The 2020-21 period is best forgotten for most, but one of the more positive legacies of the pandemic years for the touring community was the emergence of a wave of new independent booking agencies.

Whether by choice or necessity, the UK gained the likes of Mother Artists, One Fiinix Live, Route One Booking, Marshall Live Agency, Runway Artists and Playbook Artists; the US welcomed Arrival Artists, Mint Talent Group, TBA Agency and Paladin Artists; and the Spanish agency landscape expanded with Rebel Beat Agency.

As we approach the fifth anniversary of the Covid-enforced live music shutdown, almost all are still in operation – at odds with the broader market’s shift towards consolidation – providing an opportune juncture for IQ to take stock with a selection of the indie nation’s key players.

Among the most high-profile new entrants on the scene was One Fiinix Live. Founded by Ed Sheeran agent Jon Ollier in 2020 after nearly six years with CAA, the firm’s acts also include 2Cellos, Calum Scott, Picture This, Black Stone Cherry and Tash Sultana.

Ollier declares himself more than satisfied with its work to date.

“We’re achieving everything that we set out to achieve,” he reports. “I didn’t have a particularly grandiose vision when I started out because I didn’t know whether we were going to be in it for the long haul or whether I was just going to do something for a short period of time to see us through the pandemic before going back into another company.”

“Hopefully the few of us that have set up have been able to show big artists that the service is just as good as other agencies”

One Fiinix expanded its horizons last year with the hirings of US-based agents John Pantle and Bex Wedlake.

“Culturally it is how I envisaged it,” says Ollier. “We have a group of people that pull each other through and fight for each other.”

Natasha Gregory departed Paradigm (now Wasserman Music) in late 2020 to launch Mother Artists with her brother Mark Bent. The award-winning company’s roster includes acts such as IDLES, Amy Macdonald, The Teskey Brothers, CMAT, Ry X, Blair Davie and Foster the People.

“Maybe there are more options outside of the big corporates now, and hopefully the few of us that have set up have been able to show big artists that the service is just as good as other agencies,” muses Gregory. “You need to deliver a good service for your artist and that can be very difficult when you have 80 acts on the roster. I find it easier when it’s a smaller team, but there’s space for everyone.”

Nevertheless, Gregory plays down the impact of the proliferation of indies on the wider agency business.

“I’m not sure it’s changed the industry; I’m not sure the industry will ever change,” she tells IQ. “I don’t begrudge or look negatively at how any agency runs, no matter what size. The way I look at it is that there is a place for every person that suits themselves, their character, their needs, their meaning of success and their ambition. And then there are artists that fit into a service that they like in terms of how they want to be looked after and what’s important to them.”

“What the pandemic kicked into gear was the proliferation of indies at the bottom end”

Elsewhere, Runway Artists was set up in the spring of 2020 by former ATC Live agent Matt Hanner, who brought in ex-Primary Talent International veteran Steve Backman the following year.

“One of our big aims was to avoid becoming a small boutique that was largely irrelevant – especially being over in Portsmouth – and that was part of the reason we promptly set up a London office,” remembers Hanner. “We were both coming from established, bigger agencies and were used to operating at that level. The big were getting bigger; the consolidation at the top end of the market was happening, and what the pandemic kicked into gear was the proliferation of indies at the bottom end.”

Other early Runway hires included emerging executives Amy Greig and Dotun Bolaji (now at Primary). Its current artist roster includes …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, A Certain Ratio, Gabriella Cilmi, Future Teens, The Boo Radleys, The Mission, The Wytches and Red Snapper.

“We’ve grown the company, we’ve grown our personnel and we’ve identified younger professional talent who were either a little rough around the edges or had no real experience of the industry,” adds Hanner. “As a result, I think we have kept a seat at the table. We’re up against the ATCs or CAAs of the world when we go in for pitches and I’m not saying we’re winning a lot of them, but that’s the pool we want to be fishing in.

