TAPONESWA


MAVUNGA Sony Music UK


This year has seen many success stories for African music, but which was your personal favourite?


“The Queen Of Afrobeats, Tiwa Savage, releasing This One Is Personal was a stand-out moment. Tanzania’s Abigail Chams and her BET nomination also shone a well-deserved spotlight on East Africa. But my favourite has been Tyla’s phenomenal rise. From winning the first Grammy for Best African Music Performance in 2024, to where she is now, her journey has been transformative, not only for South African music but for women across the continent. I love that she’s fearless and learning as she goes. She represents the new face of African creativity.”


What trend from the African continent has the UK been sleeping on? “Perhaps 3-Step. Born from South African electronic, amapiano, Afro-house, and Afro-tech, it’s deeply anchored in African culture yet made for global dancefloors.”


What was your track and album of 2025? “The song Joy Is Coming by a Nigerian artist called Fido was a tonic for 2025. As for my album, Rosalía’s Lux is incredible, and 5ive by Davido is bold and personal, celebrating African excellence on a world stage.”


LUCY DANN Island EMI


Label Group


What did you learn as a marketeer in 2025? “It’s all about consistency – the old principles of music marketing don’t change, but the platforms and tech do.”


Can you tell us the best marketing trick you saw this year and loved?


TOM GRAY Ivors Academy


What has the agreement on per diem payments meant for some of your members in terms of a financial lifeline?


“Not long ago, songwriters in the UK were paying to be in the room, travelling to label writing sessions in the faint hope of future royalties and going home poorer than when they left. For labels to cover per diems and travel is now the bare minimum. These are dignity payments, and they make a real and immediate difference, especially if you’re independent, starting out, a parent or carer, based outside London, not from a wealthy background, or facing any barrier to paying for opportunities from your own pocket. It means that songwriters are equal professionals to the performers and executives in the room. I know that for some it has been the difference between being able to stay in the profession or not.”


KENNY GATES PIAS


How is PIAS doing at the end of 2025? “This has been the year when the ‘new era’ we have talked about really landed, and a big part of that is our relationship with Universal Music Group. We made a pragmatic but important decision to sell the remainder of our shares to them, but the soul of PIAS didn’t and hasn’t changed. Some people have said that once a major label owns you, your values can end up being compromised and history tells us that sometimes it can be the case. But that’s not how we saw it and not how we executed our deal. We made it one of our red lines to retain our cultural and commercial autonomy, and to ensure we remained fully independent in terms of our decision-making. For me, it was always about negotiating our future from


musicweek.com


a position of strength and gaining more scale, firepower and reach without losing what made the company what it is: our independence, entrepreneurial mindset and commitment to our partners.”


Which campaigns pleased you the most? “The stand-out one has to be Kneecap. Our team, alongside the Heavenly posse and the band’s manager Dan Lambert, did a fantastic job of weathering a storm of controversy and helped them achieve their deserved international success. We are also very proud of our artists such as The Hives, The Dropkick Murphys and Saint Etienne, and also of our JV with Partisan Records on Geese.”


What were your album and track of 2025? “Kneecap’s The Recap and Geese’s Getting Killed.”


Whatwas your track of the year?


“Love Takes Miles by Cameron Winter. This came out in December last year, so couldn’t make it into any lists. It is, however, the song I have listened to most over the past year, so that’s that. Rules were made for breaking.”


And your favourite album? “Madison Cunningham’s Ace. I could have been a predictable indie dad and followed choosing Cameron by saying [his band] Geese, but Madison is about as good as it gets right now in terms of making music that satisfies both soul and intellect.”


“It’s the first year in ages that it feels like consistent strategy and artist creative are front and centre.”


What was your track of 2025?


“Sekou – Catching Bodies. It can make my whole young family dance in the kitchen, even during our very early wake-ups!”


And your favourite album?


“Lola Young – I’m Only F**cking Myself. Every track feels like a whole new experience. Such a good album from beginning to end – it makes me excited about British talent.”


JASON


RACKHAM PIAS


How has the new Integral partnership with Virgin Music Group developed?


“It is still early days, but it is developing as we hoped. The


Integral and Virgin teams have been working hard on combining their operations and services offering, which of course always has its challenges, but the collaborative spirit and the joining of two exceptional teams with their areas of expertise, plus the expanded global reach, is proving to be a great, supportive and proactive partner for labels and artists.”


Kneecap had a year of controversy and huge shows, including Wembley – what was it like to be part of that as their label partner?


“Kneecap are fearless, outspoken and completely authentic – qualities that naturally attract both admiration and criticism. Watching them sell out major venues, including OVO Wembley Arena, while staying true to their identity has been incredibly inspiring and a reminder of why we support artists who push culture forward, challenge assumptions and have a real passion.”


What were your track and album of 2025?


“Geese – Au Pays Du Cocaine. They are the most exciting band on the planet right now, and this song is transcendental. My album is Olivia Dean’s The Art Of Loving. Messy, her debut, was my 2023 album of the year, and she has taken it to another level here.”


Music Week | 33


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