2021 ENTRY GUIDELINES
The entry process for the Music Week Awards 2021 is your opportunity to put forward your best work for the year and highlight the achievements of you and your company to the industry! This is your chance to shout about your business, and get deserved recognition and reward from your peers.
The Full Awards List
- Accountancy Firm of the Year
- A&R Award
- Artist Marketing Campaign
- Catalogue Marketing Campaign
- Grassroots Venue: Spirit of the Scene
- Independent Publisher of the Year
- Independent Record Company
- Independent Retailer
- Label/Artist Services Company
- Law Firm of the Year
- Live Music Innovation of the Year - SPECIAL AWARD FOR 2021
- Manager of the Year
- Music & Brand Partnership
- Music Consumer Innovation
- PR Campaign
- Promotions Team
- Publisher of the Year
- Record Company
- Radio Show
- Radio Station
- Sales Team
- Sync of the Year
- Sync Team of the Year
- Talent Agency of the Year - SPECIAL AWARD FOR 2021
- The Strat
ACCOUNTANCY FIRM OF THE YEAR
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any accountancy firm with clients in the B2B music industry, with staff based in the UK.
A&R AWARD
Who is eligible for this award?
This Award is for a record label or music publisher A&R team (defined as more than one person), rather than an A&R individual. It recognises creative and commercial achievement in the field of A&R over the period of 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020.
ARTIST MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Who is eligible for this award?
This Award is for an Artist Marketing Campaign focused upon a new album, single or other significant activity that has been released during the period of 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020.
CATALOGUE MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Who is eligible for this award?
This Award is for Catalogue Marketing Campaign focused upon the rejuvenation of previously existing work of one artist or compilation that has been re-released between 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020.
GRASSROOTS VENUE: SPIRIT OF THE SCENE
Who is eligible for this award?
Any grassroots venue with a capacity of less than 500, located in the UK. For this category we are looking for nominations from others, as well as entries from venues themselves.
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any music publisher that is majority owned independently and has staff based in the UK.
INDEPENDENT RECORD COMPANY
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any record company that is majority owned independently and has staff based in the UK.
INDEPENDENT RETAILER
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any independently owned music retailer in the UK (physical, online or multichannel) that exclusively sells music, accessories, merchandise and hardware, with no other products or services for sale.
LABEL/ARTIST SERVICES COMPANY
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any label or artist services company that has staff based in the UK.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any law firm with clients in the B2B music industry, with staff based in the UK.
LIVE MUSIC INNOVATION OF THE YEAR - SPECIAL AWARD FOR 2021
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any individual or company with staff based in the UK and celebrates creative and commercial innovations that have helped keep the live music sector running between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2020
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Who is eligible for this award?
Any primarily UK based artist manager
*Please note if you are entering more than one individual, each person’s name must be included at the entry stage in order to be eligible for judging*
MUSIC & BRAND PARTNERSHIP
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any organisation that has been involved in the planning, development and execution of a commercial partnership between a brand and an artist(s) during the period 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020.
MUSIC CONSUMER INNOVATION
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any nationwide music retailer or streaming company with staff based in the UK.
PR CAMPAIGN
Who is eligible for this award?
This Award is for a PR campaign for a single artist that has released a substantial body of work, or a music based event with an accompanying PR campaign between 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020.
PROMOTIONS TEAM OF THE YEAR
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any UK-based promotions team
PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any music publisher with staff based in the UK.
RADIO SHOW
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to all UK based individual radio shows on local and national radio stations where music is a key part of the offering.
RADIO STATION
Who is eligible for this award?
This is open to all UK based radio stations, local or national, where music is a key part of the offering.
RECORD COMPANY
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any record company that is not majority owned independently and has staff based in the UK.
SALES TEAM
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is open to any UK-based sales team within a label or services company.
**Please note that lobbying the retail industry for votes on this category is discouraged and could lead to disqualification.**
SYNC OF THE YEAR:
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is for a predominantly UK based Sync team behind the best placement of a single track across either Television, Video Gaming, Film or Advertising available to a UK audience and broadcast between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2020
SYNC TEAM OF THE YEAR:
Who is eligible for this award?
This award is for a predominantly UK based Sync team* that can demonstrate the most outstanding work across multiple sync placements during the eligibility time period.
*eligible teams can be from across a record label, music publisher, agency or broadcaster music department and includes both major and independent companies
TALENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR - SPECIAL AWARD FOR 2021
Who is eligible for this award?
This Award is for a talent agency (defined as more than one person). It recognises creative and commercial achievement over the period of 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020.
THE STRAT
The Strat is bestowed upon a deserving winner by the Music Week team.
Previous winners include:
2019: Darcus Beese, President, Island Records US
2018: Max Lousada, CEO Recorded Music, Warner Music Group & Chairman & CEO, Warner Music UK
2017: Sarah Stennett, CEO & Co-Founder, First Access Entertainment
2016: Max Hole, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group
2015: Neil Warnock, Founder, The Agency Group
2014: Rob Stringer, Chairman & CEO, Columbia Records, Sony Music
2013: Richard Griffiths and Harry Magee, Founders, Modest! Management
2012: Richard Russell, Owner, XL Recordings
2011: Fran Nevrkla, Chairman, PPL
2010: Lucian Grange, Chief Executive Officer, Universal Music Group
2009: Robert Partridge 2008: Tony Wadsworth, Chairman & CEO, EMI Music UK & Ireland
2007: Jazz Summers
2006: Daniel Miller, Founder, Mute Records