Artist & Manager Awards 2016 Winners

Peter Rudge received the Peter Grant Award, which honors managers for their lifetime achievements. Rudge had personally requested Solo agency’s John Giddings to give his laudatory speech.

Never again will the world witness Giddings – a man notorious for one-liners – utter that many words in a row. Still, Rudge easily outperformed Giddings in terms of word count, reminiscing on the highlights of his impressive 50-year-plus career in a half-hour-plus speech. Another recipient that’s been in the game for more than 40 years is Joan Armatrading. The British singer-songwriter was honored with the Artists Artist Award for her outstanding career spanning 22 albums.

Zita McHugh of Z Management received the writer/producer manager of the year award. McHugh is looking back on two turbulent years, marked by great tragedy – her husband passed away in 2014 – as well as great accomplishments. Among her clients are producers, writers and engineers responsible for successes of Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons, James Bay, All Saints, Jamie Lawson, Kaiser Chiefs, Craig David and many more.

McHugh took the opportunity to publicly call for a producer royalty. Years and Years took home the Breakthrough Artist Award, while the Breakthrough Manager Award went to Stormzy’s manager and longtime friend, Tobe Onwuka. The industry champion award was given posthumously to David Enthoven, who managed Robbie Williams among many others.

Caius Pawson won the entrepreneur award. Pawson launched the Young Turks collective in 2005, followed by Young Turks Recordings as an imprint of XL Recordings in 2006, Young Turks Management in 2007, and a publishing arm in 2011. The 1975, currently touring the U.S. and hence absent from the ceremony, was named artist of the year, while Jonathan Dickins received the prize for manager of the year.

Ticket company Dice, which sponsored the awards, took the opportunity to hand out its own Live Award, which went to rapper Loyle Carner. There was also some live music to be heard, with Bonzai opening, with Imelda May and members of James closing the show.

For the fifth time, the Music Managers Forum and the Featured Artist Coalition presented the awards. After premiering at The Roundhouse in 2011, the ceremony moved to East London’s Troxy the following year.