“We’ve also done it within the context of not having any big artists,” he continues. “We’re working a lot with grassroots and developing artists and we have a selection of heritage artists, but nothing huge and so we’re having to cut our cloth accordingly. But we’ve kept going, we’ve kept growing and I think Runway is now a company that people have really heard of which – given the explosion of agencies, especially on the independent side over the last few years – is something to be celebrated.”

“I don’t think you need an international partner to do a good job on an act”

On the subject of overseas partners, Hanner acknowledges the benefits but disputes the assertion they are now essential in the modern agency game.

“I don’t think you need an international partner to do a good job on an act,” he argues. “We represent artists where – even in Europe – we might share them with a Scandinavian agent, for example. We work alongside them and can do a good job for the artist together.

“I think the problem is that it’s a stick to beat people with when you haven’t got an international partner and other people come looking for your artist – the talk of synergies and shared calendars and that sort of thing. And invariably, this is coming from a company that also has a literary department and a screenwriter department and various other things they can dangle in front of you.

“I don’t think it’s the be-all and end-all, but if you can pitch internationally then I think it can serve you well in terms of the competition for signing and keeping artists. I appreciate, from a manager’s point of view, why a global pitch would be a sealer.”

Marshall, the British music company best known for its guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets, launched Marshall Live Agency in 2020, helmed by agent Stuart Vallans. Vallans, who represents names like The Meffs, Heavy Lungs, Split Dogs, Pleasureinc, Cucamaras and Carsick, founded boutique agency TRUST. Artists last year and extols the virtues of going it alone.

“It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made: to be able to come and go as I please and run things how I see fit is something that fills me with happiness,” he says.

“Revenues are on the up, ticket sales are increasing across the board and bigger opportunities are opening for bands”

In Vallans’ experience, it is no more difficult to operate as an independent agency in 2025 than when he first started out.

“For us nothing has changed, it’s just been a steady increase in everything we’re doing,” he says. “Revenues are on the up, ticket sales are increasing across the board and bigger opportunities are opening for bands that we’ve been working closely with for several years. A1 forms and withhold tax are still a pain, but it’s part of what we have to do!”

Moreover, Vallans, who is in the process of adding new agents to the TRUST roster, detects a sea change in attitudes among the artist community.

“I think a lot of artists are getting a quite cynical view of big corporates, not only in the agency world but when it comes to all aspects of the industry,” he opines. “We work with so many tight knit teams – often without managers – building artists’ careers based on things we can control rather than hit and hope playlisting, press pitching and posting on socials x amount of times per day. No thanks!

“A lot of bands we work with have been churned out by the corporate system as they weren’t hitting their quota of shows/financial figures. These bands are still in demand and can have careers in music, we’re giving them a home to develop and be the bands that they want to be.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some consolidation at some stage between a few of the agencies, especially some of the one-man bands out there”

Notable happenings in the past couple of years have seen Primary Talent International return to independence following a management buyout, while UK-based indie Earth Agency celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. The sector also suffered a blow with the recent collapse of FMLY.

Looking ahead, Hanner expects further consolidation within the marketplace.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some consolidation at some stage between a few of the agencies, especially some of the one-man bands out there, because there are challenges to running a small business. But I don’t see a bunch of indie agencies giving up in the next few years,” he asserts. “I think people have found there’s an ethos that you might lose at a corporate company, and people have grown accustomed to that and enjoy working in that way.”

Closing on a confident note, Vallans sees the future for indie agencies as “incredibly positive”.

“Indie agencies can continue to flourish, 100%,” he concludes. “We collaborate on so many shows and events with other agencies and it’s great to see.”

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To celebrate the hard work of the numerous independent operators that make the live entertainment industry such a vibrant – and growing – business worldwide, IQ is publishing its inaugural Indie Champions list.

Our shortlist of 20 companies were chosen by the IQ readership and have headquarters across 11 different nations but service live events the world over, thanks to their various satellite offices and the artists and partners they work with.

The Indie Champions will become an annual staple of IQ, so if your company did not make it onto this year’s debut list, fear not, as you have a full ten months to prove your credentials to friends, colleagues, and business partners ahead of next year’s nomination process.

