CAA, Wireless, Dice triumph at Music Week Awards
Companies from across the UK’s live music sector were honoured at the 2024 Music Week Awards, held last night (2 May) at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London.
Presented by Apple Music 1 radio host Dotty, the sold-out ceremony saw 25 awards handed out across the music industry.
Winners included CAA (Live Music Agency), Live Nation UK (Live Music Promoter), Wireless (Festival) and Dice, who triumphed in the Ticketing Company category for the second successive year.
In their acceptance speech, CAA’s Maria May paid tribute to the “amazing artists we get to work with every single day”, while fellow agent Paul Franklin added: “Thanks also to the managers, the labels, the promoters but mainly to the CAA team who work incredibly hard every day.”
In addition, Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre clinched the Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene award, which is supported by Music Venue Trust and was decided by a public vote.
“Tonight is proof that pop music matters”
The night’s top award, The Strat – awarded annually to an industry icon – went to Fascination Management founder Peter Loraine, who was presented with the honour by his clients, Girls Aloud.
Loraine’s 30-year music career has included stints as magazine editor, label head and artist manager. He also famously gave the Spice Girls their nicknames.
Video tributes were provided by the group’s Melanie C and Emma Bunton, along with artists Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Will Young, Jessie Ware, Jake Shears, S Club 7, Bananarama, All Saints and Steps, in addition to Universal Music Group’s Sir Lucian Grainge, David Joseph and Selina Webb.
“If I think about it for any amount of time, I just think it’s wild,” said Lorain. “I’ve been able to turn my childhood obsession with pop music into a 30-year occupation. As a teenager, I only wanted three things: I wanted to move to London to work for a music magazine, for a record company and to be friends with Bananarama – not much to ask for really… Tonight is proof that pop music matters.”
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NI study shows live music’s importance to economy
The economic importance of music to Northern Ireland (NI) has been underlined by a new study.
Figures published ahead of today’s (16 November) Music Cities event at Sound of Belfast and the NI Music Prize show that live music and music creators account for more than 75% of the sector’s overall gross value (GVA).
The music sector in NI contributed almost £345m to the economy in 2019 and accounted for almost 6,500 jobs. The direct music sector contributed £115 million in GVA and 3,600 jobs, having almost doubled since the last economic study in 2013.
Prior to the pandemic, concerts and festivals held in NI attracted over one million attendees each year. According to UK Music, 234,000 music tourists visited the country in 2019, generating £81m in tourist spend.
“The publication of these figures represents an important step in educating policy makers on the vital role that music plays in supporting the NI economy”
“The publication of these figures represents an important step in educating policy makers on the vital role that music plays in supporting the NI economy,” says Charlotte Dryden, CEO of Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre. “Music is more than a hobby or a ‘nice to have’; it provides jobs for thousands of employed and freelance staff across the region, from artist managers, record producers and music technology companies through to individuals working in talent development roles, as we do at Oh Yeah.
“Collectively, we are not just a rich community asset, but an economic keystone. At our Music Cities afternoon and the NI Music Prize, we will be celebrating all of those who work in our sector, including the behind-the-scenes champions of creativity and innovation.”
The research, which does not take into account Covid’s impact on the sector, was commissioned by communications firm Fourth Pillar and supported by Northern Ireland Screen with funding provided by the Department for Communities. The research was independently conducted by economists Metro Dynamics.
“Music promotes NI plc around the world, generating important revenue streams and furthering a positive image of a place that is attractive to live, work and visit,” says Lynne Best, managing partner at Fourth Pillar. “Using this data, we will continue to engage with policymakers, as well as other stakeholders, to ensure that the value of creators is respected, professionals are supported and our music economy enjoys sustainable growth.”
Established by the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Sound of Belfast is an annual celebration of the music of the city and runs from 10-20 November.
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