ALTERNATIVE POWER 100 MUSIC LIST 2018
Adam Zia | Attorney | The Zia Firm | NYC
"During law school, we would attend law firm cocktail hours where you would get to meet junior attorneys who were working at these big corporate law firms. There wasn't much diversity, mostly white males in blue suits and white shirts. There were few females and even fewer minorities; certainly nobody that resembled having a similar racial background. I vividly recall being at one such event and standing in a small group of fellow students talking to an alumni who was an attorney at the firm. He asked each of us what type of lawyer we wanted to be, and was met with the usual answers of corporate, real estate, etc. When I answered "music attorney", he laughed loudly, looked at me and then to the other students in the group, and with a scoff said "good luck with that". It has always been those types of interactions that have fueled my drive to break down barriers and to bring more diversity to an area of the music business that until recently didn't have it."
Alim Kheraj | Freelance Journalist | London
"Alim has been working as a journalist for the past six years, with a focus on music writing. In the past two years he has had pieces in Dazed, i-D and Noisey as well as starting a column for GQ.com and regular pieces in Grindr's INTO platform. He often writes about queer artists - giving these artists a platform for their voice to be heard."
Amanda Berman-Hill | SVP, Co-Head of West Coast A&R | Sony/ATV Music Publishing | Los Angeles
"Amanda Berman-Hill forms a powerful duo with Jennifer Knoepfle with the two of them running market-leading music publisher Sony/ATV’s LA-based A&R team as SVP, Co-Heads of West Coast A&R. Working hand in hand, the two of them have built close and trusting relationships with their songwriters, helping to develop their writers’ skills and find them the best opportunities. They also sign new writers to Sony/ATV’s roster. Not only do both of them have a keen understanding of all aspects of music publishing, but possess the rare and special gift of being able to work successfully with both songwriters and recording artists. Together they form a powerful and effective team. Amanda’s many successful songwriters include Greg Kurstin who followed multiple Grammy wins for his work with Adele by in January becoming the first person this century to win Grammy Producer of the Year for two successive years, Mozella who has written for artists including Madonna, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus, and rising songwriter star Sarah Aarons who co-penned the global hits “Stay” (Zedd/Alessia Cara) and “The Middle” (Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey)."
Amanda Maxwell | Producer & Artist Manager | Boiler Room, shesaid.so | London
"Amanda is an absolute superstar as anyone who has met or worked with her can attest! She is constantly pushing for equality and has been consistently championing women in the workplace."
Amy Dietz | Executive Vice President, General Manager | INgrooves | Los Angeles
"A veteran player in the independent music distribution space, Amy is an inspiring leader and a role model for many in her company, always championing female talent and others whose work sometimes goes unnoticed."
Annabella Coldrick | Chief Executive | MMF | London
"Annabella has done an amazing job working in the UK's secondary ticketing market and has been a powerhouse in UK parliament to regulate secondary ticketing to ensure that artists and promoters are properly comped for ticket sales and, above all, fans of music, aren't screwed by shady services. Besides that, she has overseen the research and publication of one of the most relevant and comprehensive guides for musicians and managers on the revenue streams in music called Dissecting the Digital Dollar. And, what's more, the MMF UK has done some great work in the area of mental health and supporting managers to be a better support system for their artists by helping to create a community and resources for them."
Aura Harewood | Sr. Director Digital Marketing | Interscope Records | Los Angeles
"Aura Harewood is the premiere resource for current and key digital media data. Harewood understands the digital landscape in such an intrinsic way, she's able to identify key influencers, user trends, establish viral hashtags, and much more, that ultimately leverage maximum exposure for her artists. I've watched her build many artists' careers; sometimes as the sole champion from the label. To name a few artists for whom she's helped to break: Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Ciara, Future, Rae Sremmurd, Dreezy, School Boy Q and SO many more! "
Ayishat Akanbi | Writer and Stylist | London
"Ayishat is a wonderful human she is intelligent, authentic and works with absolute integrity when working with artists, she is there to find the stories behind the artist and conscious to the belief and value systems they are running so that how they look on the outside reflects who they really are and not treating them simply as Brands. Ayishat has done a great deal for the Black lives matter campaigns, she is a feminist a I consider an important voice for the younger generation."