IQ will continue to publish entries across all categories over the coming days, and you can find the whole cohort in the latest edition of IQ here.

Find part one here, part two here, and part three here.

One Fiinix Live (UK)
The coronavirus pandemic was the driver behind Jon Ollier creating agency One Fiinix Live. The company launched in November 2020, and for the first few months, its sole employees were Ollier and Emma Davis, before Jess Kinn joined the firm.

“I think our point of difference is in our philosophy of inclusivity,” says Ollier. “We offer clients a genuine and demonstrably safe place for them to stand and for their creativity to flourish.” The company has since opened a US office, allowing it to offer a global service to clients. It has also launched management and digital marketing offshoot One Fiinix North, which Ollier describes as an attempt to take a little bit of responsibility for both breaking artists and developing talent.

The company’s payroll now includes 18 staff, and this year, the company’s roster of acts has racked up 1,600 shows, across all levels of the business – clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums, and festivals.

Looking to next year, 1.5m tickets were snapped up for Sheeran’s European tour within the first two weeks of on-sale

Boasting Ed Sheeran as a client, One Fiinix took his world tour across Asia and Eastern Europe this year, as well as headlining both the Portugal and Brazil legs of Rock in Rio. In the UK, Hauser played at the Royal Albert Hall, while Ed Sheeran support act Calum Scott sold out Hammersmith Apollo.

Looking to next year, 1.5m tickets were snapped up for Sheeran’s European tour within the first two weeks of on-sale; Jess Kinn is working on Olly Alexander’s new project; and on the development side, the agency is working with exciting new talent including Tash Sultana, Allie Sherlock, Finn Forster, and Joel Sunny.

Primary Talent International (UK)
Celebrating its 34th year in the agency business, Primary Talent International boasts an eclectic roster of over 450 clients spanning all genres. Notable clients include The Cure, The 1975, Noel Gallagher, Justice, Kings of Leon, Dropkick Murphys, Mitski, Wolf Alice, Rina Sawayama, Patti Smith, and Pet Shop Boys. In 2024, the Primary team booked 3,500 shows around the world.

Primary Talent’s staff specialise in supporting their clients to help them build long-lasting careers by catering to their individual needs and have a long history of building artists from clubs to festival headline level. The company has an impressive track record in developing the careers of emerging artists to bring them to commercial success.

In March 2023, Primary announced the company’s decoupling from CAA following CAA’s acquisition of ICM

For example, 2024 saw Belfast rap group KNEECAP play their first European summer festival season, appearing at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Rock Werchter, Down The Rabbit Hole, Roskilde, Super Bock Super Rock, and others, as well as selling out five nights at Vicar Street in Dublin and their entire November UK tour.

In March 2023, Primary announced the company’s decoupling from CAA following CAA’s acquisition of ICM, Primary’s former parent company. Primary re-established its independent status with a buy-out led by COO Rick Levy and CEO and managing partner Matt Bates. Primary’s renewed independence also saw the company introduce a new management structure, with partners Simon Clarkson, Laetitia Descouens, Sally Dunstone, Martje Kremers, Pete Nash, and Ed Sellers.

Runway Artists (UK)
Having been made redundant by ATC Live early on in the pandemic, Matt Hanner persuaded a handful of his clients to take a punt on him going solo. “It probably helped that the prospects of touring any time soon were rapidly disappearing over the horizon, so perhaps they didn’t think it mattered all that much who their agent was,” Hanner tells IQ.

“I think I earned £500 in my first year of trading and had to pick up some lecturing work to tide me over, but Steve [Backman] and I began talking, and in April ’21, we made it official. That to me is when Runway really began.”

Runway is a booking agency that has also dabbled in running a showcase and a conference. “We want to try and bring value to our artists and the independent ecosystem we’re a part of,” explains Hanner. The roster of 120+ acts includes British singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram, who has a new album on the way, and Welsh rockers Punk Rock Factory, plus upcoming artists like Welsh band Melin Melyn, hyper-pop artist Babymorocco, and Australian country artist Fanny Lumsden.

