The stage is set for the biggest awards night on the music industry calendar. And as the great and good ready themselves for a night of glitz, glamour and recognition of the very best the biz has to offer, we’ve identified six key areas that may well define the 2017 Music Week Awards, in association with Amazon Music.
Taking place tonight (Wednesday, April 5) at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, this year is set to be the event’s biggest outing yet, with record numbers of nominations received and overwhelming demand for tickets ensuring a spectacular evening in prospect for all in attendance.
Kicking off with a drinks reception from 5.45-7pm, a gourmet three-course dinner will be served at 7pm, ahead of the main event at 8.45pm, which will be hosted by none other than acclaimed broadcaster, presenter and journalist Lauren Laverne. Once the awards have been presented, the festivities will continue from 11.30pm until 3am at our exclusive after party, hosted at Tape, which is located at 17 Hanover Street, Mayfair.
While the Music Week Awards has traditionally made for a hotly-contested event, this year’s edition looks set to be one of the most closely fought night’s in many a year, with a host of brand new categories gracing the line-up.
For those of you active on social media, we strongly encourage you to like, comment and share your highlights of the evening across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The official hashtag for the night is #MusicWeekAwards so be sure to include it where possible.
So, without further ado, here are just six potentially defining moments that could likely live long in Music Week Awards memory...
Who will win the first ever Music Week Festival Of The Year Award?
One of our brand new categories for 2017, Festival Of The Year will see mammoth events such as Glastonbury, British Summer Time Hyde Park and Isle Of Wight take on the likes of Boardmasters, Bestival and Creamfields in the race for this debut award. As with each of our new categories, all finalists will be eager to emerge victorious in this award’s inaugural outing.
Will Atlantic Records make it nine Music Week Awards Promotions Team gongs in a row?
“We come in peace, we leave you in pieces,” said Atlantic Records’ director of promotions Damian Christian at last year’s Music Week Awards (and every Awards before that), after scooping the Promotions Team gong for the eighth consecutive year. All eyes will no doubt be on this category as Christian and co seek to make it 10 in a row, while the line-up of heavyweight nominees will be vying to give the award a new home for 2017.
Publishing: The indies go head to head with the majors for the first time ever
Previously, major publishers and independents were given their own separate categories at the Music Week Awards. This year we’ve shaken things up a tad and thrown the two of them together in a single, revamped category that judges each finalist on more than just market share. Now, publishing behemoths such as Sony/ATV and Warner/Chappell will do battle with the likes of Sentric Music, Spirit B-Unique and a whole host of others.
Laying down the law
In another Music Week Awards first, this year will see law companies given their chance to bask in the spotlight in our all-new Law Firm Of The Year category. One of the most vital, yet often overlooked corners of the market when it comes to awards, the 2017 Music Week Awards will be recognising the very best in the business.
Clash of the labels
Trying to predict who will emerge victorious in the coveted Record Company Award category is nigh on impossible this year, with each of our finalists having delivered stellar performances over the past 12 months. Duking it out for this hugely prestigious accolade are BMG, Decca Records, Island Records, Sony Music Commercial Group, Syco Music, Virgin EMI Records and Warner Bros Records. This is one you won’t want to miss.
Physical vs digital: High street retailers take on streaming giants
In yet another first for the Music Week Awards, physical retailers are pitted against digital streaming services in this year’s Music Retailer/Streaming Platform category. High street stalwarts like HMV and Sainsbury’s have both played their part in boosting physical music, particularly with vinyl, in their bid to drive more people towards the shops than to their smartphones, while the likes of Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer and Google Play Music have all been working to up their game and offer the most personalised streaming service possible. We’ll find out tomorrow night which of these deserving finalists will ultimately claim this all-new gong.