Barbara Leung | Artist Manager | RemixNoise | Los Angeles
"Barbie is renowned for being encouraging and a great mentor to many in the industry. As an artist, I’ve gotten to know her through Balanced Breakfast LA and she is always an enouraging bright light, finding ways to continually bring other mentors to new artists, as well. She really deserves some recognition for all that she does, helping artists whether or not she represents them and caring about all of us. "
Bengi Unsal | Contemporary Music Programmer | Southbank Centre | London
"Commitment to championing women artists and women of colour - in particular choosing M.I.A as curator of Meltdown in 2017"
Beverley Whitrick | Strategic Director | Music Venue Trust | Barcelona
"Beverley has campaigned tirelessly to protect secure and improve grassroots music venues. Her work has made an international impact, resulting in the creation of similar organisations elsewhere in the world. IN 2017, as a direct result of her work,. MVT prevented 41 music venue closures. She has inspired venue managers to improve their work, and provided guidance and advice that has kept venues open when they would otherwise have closed."
Brockhampton | Artist / Band | California
"A very (especially racially) diverse group who are self managed, with over 20 members in total who all pitch in with the music, production, music videos etc. they also make films. Kevin, an openly gay member talks about important topics like his sexuality and homophobia. The other members are also allys and queer rights advocates. They’re music is really good and the genre is very separate from their boyband label, writing lyrics about racism, homophobia, rape culture, mental health and other struggles. I think they should be given more coverage in mainstream media on this rather than just having a few popular songs."
Camilla Pia | Music Editor | Apple iTunes | London
"Camilla has consistently championed new and emerging artists and has never let her disability stop her from going to gigs every night of the week. She's a true inspiration to her peers and should be recognised for being a pioneer in the music industry. "
Carla Marie Williams | Songwriter/Founder | Girls I Rate | London
"Carla Marie not only wrote the huge hit Freedom for Beyonce’s lemonade album, but she also founded the network Girls I Rate, which aims to empower women across the industry. Carla is a force to be reckoned with, hosting songwriting camps, soirées and networking events and more to ensure that young women have opportunities to learn, grow and build connections. Her songwriting talents are phenomenal, she has written for Britney, Beyoncé, Girls Aloud and many other huge pop acts. She never stops - so inspiring!"
Cherie Hu | Music Journalist | NYC
"Cherie always has a unique perspective on what's going on in music tech."
Cherish Kaya | Founder\Label Manager | Kaya Kaya Records | London
"Cherish Kaya used to work at Columbia Records and before that Rough Trade. She left to set up her own label - Kaya Kaya Records - under the auspices of XL Recordings boss Richard Russell. She released Rejjie Snow's first ever record and also manages songwriters and producers. She's also a musician in her own right who was signed to Island Records until recently. She's still in her 20s but now consults for Primary Talent, Marathon Artists, as well as running her own label. She's a good friend and a great example of boss women being the future."
Chi-chi Nwanoku (OBE) | Founder & Artistic Director | Chineke! Orchestra | Richmond, UK
"She is an inspiration, fighting for diversity, equality and equal opportunities within the classical / art music world."
Chris Ruff | Marketing Manager | Atlantic Records | London
"Chris Ruff is an ally of those who are minorities and disadvantaged. Not only does he actively champion female colleagues and artists, but he is a hugely active ambassador for the Love Music Hate Racism campaign. He organises social media campaigns, gets artists on board, goes out and speaks to young people on LMHR stands and events, participates in marches and much more. He is doing so much to drive the impact of LMHR, involving artists such as Ed Sheeran and Stormzy. He is a highly successful music marketer, having led campaigns for James Blunt, Paramore and others. Chris is an ally and advocate for female artists, and has formed strong bonds and trust with those he works with including Hayley from Paramore and Theresa from Yonaka. He doesn’t hesitate to speak up when he witnesses sexism and sexual harassment; a rare and wonderful thing."
Claudia Assef | Founder | Women's Music Event | Sao Paolo
"Claudia is not only an incredible music journalist and professional, she's also a founding partner at Music Women's Event, a music, business and technology platform focused on women's role in the music industry in Brazil."
