SAFIYA LAMBIE-KNIGHT Spotify
How did Spotify’s playlist brands evolve this year? “It’s been exciting to see how our playlist brands continue to grow and create pathways for artists to build audiences in the UK and beyond. Fresh Finds remains a key playlist brand for emerging independent talent, championing artists across all genres right from the start. We’ve also rolled out a new video experience within our playlists. Hot Right Now is hosted by our editorial team and is designed to bring users up to speed on the latest music stories. Having our team on camera is a big development, so we’re excited to see how that evolves.”
And how did you boost domestic acts in 2025? “Of many examples, my favourite has to be Olivia Dean. The team built a special partnership for her album launch, which gave listeners a way to step into the world of The Art Of Loving through music, conversation and storytelling. It culminated in an intimate event for a small group of Olivia’s top Spotify fans. Also, her monthly listeners on Spotify have grown from 5.3 million at the beginning of the year to over 50m at the time of writing, which is incredible.”
What was your favourite track and album of the year? “Olivia Dean’s Man I Need – one of the catchiest songs of all time! And Dave’s album is just incredible. He never misses and is one of the most compelling artists of our time.”
ALED HAYDN JONES BBC Radio 1
What was the most important thing Radio 1 did for the music industry this year?
“Radio 1 is so proud to be able to support artists from their first ever play through to headlining shows. So, seeing artists like Tom Grennan headline Big Weekend, or Myles Smith on the main stage after playing the Introducing stage last year, is amazing. We’ve also launched Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 1 Dance, which will give even more space for artists across the UK.”
This time last year you told us AI didn’t worry you – has that stance changed at all?
“There are huge creative opportunities for all of us with GenAI within the music and broadcast industries. However, it’s still early stages and we are keeping a close eye on developments. Our priority is supporting the UK music industry, and we’re focused on new music and new artists for our audience.”
What was your favourite track and album of 2025? “Man I Need by Olivia Dean and People Watching by Sam Fender.”
ANGE PATTICO Universal Music
Group UK
What would you have liked to see more of in 2025? “There are a lot of myths out there about our industry, but there are some great stories of people who care about artists, love music and are doing amazing things that I would love to see uncovered more.”
What was your favourite track and album of the past year? “Olivia Dean’s Man I Need just makes me feel happy, and I’m going with Lola Young’s album. She is amazing, curious and I think she has got a lot to give.”
24 | Music Week LUCINDA
ROBERT
RONALDSON Robots + Humans
Bearing in mind the role data can play in the process of finding new hits, which Robots +
Humans campaign sticks in your mind the most from the past 12 months and why?
“In terms of coming out of nowhere, I think a record we worked on called The Glen is tough to beat. The track came together when Levi Heron, based on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, which has a population of 18,000, remixed a track by Beluga Lagoon, a trad artist who lives largely off- grid in Scotland. So, when that crossover of hard techno and traditional folk connected on TikTok, leading to 200,000 creations, 50 million streams and a Top 40 chart position, it was certainly a happy data surprise!”
What was your favourite song and album of the year? “My track is Ciza, Jazzwrld and Thukuthela’s Isaka (6am). It’s a super interesting record from the emerging genre of 3 step that was a monster hit in South Africa and is travelling a bit globally. The record is sung in Zulu and the melody for me is timeless and so euphoric, so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if in the coming years, it inspires different hit versions in different languages and propels the genre to a more global stage. My album of the year is Olivia Dean’s The Art Of Loving.”
TSE-HALL BMG/ESEA Music
In our interview after ESEA Music won at
the Women In Music Awards, you talked about the “power of collective progress” in the industry – can you expand on that? “Progress isn’t achieved in a vacuum, and I believe that there is so much strength in individual communities identifying their own needs in order to advocate for change and equality. Winning the award has encouraged us to reflect on the work of past winners, whose achievements highlight the intersectionality across our communities. ESEA Music itself comprises many different cultures, ethnicities and gender identities, and some of us are parents or primary caregivers alongside our work. When one community advances, it creates a ripple effect to support and hopefully allow others to also gain. We have a responsibility to bring other marginalised groups along with us.”
What pleased you most about the music industry this year?
“There’s more of a focus on building a world around an artist, not just a viral song or moment. Sustainability is such a key factor in the industry and it should be looking to help the next generation of artists.”
What was your track of 2025?
“Rosalía’s Berghain is so visually and sonically exciting, and I’m enjoying reading the discourse around what is considered opera, and how new audiences are discovering opera and classical music through this song.”
And your favourite album? “Jamie Woon’s 3, 10, Why, When. I am just the biggest fan of his songwriting, it resonates with me on such a personal level.”
DENIS DESMOND Live Nation
Do you expect the boom in stadium shows to continue into 2026?
“We hit new highs this year with a record summer of over 70 stadium shows across the UK and Ireland. But the standout was, of course, Oasis coming back and selling out every show. Next year is already shaping up to be huge, with Bon Jovi, The Weeknd, Lewis Capaldi, Calvin Harris and Pulp all set to play huge shows. Bad Bunny has also sold out shows at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. At the other end of the scale, we’re championing incredible emerging talent – from Myles Smith and KingFishr, to Cliffords and Holly Humberstone. We’re confident they’ll be the headliners everyone’s talking about in the years to come.”
What was live music’s biggest success of 2025? “Bringing a wider variety of shows to fans is incredibly important. UK and Irish festivals continue to serve diverse audiences, and our regional Cuffe & Taylor shows are a great example of how we deliver artists to previously underserved areas. The demand truly is nationwide and listening to what the fans want will always be where real success lies.”
What was your track and album of the year? “The Subway by Chappell Roan and [for album] Reverie by Amble.”
musicweek.com
PHOTOS: Carsten Windhorst & Gerard Hynes, Spotify, JMEnternational/Getty
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
