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This year’s ceremony takes place at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top on Wednesday 18th November.

Tickets are available here with further discounts for MMF and FAC members.  

The 25-year partnership between Jamie Cullum and Rockstar Management’s Marc Connor and Jenny Carroll is among the most enduring in modern music. 

Initially discovered by Marc while performing at a Pizza Express, Jamie has evolved from piano prodigy to cultural ambassador and one of the UK’s most successful and celebrated champions of jazz music in all its forms, past and present. He’s sold over 11 million records worldwide, with streams in the billions, making him the UK’s best-selling jazz artist. Nine solo albums deep, his music resonates just as much today as it did when he released his 2003 breakthrough Twentysomething – the fastest-selling jazz album in UK chart history. 

Importantly, from day one, Jamie was never presented exclusively as a jazz artist. Consequently, he remains one of those rare musicians with true, boundary-pushing range and someone who has collaborated with Pharrell, IDLES and Burt Bacharach, on movie soundtracks with Clint Eastwood, written a Children in Need single, and won MOBO and Ivor Novello awards, as well as earning Golden Globe and Grammy nominations. 

As a tastemaker, he is respected and revered by the next generation of UK jazz talents, as a judge on the Mercury Music Prize and as host of a hugely popular BBC Radio 2 show. The latter has provided a weekly platform to showcase new artists – including Gregory Porter, Ezra Collective and Emma-Jean Thackray – as well as live sessions and vintage performances. 

Cutting his music management teeth in the mid-1990s, with clients including Gabrielle, Mark Morrison and Shane MacGowan, Marc launched his own company, Air MTM in 2001. Here he developed a successful collaborative model, where a bespoke team of professionals (including in-house publicists and booking agents plus concert promoters, label, publisher, accountant, lawyer) were tailored around his clients. In addition to Jamie, Air’s innovative approach was applied to artists such as I Am Kloot, Newton Faulkner, Jason Mraz, Curtis Stigers, Ferris & Sylvester and The Lottery Winners.

With Jenny joining the fold in 2014, bringing with her extensive experience in PR and promotion, the company rebranded as Rockstar Management in 2022 and currently oversees a roster including Billy Lockett, Henry Grace, Jeff Cohen, Laura Oakes and Viddy. 

And, of course, Rockstar continues to guide Jamie Cullum’s career from strength to strength, and particularly so in the live arena. Still able to command mass audiences at huge global venues, last week he was also a star feature of the opening season for London’s newest location for tastemaking, The Blue Note, alongside artists like Erykah Badu and Robert Glasper. 

Still to come in 2026 are Jamie’s annual (and sold out) Royal Albert Hall shows in December, built around his 2020 double album,The Pianoman at Christmas, and a new album to be released next year via Island Records. 

It’s an incredible journey, with many miles left to run. The FAC and MMF are absolutely delighted to present our 2026 Artist & Manager Partnership Award sponsored by PPL to Jamie, Marc and Jenny. 

Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive, Music Managers Forum: 

“We have celebrated some truly wonderful partnerships at the Artist & Manager Awards, and are now delighted to shine a light on the 25-year bond between Jamie Cullum and Marc Connor and Jenny Carroll at Rockstar Management. This was a partnership forged before Jamie’s stratospheric success, one that has guided him through an incredibly eclectic career, and one that endures to this day. Through this award, we hope these achievements can garner even wider recognition and, on behalf of the MMF, I would like to congratulate Jamie, Marc and Jenny on their continuing successes.”

Peter Leathem OBE, CEO of PPL: 

“PPL is proud to sponsor this year’s FAC and MMF Artist & Manager Partnership Award. Congratulations to Jamie Cullum, Marc Connor and Jenny Carroll on an extraordinary collaboration that has spanned 25 years. Jamie is an incredible artist and a champion of jazz music, and his long-standing partnership with Marc and Jenny is a fantastic example of how strong artist-manager relationships can help create lasting success. We are delighted to see their achievements recognised with this award.” 

Our Pioneer Award has previously recognised such original and important talents as Soul II Soul, SOPHIE, Cookie Crew, Mogwai, Neneh Cherry, Kano and Imogen Heap, and we are delighted to announce our 2026 recipients will be Portishead. 

Formed in 1991 around the nucleus of Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley, the impact of the band’s recorded output – essentially three, near-perfect albums: the Mercury-winning Dummy (1994), Portishead (1997) and Third (2008); and a combination of classic songwriting, innovative production, raw instrumentation and otherworldly vocals – continues to resonate and inspire. 

Following the almost instantaneous impact of their debut, which reached number two in the UK album charts in 1994, Portishead proceeded to tear up their own rule book – replacing samples with orchestration for the follow-up, before embracing analogue experimentation. Rightly acclaimed as a masterpiece, Third was subsequently rewarded with the highest chart positions of their careers – including a Top Ten in the US.  

And despite a hiatus, the band have never truly broken up. Reconvening for a one-off show in 2022 in support of War Child, they also performed in 2025 at the Together For Palestine concert at London’s Wembley Arena. 

Meanwhile, the pioneering spirit of Portishead lives on in each member’s solo work – most recently with Beth’s acclaimed Mercury-nominated album, Lives Outgrown; Geoff’s work as a film Composer and Producer of his first feature “GAME” in 2025 and Adrian’s latest expansions into free improvisation and composition .

The FAC and MMF are truly honoured to pay tribute to this most original, influential and pioneering of British bands.

David Martin, CEO, Featured Artists Coalition:

“Like many other music fans, Portishead were one of the ever-present sounds of my youth. They remain so today, both as a band, as solo performers and as genuine pioneers. Their three studio albums still retain a special magic – all utterly distinct and genre defying but capable of transporting the listener into another secret realm, and they remain one of the most captivating live bands when they appear together. We are truly honoured that the band has chosen to accept this award.  I am also really proud that Beth and Adrian are FAC Ambassadors, and sincerely hope we can sign up Geoff at some point too.”

Now in its 16th edition, the Artist & Manager Awards remains a unique event in the music industry calendar, celebrating both the excellence of artists who release recordings and perform live and their entrepreneurial partners who help them build businesses. 

As well as full access to the awards ceremony, attendees will also enjoy a red carpet drinks reception, a two-course dinner, live performances and entry to the official after-party. 

As previously announced, in celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary, Raw Power Management has already been revealed as the recipients of our award for Managers’ Manager. 

Further winners and shortlists will be announced in coming weeks. 

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or tickets, please contact Gary Reid or Jonathan Robinson – gary@thefac.org /  – jonathan@themmf.net.