Dan Carroll | Artist Manager | This Is Music | London
"Dan moved to London less than a year ago and has been killing it! Her work is as political as it is community focused. Breaking down barriers in the industry by exclusively representing people of colour, we need more people like Dan ."
Declan McKenna | Singer/Songwriter | London
"Makes LGBT+ community feel comfortable at concerts, pride flag on stage etc."
Dina Sahim Reed | Project Manager | Maverick | Los Angeles
"I've personally witnessed Dina backstage at work laser focused on her client's and their interests. She's an incredible multi-tasker, making sure everyone had what they needed for access, merchandise was in order, and everything went off without a hitch. I've never seen someone care so much about her clients and her work."
DJ Martina S. | Music Producer/DJ | Italy
"She is really proud to be transsexual in the techno industry fighting any day for her space in the industry."
Emma Lee | Artist / Cultural Marketing Manager | Eelee Agency, shesidsoLondon | London
"Emma is so hungry and passionate about her career, it's truly inspiring to see her at work. Extremely professional, strategic in her approach and methodical with her tactics. I consider myself lucky to have her in our team."
Fuzz Chaudhrey | Senior radio plugger | Caroline International | London
"Fuzz works tirelessly with boundless enthusiasm for the artists she represents. She's made her own way in the industry through sheer hard work to the point she now heads up Caroline's radio promo team at 30."
GIRLI | Artist | London
"Girli had made a huge impact on the underground music scene for the past two years and it's time her recognition in the industry is taken up a level. She questions gender, sexuality and femininity/masculinity like no other artist at the moment, and on a personal level she had been such a positive influence on my life."
Grace Ladoja | Artist Manager / Cultural Advisor | London
"Grace was recently awarded an MBE for her contribution to the music industry. She is an inspiration for many of us at the intersection of music and other disciplines and a true role model to young women of color, doing all of that ever so elegantly."
Halina Wielogorska | Solicitor | Clintons | London
"Last year when She Said So launched the Alt 100 I will be honest in my disappointed not to have been nominated. After the list went out many friends and acquaintances of mine (many of whom I had met through my work on the She Said So committee) expressed surprise that I had not found my way onto the list. What niggled was that I actually agreed with them and so this year I have decided to nominate myself. It's an unorthodox move and one I'm not completely comfortable with but a part of my personal journey which I've always struggled with is acknowledging myself and putting myself first. I think it's a hurdle many women face and I don't want to believe I live in a world where I have to sit and wait for other people to recognise my skills in order for me to take credit for them. So today I have decided to nominate myself in a public act of self love."
Harriet Jordan-Wrench | Founder | Secret Sessions | London
"Working on Music business Secret Sessions relentlessly for 6 years, growing a well respected brand and community of 1500 vetted artists."
Harriet Moss | Global Creative Manager | Manners McDade | London
"Because she is one of the only people I have met in 33 years that I can earnestly say makes the world a better place to be for everyone."
Heidi Jacob | Senior National Radio Plugger | Island Records | London
"She very hard working. She is just at home working established acts like Drake, Ariana Grande and Sean Paul as she is breaking new artists such as Big Shaq and JP Cooper. She is loved by all the artists, managers, radio people and everyone at the label, this is down to her dedication and results."
Honey Dijon | Music Producer / DJ | NYC
"Miss Honey Dijon is transgender. She has been a vocal advocate for trans rights and awareness, speaking from her experience as a black trans woman DJ in dance music. She has been interviewed by the British television channel Channel4 on the issue of trans visibility, and she has participated in an extensive roundtable discussion with DJ Sprinkles / Terre Thaemlitz on 'remixing gender' in electronic music, hosted by the MoMA PS1 museum in New York City."
Ilka Erren Pardinas | Founder/Director | Fly PR | Los Angeles
"I have nominated myself because (a) because I feel I have done significant work raising up wymyn, gender non-binary, LGBTQ people in the music industry. I have run a robust internship and mentoring program for 20+ years and have successfully placed 'graduates' of the Fly PR program with organizations like MSO, NBCUniversal, PETA, Irving Asoff's office, Wagstaff Worldwide, City Winery Boston, two founded their own publicity firms. (b) As anyone who knows me will attest I am a person with strong principles and I follow a moral standard many find too rigorous in this business. I speak up for the downtrodden and I put my beliefs into action. This has always placed me on the fringe and has always made me an outcast. I hope you will consider me for the list. That all being said, I gladly step aside for a spot on this list for others that are even more outcast than I. Thank you for allowing me to submit this entry!"
