News

• Ariana Grande, Scooter Braun, Melvin Benn (Festival Republic) & Simon Moran (SJM) declared ‘Industry Champions’ for organising the One Love Manchester charity stadium show
• Depeche Mode manager Jonathan Kessler receives Peter Grant Award for Lifetime Achievement. Tracey Thorn receives Artists’ Artist Award
• Lana Del Rey presents Manager of the Year Award to TAP Management
• Other winners included Rag’N’Bone Man (Artist of the Year), Giggs and management team (Pioneer Award), Tom Misch (Breakthrough Artist), Kilo Jalloh & Moe Bah at 2K Management (Breakthrough Manager for J Hus), Eleven Management (Entrepreneur Award for Gorillaz)

Ariana Grande, her manager Scooter Braun, Melvin Benn (Festival Republic) and Simon Moran (SJM) were recognised as ‘Industry Champions’ at the 2017 Artist & Manager Awards – highlighting their efforts in producing the One Love Manchester concert on June 4th 2017. The event helped raise more than £17m for the We Love Manchester fund, set up to support victims and families impacted by the Manchester Arena bomb attack of May 22nd.

The Artist & Manager Awards, which are organised by the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), celebrate innovation and achievement in the artist and music management community. The ceremony took place this evening (November 14th) at Printworks London.

The Industry Champion Award was presented by Imogen Heap, the FAC’s Artist In Residence, who performed with Ariana at the One Love Manchester show. Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Scooter Braun both submitted video messages.

Scooter said:

“Although this is incredible, I want us to remember that the city of Manchester and all those families are the real heroes…60,000 people of Manchester came forward and filled that stadium. It was the greatest act of defiance in the face of evil that I’ve ever witnessed, and I will never ever forget it. On behalf of myself, Ariana and the rest of the team, I want to say to the city of Manchester ‘thank you’ – this is your award tonight, and you have taught us all a valuable lesson. Evil will never win.”

Andy Burnham said:

“All of us were in awe of Ariana and everything she did through that period – both on the night in putting on an incredible show, and in supporting the families in their most difficult moment. But it says something about Manchester that people came together in the way that they did, and I would like to pay tribute to Simon and Melvin who are collecting the award tonight for everything they did to make it all possible, as well as the team behind them.

“They helped bring people back together, they helped restore confidence in the live music scene, but most importantly of all Manchester sent out a message to the whole world that nothing will divide us, and nothing will change who we are. We will always be Manchester.”

Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive of the MMF added:

“The terrorist attack at Ariana Grande’s Manchester Arena show was one of the year’s darkest moments, targeting young music fans and their families. It left 22 dead and more than 250 injured. To organise a concert in their memory, and to turn it into a joyous celebration of youth and music, was an incredible achievement. The MMF and FAC are humbled to honour the team behind One Love Manchester, and would like to dedicate this award to all those still impacted by the events of May 22nd.”

Other winners at the A&MAs, which was sponsored by Spotify, included Depeche Mode’s longtime manager Jonathan Kessler, who picked up the Peter Grant Award for Lifetime Achievement, and Tracey Thorn who was crowned Artists’ Artist.

The Award for Manager of the Year was presented to TAP Management’s Ben Mawson and Ed Millett by Lana Del Rey, just one of the artists their company has helped guide to global acclaim. Meanwhile Rag’N’Bone Man was declared Artist of the Year, recognising his decade-long journey to success, as well as the international impact of his album Human.

Giggs and his management team Michael ‘Buck’ Maris and Trenton Harrison-Lewis received the Pioneer Award from Island Records’ President Darcus Beese OBE, while Eleven Management’s Niamh Byrne and Regine Moylett received the Entrepreneur Award for their work on Gorillaz multifaceted album campaign for Humanz. Echo Beach Management’s Jill Hollywood picked up the award for Writer/Producer Manager.

Also revealed on the night were the winners of Breakthrough Artist, awarded to singer, songwriter and DJ Tom Misch, and Breakthrough Manager, which was awarded to 2K Management’s Kilo Jalloh & Moe Bah for their work with J Hus.

A special tribute was paid to former MMF President, Jon Webster, who stepped down earlier this year to write a book about his experiences at Virgin Records in the 1980s. Performances on the night came from Dermot Kennedy, one of TAP Management’s priority artists, and The Boxer Rebellion (ATC Management).

The full list of winners for the 2017 Artist & Manager Awards is as follows:

Peter Grant Award for Lifetime Achievement – sponsored by PPL: Jonathan Kessler (Depeche Mode)
Artists’ Artist Award: Tracey Thorn
Manager of the Year Award: Tap Management (Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, DJ Shadow)
Artist of the Year Award – sponsored by AudioActive: Rag’N’Bone Man
Industry Champion Award – sponsored by Music Support: Ariana Grande, Scooter Braun, Simon Moran, Melvin Benn
Entrepreneur Award: Niamh Byrne & Regine Moylett, Eleven Management (Gorillaz)
Pioneer Award: Giggs, Michael ‘Buck’ Maris & Trenton Harrison-Lewis
Writer / Producer Manager Award – sponsored by BMI: Jill Hollywood, Echo Beach Management
Unsung Hero Award: Jon Webster
Breakthrough Artist Award: – sponsored by Spotify Tom Misch
Breakthrough Manager Award – sponsored by YouTube: Kilo Jalloh & Moe Bah, 2K Management

Photo: John Marshall, JM Enternational