2019 Music Week Awards finalists revealed...

It’s the news the music industry has been waiting for: the shortlists for the Music Week Awards 2019. Music Week can confirm the finalists in 21 categories for this year’s awards ceremony – the biggest night in the music industry calendar.

Following hundreds of entries for the only awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of the entire music business – including record labels, publishing, live, PR, retail, radio and marketing – the shortlists have now been decided across 21 categories. The full list is published below and with an incredibly high standard of entry across the categories this year, these finalists really do represent the best of the best.

The Music Week Awards in association with YouTube Music takes place on May 9 at a new venue for 2019, Battersea Evolution – table bookings are now open with tickets already selling incredibly fast. BBC Radio 2’s Jo Whiley has been unveiled as the host of this year’s awards ceremony.

With key players in the running, the Music Week Awards 2019 is going to be another fascinating contest.

Ben Cook’s Atlantic will be fighting to retain their Record Company title after another strong performance in 2018, including the breakthrough success of Anne-Marie. Atlantic is up against fellow Warner Music label Warner Bros Records, along with Columbia, Decca, Polydor, RCA and Virgin EMI.

Polydor’s Tom March and Ben Mortimer are in the running to retain the A&R Award following a successful 2018 with artists including Mabel, Jax Jones and Years & Years. But the category looks set to be a battle royale with nine other big labels and publishers in contention – Atlantic, Columbia, Dirty Hit, Island, Partisan, Reservoir, Syco Music, Warner Bros and Warner/Chappell.

Sony/ATV will be hoping to hold onto their Publisher Of The Year crown, though they’ll face stiff competition from the other majors and independents including Kobalt and Concord Music.

Of course, there was no Glastonbury last year so Emily Eavis won’t be picking up the Festival Of The Year prize again this time. It means the category is more open than ever, with AEG’s newcomer All Points East up against events including Download, Isle Of Wight Festival, Meltdown, Reading & Leeds Festivals, Tramlines and Wireless.

While the Music Week Awards audience won’t be treated to another winning speech from Coda Agency’s Alex Hardee this year, there’s a strong line-up of contenders in the Live Music Agent (Individual) category, including Angus Baskerville (13 Artists), Matt Bates (Primary Talent), Lucy Dickins (ITB), Jules de Lattre (UTA), Summer Marshall (CAA), Jon Ollier (CAA), Rebecca Prochnik (Earth Agency) and James Whitting (Coda).

In the Live Music Promoter (Company) category, the line-up includes AEG Presents, DHP Family, Kilimanjaro Live, Live Nation, Music Plus Sport, Senbla and SJM Concerts

Atlantic’s Damian Christian was magnanimous last year after Warner Bros Records denied him a 10th consecutive win in the Promotions Team category. But Atlantic will be aiming to win it back this year in a crowded field that includes major labels (Atlantic, Columbia, Island, Polydor, Warner Bros, Syco Music, Virgin EMI), indies (PIAS) and independent promotions companies (Plugged In, Your Army).

The Artist Marketing Campaign is a big category for the winning team behind a big release in 2018. This year a dozen shortlisted finalists include campaigns for artists at every stage of their career, including The 1975, Michael Buble, Christine And The Queens, George Ezra and Jorja Smith.

ERA is supporting the Independent Music Retailer category – contenders include Banquet, Drift, Forever Records, Pie & Vinyl, Resident and Vinyl Tap.

The Radio Station category – supported by PPL – will see reigning champions BBC Radio 6 Music up against Absolute, Planet Rock and fellow BBC networks Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra and Radio 2.

DSPs will be duking it out for the all-new Music Consumer Innovation Award. Finalists include Amazon Music, Deezer, Apple Music/Beats1, Spotify and YouTube Music.

As well as marking another year of growth for the industry, the Music Week Awards will climax with the presentation of our special outstanding contribution award, The Strat.

The 2018 edition attracted top execs, artists and industry figures, including UTA super-agent Neil Warnock, Emily Eavis, BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac and Dua Lipa, who handed The Strat to Max Lousada, CEO, recorded music at WMG and CEO/chairman, Warner Music UK.

Stay tuned to musicweek.com for the remaining shortlists for the new Accountancy Firm Of The Year category (the deadline is March 6) and Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene.

The full list of Music Week Awards 2019 finalists is below.

