CHARISSE
BEAUMONT Black Lives In Music
What did BLIM do best in 2o25? “Our impact over the past year has been nothing short of remarkable. We delivered Classically Black, the first classical music festival of its kind in the UK. We contributed to the government’s licensing sprint, using insights from our REMEL [Race Equality in Music Event Licensing] research to push for reforms that will finally begin to rebalance a system that has long excluded Black and underrepresented creatives. Participants in our Turn It Up programme stood centre stage at Glastonbury 2025 through Worthy Rise, gaining experience with professional sound teams. Recruiting Classical, our partnership with eight leading orchestras, continues to reshape the sector. Also, at SXSW, we hosted vital conversations about the Black music economy and showcased the brilliance of Black British classical talent. We entered the second year of the Hiring and Recruitment 10-Point Action Plan to transform recruitment across the orchestral and choral sectors. What’s more, our network has now grown to 120 partners, and with the upcoming launch of the REMEL report commissioned by the Mayor Of London and BLIM Connect, our flagship mentoring programme, there is so much more to come.”
TOM LEWIS Fontana
WEZ
What area do you want to see more focus on from the wider business? “People. It’s time we humanised the industry and start looking after the people that actually make this industry happen. The music business needs to be turned on it head, it needs a reset. Meanwhile, the grassroots organisations and charities doing the real, hands-on work are fighting to survive. We really need to start again.”
What was your track of 2025? “Odeal’s London Summers should be played all year round, but a notable mention, too, for Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
And your favourite album?
“Infinite by Mobb Deep. Long live Prodigy. Honourable mention also to Clipse and Wu-Tang Clan and Mathematics.”
CHANTAL EPP ClicknClear
How did your entrepreneurial skills sharpen in this, the same year that you won the Entrepreneur honour at the Music Week Women In Music Awards?
“This has been my most exciting and most challenging year yet. We grew the team, expanded our market, finally got all of the major labels and publishers on board and built new technology that will help us open up another adjacent market within sports. I feel like I grew as an entrepreneur, became more resilient, more strategic and even more focused on delivering our mission.”
Does the music industry celebrate entrepreneurs enough?
“It depends on what you define as an entrepreneur. Our industry is full of entrepreneurs from self-releasing artists, to founders of labels and publishers and tech innovators. I don’t think this widespread spirit is recognised enough within and outside our industry.”
Finally, what was your favourite track and album of 2025?
“I don’t get much time to listen to music without my three-year-old, so you’d likely just find a mix of Disney on my Spotify, but my favourite song this year is Golden [by Huntr/X]. [For album] Play by Ed Sheeran.”
CHARLIE HEDGES BBC Radio 1
Where was the best place for dance music in the UK in 2025? “I loved playing TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow this year: good vibes, great music and one of the most fun sets I played in 2025!”
What was your track of the year? “MK and Chrystal – Dior. It was everywhere, I played it every week for ages on Dance Anthems on Saturday afternoons!”
And your favourite album? “Chris Lake – Chemistry. A proper summery album. Good sunset vibes, too.”
musicweek.com
SAUNDERS Defected Records
How has the first full year of your partnership with Warner Chappell gone? “Really positively. It has allowed our publishing arm to scale globally while protecting its culture and independence. Warner Chappell have been incredibly supportive in helping us open new doors and we’ve been able to amplify our writers’ and catalogue reach without losing what makes us unique. It feels like a proper partnership.”
How are you building on the recent commercial success for dance music? “We’ve stayed focused on what really matters: great records, less is more, genuine culture and long-term artist development. While the scene continues to evolve, Defected’s strength has always been consistency and community. We’ve modernised how we deliver music and experiences, but never at the expense of authenticity. The key has been balance: embracing innovation while keeping the soul of house music intact. We have had another great year of records.”
What’s your track of 2025? “Jonas Blue & Malive – Edge Of Desire. It’s one of those records that works equally well in a club and on the radio, it is timeless but forward-facing. It reminds me of why I fell in love with dance music in the first place.”
And your favourite album? “Dave’s The Boy Who Played The Harp deserves all of its accolades. Working with Nicole Blakk, who we represent for publishing and neighbouring rights and appears on Fairchild, has been a dream.”
Jacob Collier won another Grammy in 2025 – do you think he gets the credit he deserves as a UK talent? “It was such a thrill to celebrate another win for Jacob at the 2025 Grammy Awards. He’s won seven Grammys and received 16 nominations. That puts him comfortably inside the Top 10 of British artists and he’s the first British act to win a Grammy for every one of his first five albums. It’s great to
see him nominated again for 2026. For Jacob, this year saw the continuation of his sensational global tour, the recording and release of a radically different and beautiful new album, the launch of three signature guitars and his first-ever Hideaway Retreat, a four-day creative workshop in New York. His energy, imagination and creative optimism are breathtaking. He is without question one of the UK’s most inspirational musical and creative ambassadors.”
What was your favourite track of 2025?
“Jacob Collier – Heaven (Butterflies). A beautifully delicate new dimension from Jacob!”
And your favourite album?
“Dodie’s Not For Lack Of Trying. We are so thrilled that Dodie has joined us at Fontana. Her album is somehow simultaneously warm, charming, cool and deep – like her.”
MOFE SEY Satellite 414
What did it mean to be stood up on stage with PinkPantheress (above), an artist you’ve championed since the very start, at our Women In Music Awards to celebrate your Rising Star win?
“It meant everything! We have navigated this industry together alongside her incredible manager Phoebe Gold; it felt like a real reflective moment. I remember when I first met them I said that I always had a long-term plan in mind… I never thought that would include me being recognised as a Rising Star with her by my side!”
What was your favourite track of 2025?
“Jim Legxacy – 06 Wayne Rooney. Everything Jim’s doing for the UK underground scene is great, it seems so well thought out. This song transports me back to being nine years old again, global warming hasn’t affected us just yet, Freddos are 5p… you get the picture.”
And your favourite album?
“Swag II by Justin Bieber. A great album. I mainly want it on record that I’ve been a Belieber for 16 years now. Also Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams is her strongest solo work to date, both lyrically and sonically.”
Music Week | 41
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