Runway Artists employees have contracted more than 1,500 shows this year – 25% more than 2023

Having celebrated its third birthday earlier this year, Runway now employs 11 people full-time, part-time, and freelance, who have contracted more than 1,500 shows this year – 25% more than 2023.

“We generally use a freelance model as a way to engage with those who we believe have the potential to be great agents but don’t yet have a roster and need a framework and support to begin learning the trade properly,” notes Hanner. “Our investment in talent in that way is pretty unique: we’re very open to new voices and want to bring in talent to the team and be proactive in their development.”

Toutpartout (BE)
Currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, Toutpartout began life in the bedroom of Steve Thomassen when he was in his final year of a visual arts degree at university, with his mother acting as his secretary.

As part of his degree, Thomassen undertook a traineeship as a production assistant at a television company, and on his first day, one of the acts had cancelled, allowing him to impress his new bosses by bringing in a band that included his friends. That opened the door to his involvement in music, first managing acts, before doing PR in Belgium for labels such as Sub Pop, Method, and Secret Canadian, while progressing his career in broadcasting as a freelance TV director.

In 2023, the company was involved in around 950 shows, while this year that number will be closer to 1,075

These days, Toutpartout is a European agent for a roster of international acts, promoting shows in Belgium and the Netherlands, while Thomassen also runs a small record label and a home-based record store. In 2023, the company was involved in around 950 shows, while this year that number will be closer to 1,075.

While Toutpartout is renowned for its Autumn Falls Festival, which runs across Belgium from September to December, staff are currently counting down to the company’s 30th birthday concert series in Gent’s Club Wintercircus and De Vooruit. Acts confirmed for those shows include DIIV and Jessica Pratt from the US; CHVE, Psychonaut, Briqueville, Takh, Cobra The Impaler, Endlingr, and Ronker from Belgium; the UK’s Joe Gideon and King Hannah; Australia’s Jess Ribeiro; and Tuareg songwriter Mdou Moctar.

Untitled Group (AU)
Identifying a gap in the market, music entrepreneurs Michael Christidis, Christian Serrao, Filippo Palermo, and Nicholas Greco self-funded the first Beyond The Valley festival in 2014. As they added more festival brands and a touring division, they recognised the need to consolidate their businesses, leading to the creation of Untitled Group, which with 70 staff, now claims to be Australia’s largest independently owned music and events company.

Untitled’s festival portfolio includes Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Wildlands, and Ability Fest. It specialises in curating unique experiences, from large-scale festivals to intimate day parties in unconventional venues.

“We work closely with both domestic and international acts, fostering long-term relationships to grow their presence in the region”

“Our services encompass end-to-end project management for artist tours, ensuring each performance reflects the artist’s vision,” says Christidis. “We work closely with both domestic and international acts, fostering long-term relationships to grow their presence in the region.”

The company’s operations include its Proxy talent agency, artist management, marketing agency Underscore, and even a sustainable vodka brand called UGLY that is made from apples that otherwise would have been discarded for landfill.

Untitled sells over 500,000 tickets per year and has worked with artists such as Dom Dolla, Christina Aguilera, Zach Bryan, Kesha, Marlon Hoffstadt, I Hate Models, Rüfüs Du Sol, Kaytranada, Black Coffee, Patrick Topping, DJ Boring, Ice Spice, Fisher, Solomun, Chase & Status, Nelly Furtado, Ben Böhmer, Lithe, STÜM, Patrick Mason, Nothing But Thieves, Overmono, Romy, Jayda G, Honey Dijon, Peggy Gou, Central Cee, and DJ Heartstring.

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Runway Artists founder Matt Hanner has told IQ about the agency’s strategy to invest in the next generation of agents.

Hanner (formerly of ATC Live, Coda) launched the London-based independent booking agency in the spring of 2020, against the backdrop of a global pandemic.