A&R Award

• Atlantic Records

• Columbia Records

• Dirty Hit

• Island Records

• Partisan Records

• Polydor Records

• Reservoir

• Syco Music

• Warner Bros Records

• Warner/Chappell Music

Artist Marketing Campaign

• The 1975, Dirty Hit/Polydor Records

• Michael Bublé, Warner Bros Records

• Christine And The Queens, Because Music

• George Ezra, Columbia Records

• Ghetts, Caroline International

• The Greatest Showman, Atlantic Records

• Tom Grennan, Insanity Records

• Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Decca Classics

• Kylie Minogue, BMG

• Mumford & Sons, Island Records

• Sigala, Ministry Of Sound Recordings

• Jorja Smith, FAMM/The Orchard

Catalogue Marketing Campaign

• Kate Bush, Rhino

• Fleetwood Mac, Rhino

• Buddy Holly, Decca

• MTV Rocks: Pop Punk Vs The World, UMOD

• Roy Orbison, Sony Music Commercial Group

• Queen, Virgin EMI

• Britney Spears, Sony Music Commercial Group

• Joe Strummer, Ignition

• Suede, Demon Music

• Trojan Records, BMG

Festival Of The Year

• All Points East

• BBC Biggest Weekend

• Download

• Isle Of Wight Festival

• Meltdown

• Reading & Leeds Festivals

• Tramlines

• Wireless

Independent Music Retailer - supported by ERA

• Banquet, Kingston-upon-Thames

• Drift, Totnes

• Forever Records, Nottingham

• Pie & Vinyl, Portsmouth

• Resident, Brighton

• Vinyl Tap, Huddersfield

Independent Record Company

• 4AD

• Defected Records

• Dirty Hit

• Glassnote Records

• Good Soldier Records

• Neighbourhood

• Partisan Records

• Transgressive Records

Label/Artist Services Company

• Absolute

• ADA

• AWAL

• Believe

• Caroline International

• Ingrooves

• The Orchard

• PIAS

Law Firm Of The Year

• Collins Long

• Hamlins

• Lee & Thompson

• Reed Smith

• Russells

• Shoosmiths

• Simons, Muirhead & Burton

• Van Straten Solicitors

Live Music Agent (Individual)

• Angus Baskerville, 13 Artists

• Matt Bates, Primary Talent

• Lucy Dickins, ITB

• Jules de Lattre, UTA

• Summer Marshall, CAA

• Jon Ollier, CAA

• Rebecca Prochnik, Earth Agency

• James Whitting, Coda

Live Music Promoter (Company)

• AEG Presents

• DHP Family

• Kilimanjaro Live

• Live Nation

• Music Plus Sport

• Senbla

• SJM Concerts

Manager Of The Year

• Mark Bent, Mother Artist Management

• Vicky Dowdall, VDM Music

• Sam & Roy Eldridge, UROK

• Ben Mawson & Ed Millett, Tap Management

• Ian McAndrew, Wildlife Entertainment

• Paul McDonald & Ryan Lofthouse, Closer Artists

• Radha Medar, Metallic Management

• Jamie Oborne, All On Red Management

• Tobe Onwuka, #Merky

• Jack Foster & Benny Scarrs, Neighbourhood Music

• Jazz Sherman, Hunger Mgmt

• Iain Watt, Martha Kinn & Phil Morais, Machine Management

Music & Brand Partnership

• Au/Ra / Superdry / Sony Music / Vision Nine

• Dua Lipa / PepsiCo / Warner Music / Fuse

• Idles / Fender / Partisan Records / MJ Media / ELS

• Paul Hartnoll (Orbital) / Evans Cycles / Propellernet

• Paloma Faith / Skoda / Sony Music / Fallon

• Sigrid / Gore-Tex / Universal Music Globe

• Stormzy & Big Shaq / EA Sports / Universal Music Globe / Spark

• Yxng Bane / Timberland / Warner Music / Disturbing London / Kinc

Music Consumer Innovation

• Amazon Music - Alexa

• Dinked - Dinked

• Deezer - Flow Tab

• Apple Music/Beats 1 - Apple Partnership With Jax Jones

• Spotify – Spotify Wrapped

• Spotify - Who We Be Live

• YouTube - YouTube Music Launch

PR Campaign

• Anne-Marie, Atlantic Records

• BTS, DawBell

• George Ezra, Inside/Out

• Ghetts, Caroline International

• Jeff Goldblum, Decca Records

• Linkin Park/Mike Shinoda, Halestorm PR

• Little Mix, Simon Jones PR

• Manic Street Preachers, Hall Or Nothing

• Kylie Minogue, Murray Chalmers PR

• Now That’s What I Call Music 100, Borkowski

• Taylor Swift, Stoked PR

• The 1975, Polydor Records

Promotions Team

• Atlantic Records

• Columbia Records

• Island Records

• PIAS

• Plugged In

• Polydor Records

• Syco Music

• Virgin EMI

• Warner Bros Records

• Your Army

Publisher Of The Year

• BMG

• Concord Music

• Downtown

• Good Soldier Songs

• Kobalt

• Reservoir

• Sentric Music

• Sony/ATV Music Publishing

• Universal Music Publishing Group

• Warner/Chappell Music

Radio Show

• Alex Baker’s Fresh Blood, Kerrang! Radio

• Dance Anthems With MistaJam, BBC Radio 1

• Danielle Perry’s Sunday Night Music Club, Absolute

• DJ Target, BBC Radio 1Xtra

• Future Sounds With Annie Mac, BBC Radio 1

• Introducing In Kent With Abbie McCarthy, BBC Radio Kent

• Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 6 Music

• Steve Lamacq, BBC Radio 6 Music

• The Breakfast Show With Dotty, BBC Radio 1Xtra

Radio Station - sponsored by PPL

• Absolute

• BBC Radio 1

• BBC Radio 1Xtra

• BBC Radio 2

• BBC Radio 6 Music

• Planet Rock

Record Company

• Atlantic Records

• Columbia Records

• Decca Records

• Polydor Records

• RCA Records

• Virgin EMI Records

• Warner Bros Records

Sales Team

• The Orchard UK

• PIAS

• Proper

• Republic Of Music

• Sony Music UK

• Warner Music UK

Ticketing Company

• Ents24

• Eventim

• Gigantic

• Skiddle

• Ticketmaster

• Twickets