Work of Art: Olivia Dean saw global success for The Art Of Loving while the late Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath assembled a huge cast for their Back To The Beginning farewell show (inset)
JO
CHARRINGTON Capitol Records UK
How will you build on what has been a huge year for Olivia Dean? “Just keep planning, but also be mindful of her time and energy and make sure Olivia gets enough rest, because a burnt-out artist isn’t good for any of us and it’s not good for her. It’s about forward planning, keeping the ambition up. It’s not a case of the campaign ends and we all have a break; we owe it to Olivia now to make sure that we continue supporting her and keep challenging ourselves, but without compromising her. It’s a daily conversation that we have with a core team supported by the wider group globally. A lot of my time and
KAREN
[MD] Tom Paul’s time is spent on that because this campaign is just too important.”
What lessons can we learn from the big chart stories over the past 12 months?
“No one saw K-Pop Demon Hunters coming. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that exciting? It’s so different. It keeps us on our toes. I think songs were brilliant this year, like Alex Warren’s Ordinary, for example. I think brilliant songs are still everything and still matter and I think kids surprise us with what they choose. I’m glad to be in [the chart] when it happens, but if I’m not, as long as my artists’ streams have got a really healthy resting heartbeat, then we know we’ve got a great artist and we’re going to get in the charts at some point. That’s how I look at it.”
EMANUEL Key Production Group
Amid the current success for vinyl and the resilience of CD,
do you think there’s any possibility of a new format emerging?
“We already have smart formats that sit alongside the traditional ones and I can’t see any more new formats, as such, emerging. What I can see is new and exciting ideas with innovations in bespoke packaging and new vinyl effects being explored.”
The Grammys has an award for packaging and box sets – do you think this creative work deserves more recognition?
“Absolutely, yes! We look on a release as a creative piece of art – not only in the music but also in the design and contents of the package, which help communicate the artist’s vision and deepen the narrative of the music. These are true collector’s editions that you cherish forever.”
What was your track and album of 2025? “Haim’s Relationships – I’ve loved them since The Great Escape back in 2012. And the Viagra Boys album made me jump around my living room with reckless abandon.”
musicweek.com YOLANDA
BROWN BPI
You were an IVW ambassador this year – are you optimistic
about the future for grassroots venues? “Yes, not least given the inspirational work of Independent Venue Week founder Sybil Bell and others like her, who are such passionate grassroots champions. Organisations like IVW and the Music Venue Trust are doing a brilliant job at making this such an important part of the conversation. Venues are a vital part of our diverse music ecosystem and, as a venue owner myself, it was a proud moment to have Soul Mama be a part of IVW. We hosted great gigs, and I was honoured to be an ambassador.”
What are your expectations for the BRITs’ big move to Manchester next year?
“I can’t wait! There is such a buzz building already, with mayor Andy Burnham, his team and the public there all so excited at the thought of hosting a whole new chapter in The BRITs story. It will be fresh, different and I think the artists will love it as much as the fans.”
What was your favourite track and album of 2025? “Raye – Where Is My Husband! and Emma-Jean Thackray’s Weirdo.”
TIM MAJOR
Sony Music Publishing UK What were your key goals for 2025?
“We set ourselves the challenge of building an even greater community with our songwriters, so to achieve this we launched a series of new initiatives and events. These included our now established Songwriter Breakfasts, where we get together and talk about issues including sync, digital licensing, mental health and more. We have also held some fantastic sync showcases, where we have had our songwriters performing in front of music supervisors, plus we held some brilliant sync writing camps and have had some success with placements from these. Also, our employee culture committee arranged a wonderful event called Off Record, where Dan Smith presented to our team and other songwriters the story behind some of his biggest songs. Elsewhere, we worked with SXSW London on a showcase, which was a real moment, and we launched our first online songwriter handbook, which is available to all of our songwriters and their teams!”
Who is the year’s best new songwriter?
“We’ve just started working with Aaron Rowe, who I think is incredible. He’s a real storyteller and already has a host of brilliant artists in his corner who recognise how special he is. I really want everyone in the world to hear his music.”
What was your favourite track and album of 2025? “Olivia Dean’s Nice To Each Other, co-written with Matt Hales who’s signed to SMP through our partnership with Second Songs. That song’s been central to the incredible breakthrough Olivia had in 2025. I’d like to highlight two albums: The Clearing by Wolf Alice and Lotus by Little Simz. We are so blessed to have recently started working with her.”
JAMES WRIGHT UTA
Can you sum up live music in 2025? “This has been one of the most dynamic years I’ve seen. The appetite for shows has been extraordinary, but more importantly, the breadth of what is working is wider than ever. It ranks as one of the most creatively energising periods of my career. When audiences are this engaged and open, artists can think bigger and stranger, which is where the fun really begins.”
What did the live sector do better this year than in 2024? “We communicated better. Rising costs haven’t disappeared, but there has been a noticeable shift toward transparency and pragmatism between agents, promoters, production teams and venues. Routing became smarter, business models became more flexible and conversations started earlier.”
Finally, what was your favourite track and album of 2025? “My son tried to make me pick Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters, but I’m going to say Something Heavy by Jacob Collier. And Sam Fender’s album… It was just really good.”
Music Week | 27
PHOTOS: Carsten Windhorst, Gerard Hynes,Ross Halfin, Key Production Group, OCC
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