Notably, the agency’s first hires included emerging executives Amg Greig and Dotun Bolaji (now at Primary Talent), with Greig set to move from a freelance role to a full-time position in June.

Indeed, Hanner says recruiting and training young and diverse agents is baked into the firm’s game plan.

“I want to build a talented team that represents the artists we work with and society as a whole,” he tells IQ.

“Younger, digital native agents will definitely have the upper hand when it comes to identifying and nurturing new artists”

“Popular culture is not shaped by aging white men and as something of an underdog in the agency landscape I want to give Runway a fighting chance when we’re up against the competition – if artists can look across the table and see a company that reflects and understands them then hopefully they’ll give us a shot.”

In fact, Hanner believes that having young agents on the team is an advantage when it comes to scouting talent.

“Someone in their early 20s has only ever consumed music in an ecosystem in which DSPs are a major player; the associated shift in consumption habits has massively altered how people approach genre and that feeds into talent development and discovery,” he explains.

“Personally when looking at new artists I feel I can’t stray too far from my ‘lane’ as I don’t know the tastemakers outside certain genres but streaming has moved the goalposts completely and younger, digital native agents will definitely have the upper hand when it comes to identifying and nurturing new artists.”

The younger generation of Runway recently expanded with Louise McGovern (an agent who has previously worked for Midnight Mango and DHP) and intern Emer Marcus, who joined Heather Mosselson, Steve Backman, Zac Peters, Craig Wylie, Georgia Chrysanthopoulos and Karen Murray.

“The shift in age and gender balance of the company should bring a new dynamic”

But Runway’s commitment to diversity isn’t just reflected in its team. Having partnered with gender-equality initiative Keychange, the agency has pledged to maintain a minimum of 50% female-led or majority-female artists across the agency’s roster.

“Additionally, we are looking to address the racial imbalance across the artists we represent,” reads a mission statement on the agency’s website.

McGovern – who represents KEG, Alien Chicks, Spyres, Toby Sebastian, Jaws The Shark, Cable Street Collective, Dutch Criminal Record, Jade Helliwell and Kima Otung – says Runway’s DEI strategy is partly what attracted her to the company.

“They invest a lot into grassroots artists and venues and have a people-first approach, and equality, diversity and inclusion are important concepts to me, so I was thrilled to see them sign up to the Keychange pact,” she says. “In terms of their roster, they have a diverse range of artists, and I could see my roster and my future roster fitting in well there.”

Meanwhile, Marcus has been interning at Runway for nine months now and says her experience at the agency has been “crucial” in an industry that can be “daunting for young people to enter”.

“Talent and aptitude for the role are more important than experience, so assuming we’re getting that bit right once the doors are open we want to see people running through them,” says Hanner.

As an independent agency, Hanner believes Runway can give less experienced executives broader exposure to agency work and progress them quicker into an agent role.

“I think, in general, agencies have been hiring as young and cheap as they can for years with very different motivations,” he says. “You could argue it would be more financially prudent and less work to bring in experienced staff and those with a proven roster but one of the advantages to being an independent company is that we can be idealistic and take a gamble because we believe it’s the right thing to do.

“The shift in age and gender balance of the company should bring a new dynamic and I am hoping we empower our newly expanded team to drive Runway forward in an exciting direction,” Hanner says.

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Primary Talent International has hired agent Dotun Bolaji, who will be based out of the company’s London offices.

Bolaji joins the agency from Runway Artists and brings a roster that includes Agajon (DJ), B-ahwe, Jay Prince, Jords, Karl Benjamin, and Planet Giza.

He has been part of the Watford-based live music showcase Superlative and has a background in club promoting, staging nights with the likes of Giggs, DJ EZ, Section Boyz and AJ Tracey.

The young agent was on ILMC’s Futures Forum 2022 committee, which champions the next generation of live music industry leaders.

“I’m pleased and excited to have Dotun join our team here at Primary as we continue to expand our roster of agents and clients,” says Matt Bates, managing Partner and CEO of Primary Talent International.

