The winners of the Music Week Awards 2020 have been revealed across 26 categories.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ceremony couldn’t go ahead as planned at Battersea Evolution this year.
But we’ve still managed to celebrate all the brilliant winners with a special edition of Music Week out now. While the biggest night in the industry calendar is taking an enforced year off, you can at least see the winners’ reactions and read the acceptance speeches they would have given. See below for the full list of winners.
The big news in this year’s awards is a double win for Polydor Records. As well as retaining their Record Company title, Polydor also bagged the A&R Award.
Speaking in the latest issue of Music Week, Polydor co-presidents Tom March and Ben Mortimer were jubilant about doing the double.
“It’s fantastic, absolutely brilliant,” said Mortimer. “We don’t take it for granted in any way. And the bit we’re really chuffed about is getting both awards – to get Record Company and A&R means a lot, it really does.”
The bit we’re really chuffed about is getting both awards – to get Record Company and A&R means a lot, it really does
Ben Mortimer
Commenting on retaining the coveted Record Company title, March said: “Winning it last year maybe solidified for everybody that we were doing it right. To win it again means everybody’s on fire. And it’s important to not just do it once and relax – we said last year that we’re just getting started and we still feel that way. I want to win it every year, I don’t want to stop after one or two.”
Polydor is now targeting a third consecutive win after an impressive chart run this year, though they will once again face plenty of competition for the title.
There were some other big battles set up in this year’s nominations.
Three new categories were added this year, so huge congratulations to the first ever winners of Independent Publisher Of The Year (Reservoir), Sync Team Of The Year (Warner Chappell Music) and Sync Of The Year (Fresh N Clean – D Double E And Star.One).
BBC Radio 6 Music reclaimed its Radio Station title, which they previously held for a long run until BBC Radio 1 triumphed last year.
Another regular champion, Atlantic Records, missed out this time in the Promotions Team category. But you can expect promotions supremo Damian Christian and his team to give it everything to win back the award from this year’s champions EMI Records in 2021.
The new leadership team at Sony ATV pulled off a victory in the Publisher Of The Year category.
The judges decided that Reading & Leeds Festival came out on top in the Festival Of The Year category ahead of events including Glastonbury, All Points East and Isle Of Wight Festival. The impact of Covid-19 means we will be unlikely to have a festival category in 2021.
Unfortunately, for the first time since it was introduced in 1987, there was no Strat Award for an outstanding contribution to music. That will hopefully return in 2021, along with a Music Week Awards ceremony that will be back to its full glory.
Sponsors for this years awards are: ERA, Music Venue Trust, Official Charts Company, PPL, Proper Music Group and Radio Monitor.
The full list of winners of the 2020 Music Week Awards is below.
A&R Award
• Polydor Records
Accountancy Firm Of The Year
• CC Young & Co
Artist Marketing Campaign
• Harry Styles, Columbia Records
Catalogue Marketing Campaign
• Kylie Minogue, BMG
Festival Of The Year
• Reading & Leeds Festival
Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene - supported by Music Venue Trust
• The Forum, Tunbridge Wells
Independent Publisher Of The Year
• Reservoir
Independent Record Company - supported by Proper
• Partisan Records
Independent Retailer - supported by ERA
• Banquet Records, Kingston
Label/Artist Services Company
• Caroline International
Law Firm Of The Year
• Simons Muirhead & Burton
Live Music Agent
• Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent
Live Music Promoter
• SJM Concerts
Manager Of The Year
• Ben Mawson & Ed Millett, Tap Music
Music & Brand Partnership
• Ed Sheeran / Heinz / Warner Music / Wonderland / David / Starcom
Music Consumer Innovation
• TikTok, TikTok Music
PR Campaign
• Krept & Konan, Stoked PR
Promotions Team - supported by Radio Monitor
• EMI Records
Publisher Of The Year
• Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Radio Show
• Clara Amfo, BBC Radio 1
Radio Station - supported by PPL
• BBC Radio 6 Music
Record Company
• Polydor Records
Sales Team - supported by Official Charts Company
• Proper Music Group
Sync Of The Year
• Fresh N Clean – D Double E And Star.One
Featured In: Ikea ‘Silence The Critics’
(Label: Bluku Music / Publisher: Wake The Town & Metropolis Songs/ Agency: Mother London / Supervisors: Arnold Hattingh & David Bass)
Sync Team Of The Year
• Warner Chappell Music
Ticketing Company
• See Tickets
* To order your print copy of our very special Music Week Awards celebration edition, please email Rachael Hampton on rachael.hampton@futurenet.com. To subscribe and never miss a vital music biz story, click here.
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