they are making in their professional paths. 

As ever, we wanted to shine a light on those execs who are currently standing out among the wealth of talent across the industry: Black execs who have been making waves, making a way and moving the dial, or where the general consensus of our voters was that they are destined for big things. We canvassed our wider committee members and other music industry figures, including previous years’ Honourees, for the names who fit this bill. And, staying true to the BMC’s aims, we also reiterated the importance to us of shining a spotlight on Black music professionals who continue to excel in an ecosystem which in many ways remains a hostile and difficult to navigate environment and do so at a time where it feels as though the apparent drive for equitable access, opportunity and inclusion has seemingly fallen down the agenda industry-wide. 

No matter who I seem to talk to recently, the ‘work vs life vs even more work’ juggle has been seriously real this year. This is something which has been expressed by our wider committee and Executive Committee members, who work across most sectors and at all levels of the industry. Keeping every plate, personal, professional or otherwise up and spinning is no mean feat in the current climate, and so it was that this year we also particularly wanted to highlight Black music professionals who have created and maintained successful lanes through their own businesses, as well as execs trailblazing and shaping and shifting culture from within more established organisations.

I’ve got no doubt that it was the same consummate professionalism that the Honourees bring to their respective roles, and which led to them being named and acclaimed by their peers and observers, which meant that as soon as they stepped on the set for this photo shoot they certainly brought their A-game and gave all that needed to be given. I am genuinely excited for you all to see the fruits of this truly collaborative effort. 

On the subject of collaboration and appreciation, a big shout out goes to our assistant and BMC member Rainar Goering who herself is a brilliant and dedicated young Black female marketing exec, currently at 0207 Def Jam who gave up her time and brought her characteristic high energy to shoot day.

I also want to once again thank Music Week for giving the BMC this space to celebrate all our talented Honourees; the brilliantly talented photographer Cali whose direction for the shoot was impeccable and who was assisted by the wonderful photographer Kenny Alabi.

And so, it is with immense pleasure that the Black Music Coalition hereby announce our 2024 Black Music Coalition Excellence Honourees:

Brenda Juliet (co-founder & publicist, MyBlaqBook)

Joel Borquaye (senior editor, Spotify)

Jusnah Gadi (founder/MD, Young Music Boss & YMB Awards)

Lunick Bourgess (founder, Umbrella Songs Publishing)

Mali Emeka (A&R manager, Atlantic Records)

Mel Ijieh (artist manager)

Rami Kadri (founder, Two Tabs Social)

Tia Lewis (streaming & digital manager, EGA Distro)

Tobi Omoloja (A&R manager, Warner Records)

ZaZa Kazadi (senior A&R manager, Sony Music Publishing)

The BMC celebrate, support and salute you. Follow us on our socials to see and read about all of our 2024 Honourees, and if you are an exec of any background working in the UK music industry, we welcome you to come and join the BMC as a member to support our cause, enjoy our member benefits and events, and become part of a growing dynamic body of music executives.

PHOTO: (L-R) Joel Borquaye, Brenda Juliet, Jusnah Gadi, Tia Lewis and Rami Kadri shot for Music Week