“As fans embrace diverse sounds, I’m dedicated to amplifying [music of Black origin]”

“He has extensive knowledge of what’s going on in the UK market and shares our enthusiasm for the future of the live experience.”

Bolaji adds: “I’m thrilled to join the team at Primary Talent, with note to their stellar reputation. In this digital age, music of Black origin and Black artists who make music beyond conventional expectations are reaching unprecedented heights.

“As fans embrace diverse sounds, I’m dedicated to amplifying these voices, bringing new and creative experiences to broader audiences. The future of live music is bright.”

Primary Talent International is a leading independent international live music booking agency, boasting a roaster of nearly 460 clients.

Clients include The 1975, The Cure, Noel Gallagher, Jack Harlow, alt-J, Dropkick Murphys, Patti Smith, Imanbek, Mitski, Rina Sawayama, The Streets, Two Door Cinema Club, Wolf Alice, and Ziggy Marley.

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The LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – IQ Magazine’s third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Check out yesterday’s profile with Johanna Beckman, senior creative curator & promotor at FKP Scorpio Sweden.

The series continues with Amy Greig (she/her), booking agent at Runway Artists in the UK.

Amy Greig is a booking agent and new-music scout at Runway Artists whose roster includes acts such as ROE, Legss, Babymorocco, and LibraLibra. She’s been at Runway for almost two years, working alongside Matt Hanner and Steve Backman.

Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2023 so far.
That’s tough! In terms of things that have been announced at this point, I would say Babymorocco’s upcoming Space 289 headline is a big one. A lot of hard work from the whole team has gone into getting to this stage, and the show itself has a lot of surprises in store; he’s going to kill it.

Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
It’s got to be Ethel Cain.

What advice could you give to young queer professionals?
I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer this one just yet; ask me again after my next birthday!

“Being at six of those shows a week… I think that outweighs any potential inexperience from a young person really”

Name one thing you’d like to see the live music business change.
The idea that live music professionals should stay in their genre lane. Nobody is really listening to music that way anymore. Why are we working that way?

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
Give more opportunities to young professionals. I’m 20 but also a student. I think that’s an asset, having an understanding of what shows my peers are going to, but also being at six of those shows a week. I think that outweighs any potential inexperience from a young person really. I’m really fortunate to have been shown the ropes by our office; we need more people like Matt and Steve who are willing to help young agents learn.

Shout out to your biggest ally in the live music industry.
Matt and Steve from our office. The best guys I know!

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IQ Magazine has revealed the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – the third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – as nominated by our readers and verified by our esteemed steering committee – are individuals that have gone above and beyond to wave the flag for an industry that we can all be proud of.

The third instalment comprises agents, promoters, tour managers, marketing executives, consultants, founders and more – all of whom identify as LGBTIQ+ and, in the face of adversity, have made enormous contributions to their respective sectors.

In alphabetical order, the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 is:

Christina Austin, music agent, United Talent Agency (UK)
Hila Aviran, director of entertainment & tours, PixMob (US)
Johanna Beckman, senior creative curator and promoter, FKP Scorpio Sweden (SE)
Amy Greig, booking agent, Runway Artists (UK)
Adem Holness, head of contemporary music, Southbank Centre (UK)
Kane Kete, client development manager, Ticketmaster (AU)
Ippei Kimura, booking/marketing/tour manager, Creativeman Productions (JP)
Katherine Koranteng, marketing & campaigns manager, Festival Republic (UK)
Stefan Lehmkuhl, freelance curator & live entertainment consultant, BMG/Ruined My Rainbow (DE)
Lucy Mackenzie McNae, tour manager (Josef, Twin Atlantic), Two and a Half TMs (UK)
Saskhia Menendez, innovator at Keychange, board of directors at F-List Music (UK)
Dev Mistry, global internal comms manager, DICE (UK)
Frederik Diness Ove, founder, Queer Music Agency (DK)
Boyan Pinter (Boiadjiev), founder/director, SPIKE Bulgarian Music Showcase (BG)
Scott Robson, event manager, ASM Global (UK)
Roman Samotný, director, Queer Slovakia (SK)
Marie-Christine Scheffold, senior booking agent manager, Selective Artists (DE)
Karim Siddiqui, senior booking manager, Live Nation (US)
Areti Tziorta, marketing manager, TEG Europe (UK)
João Pedro Viana, music agent, WME (UK)

Throughout the next month, IQ will be publishing full-length interviews with each person on the LGBTIQ+ List 2023.

Subscribers can read the full Pride edition now. Click here to subscribe to IQ from less than £8 a month – or see what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below.

Check out 2022’s cohort of queer pioneers here, and 2021’s cohort here.

Independent booking agency Runway Artists has hired experienced booking agent Zac Peters.

Peters served roles at HMV, Somerset Music Hub, Bristol Music Foundation and Glastonbury before moving into the agency world in 2010, when he joined Midnight Mango Productions. Initially agent for The Beat, he went on to represent acts including The Boxettes, Smoke Feathers, The Selecter, Neville Staple, Black Roots, Talisman, Freak Power, Kitten & The Hip and Martha Tilston, among others.

In 2014, Peters moved to DMF Music, where he worked with the likes of Dodgy, Dreadzone, Emily Capell, King Kong Company, Moon Hooch, Peat & Diesel, Sound of the Sirens, Sean McGowan, They Might Be Giants and The Selecter. He has also been a PRS Funding Advisor since 2016

“We’re really excited to have Zac join Runway and were thrilled that he was open to a conversation with us, having been so well regarded during his time at DMF,” says Runway founder Matt Hanner. “He’s got a broad base of experience, working with artists old and new, which is really important for us, both in terms of our roster but also for the junior members of our team to have another person on-board who they can learn from.

“We’re determined to champion an equitable work-life balance that our industry so often doesn’t allow”

“Beyond that, Zac’s a family man and, as a company that has been built around individuals with their own family commitments, we’re determined to champion an equitable work-life balance that our industry so often doesn’t allow.”

Former ATC Live agent Hanner formed Runway in 2020 during the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic, and was soon joined by live veteran Steve Backman as director and co-owner following the latter’s 19-year stint at Primary Talent International.

“I am genuinely excited to be joining Runway, and to be working along with the team already there,” says Peters. “Steve and Matt are really good peers that I already looked up to, and it’s brilliant that the company publicly states how important a work-life balance is. I cannot wait to get started on my own roster and getting to know everyone better.”

Runway represents acts including Public Image Ltd, A Certain Ratio, Sleeper, Beatenberg, Jords, Personal Trainer, Silver Moth and Jay Prince.

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Independent UK booking agency Runway Artists is expanding its team with four new hires and launching a new live showcase event for the music industry.

Joining founder Matt Hanner (formerly of ATC Live) and agent Steve Backman (formerly of Primary Talent) at the agency are agents Dotun Bolaji and Craig Wylie, new music A&R scout Amy Greig, and assistant Heather Mosselson.

Wylie previously held positions at promoters CPL and MAMA Group, as well as London’s Roundhouse venue.

Over the course of his career, he has promoted artists including Pete Doherty, Maroon 5, Ray Lamontagne, Fall Out Boy, Madeleine Peyroux, Roxy Music and Kris Kristofferson.

Prior to joining Runway, Wylie was operating as an independent, at a grassroots level, since 2018.

“As a new agency, it’s been really exciting for us to have the opportunity to put some of our key principles into practice”

Greig has worked as a promoter for a number of London’s famous grassroots venues including The Grace and The Camden Assembly, as well as promoting her own nights at The Amersham Arms and The George Tavern.

During his time at university, Bolaji booked and promoted a number of acts that would go on to become big names, including Giggs, Chip, AJ Tracey and DJ EZ. After leaving university, he promoted London’s SuperLative Sessions.

Mosselson began her career as assistant booker for Glastonbury, where she organised the festival’s very first hip hop day in 1999.

She went on to become a senior assistant at VAT Agency before moving to Primary Talent International, where she worked as director’s assistant.

During her time at Primary, Mosselson was the booking agent for DJ Noize, MC Supernatural, Foreign Beggars, Mystro, Braintax, Skinnyman and DJ Flip.

“We’ve been able to bring in a real range of experience, knowledge and ages”

Commenting on the new appointments, Hanner says: “As a new agency, it’s been really exciting for us to have the opportunity to put some of our key principles into practice – not just in respect of our artists but also our team.

“We’ve been able to bring in a real range of experience, knowledge and ages – from a rookie agent such as Dotun, who we’ve been able to bring in as he makes his first moves in representing talent, and Amy who has worked at a grassroots level across London; through to the varied industry backgrounds of both Craig and Heather who are able to bring so much to the table as we continue to grow.”

Runway will also launch a new live showcase this month, which will see the agency collaborate with other music companies to put together line-ups of new talent.

The first edition of In Transit, at London’s Strongroom on 23 February, has been curated in partnership with independent publisher Bucks Music Group.

Beharie, Amaroun, Hallan and Catty are slated to perform at the showcase, and Steve Lamacq is billed to deliver a DJ set.

“We know we’re not reinventing the wheel by launching a showcase event, but there’s always demand from our artists”

Hanner said: “We know we’re not reinventing the wheel by launching a showcase event, but there’s always demand from our artists to play low-pressures shows, be it to test out new material, invite curious industry or just shake off the cobwebs after a couple of years of inactivity. As an agency, Runway wants to be proactive in helping our artists practically, even if it doesn’t fall into an agent’s traditional wheelhouse.

“It also gives us the opportunity to further collaborate with our friends in the industry. For the first edition, that’s Bucks but we’re looking to develop the brand in a way that means we could even accommodate artists from other agencies in the future if it made sense. At times over the last couple of years, there has been a renewed sense of co-operation across the live industry and we certainly don’t want to lose that just because touring’s back on the agenda.”

London-based Runway was one of the rafts of new agencies to launch during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It represents a number of acts including Lanterns On The Lake, A Certain Ratio, Sleeper, Art School Girlfriend, Pom Poko, Mourning [A] BLKstar, Astrid, Brother Zulu and Flo Perlin.

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Independent UK booking agency Runway Artists has hired Steve Backman, formerly of Primary Talent International, as its first agent appointment.

Set up by former ATC Live agent Matt Hanner in the spring of 2020, Runway represents artists including Lanterns on the Lake, the Futureheads, Sleeper, Highasakite, Ned’s Atomic Dustband and Wyldest. It was one of the first of many new agencies to have launched in the UK since the start of the coronavirus crisis, being joined since by Ben Ward’s Route One Booking, Jon Ollier’s One Fiinix Live and Natasha Bent’s Mother Artists, among others.

Backman, who joins following a 19-year stint at Primary Talent, brings a roster that includes Emmy the Great, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Steve Lamacq, Gabriella Cilmi, the Bootleg Beatles, the Mission, Art School Girlfriend and Odina.

“It’s great that an agent of Steve’s pedigree had enough belief in what I’d started to want to come on board,” says Hanner. “We have a shared ethos and approach to the way we work with our artists, and I think we will benefit from working together.”

“We are the masters of our own destiny, and that is really freeing”

“It’s a chance for me to put my knowledge to something new, fresh and exciting that we have control of,” adds Backman. “We are the masters of our own destiny, and that is really freeing.”

“The independent agency world has ballooned over the last 12 months; there are some big players in it now, and there is a lot more scope to shake things up and work in a slightly different way,” continues Hanner, who says that having achieved financial backing, Runway Artists is looking to bring more agents on board in the near future.

“We have the freedom to push into areas where we might be able to offer more for our acts and benefit them in the long term. Different artists want different things from their careers, and we’re committed to delivering whatever it is they are trying to achieve, rather than feel we have to push every act into trying to fill arenas.

“It feels like a really exciting time to be putting a new company together. This is a serious proposition. We are ambitious and we are looking to grow over time.”

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