Iskwé | Singer/songwriter | Hamilton, Canada
"Iskwè is an amazing person who makes really inspiring and strong music while fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples, mainly in Canada where she lived but she also stands by all indigenous peoples. She also is a big supporter of women’s and lgbtq+ rights. Basically she is one of the people I look up to the most and she inspires me so much. I believe she deserves this not only for her amazing work, but also to spread it and her message to more people."
Jackie Jantos | Global VP of Brand and Creative | Spotify | NYC
"Jackie Jantos is VP, Brand and Creative at Spotify, the world’s largest global music streaming subscription service. In 2017, hip-hop became music’s most relevant genre, combining the success of pop with the edge and credibility of rock. With Jackie at the helm, Spotify’s Brand and Creative team set out to create an identity and campaign for Spotify’s flagship hip-hop playlist RapCaviar, which had an audience well beyond six-million followers. Jackie, mother to two young boys, spent much of her childhood in Tokyo where her father worked for IBM. The experience ingrained in her a deeply empathetic perspective and open energy. One of her favorite quotes is, “be hard on ideas; be gentle on people.” This informs Jackie’s approach as a creative and a leader. In response to President Trump’s 2017 “Muslim travel ban” and the rhetoric that swirled around it, Jackie and her Spotify team created “I’m with the Banned,” a project focused on artists from the six countries subjected to the ban. Spotify paired the artists with prominent American artists (Pusha T, Dr. Lonnie Smith, etc) for a week of collaboration in Toronto, the closest the banned artists could get to U.S. soil. Their point-of-view: when people can’t travel, music will. The result was six original pieces of music, six short documentaries telling their journeys, and one long-form 30 minute documentary that told the entire story. Jackie started her career at Ogilvy, where she worked as a creative coordinator, took on a short stint as a copywriter, and eventually led the agency’s New York new business team. Before coming to Spotify, she was typically the youngest person in the room as well as the only woman, an experience that was often difficult to navigate. As Jackie rose the ranks, she committed to using her influence and experience to empower the next generation of female leaders with the resources and support to face similar dynamics with confidence. This year, Jackie is serving as a mentor with Cannes Lions’ See It Be It initiative. The program was created in 2014 to highlight the issue of gender imbalance at senior levels in the marketing industry — and push the industry into action. Jackie is joining the program administrators to identify 20 future female leaders from the creative world and supporting their efforts to provided the participants with executive training, mentoring and exclusive networking opportunities to push their career forward."
Jamila Scott | A&R | Method Music | London
"Jamila is a boss. She used to work at Polydor where she signed Years & Years and Lion Babe. She found Disclosure on MySpace and introduced them to their management - where she now works. She's still in her 20s but runs A&R for their management, label and publishing company (Sam Smith, Disclosure, Jimmy Napes, etc.). She also manages Lucy Pawws who wrote "Be The One" for Dua Lipa. When I was in hospital last year, she visited every day. Like I said, she's a boss."
Jane Third | Chief Creative Officer | PIAS | London
"Jane is a really special person. Everyone who meets her learns something new, or at least laughs a load! She is a dedicated, hard working, inspiring, supportive and empowering person with only good intentions, teamed with endless ambition. They have been seeking and promoting diversity for a long time + definitely helped shift views and trends within the music industry (especially through her contributions to AIM)."
Jennifer Knoepfle | SVP, Co-Head of West Coast A&R | Sony/ATV Music Publishing | Los Angeles
"Jennifer Knoepfle forms a powerful duo with Amanda Berman-Hill with the two of them running market-leading music publisher Sony/ATV’s LA-based A&R team as SVP, Co-Heads of West Coast A&R. Working hand in hand, the two of them have built close and trusting relationships with their songwriters, helping to develop their writers’ skills and find them the best opportunities. They also sign new writers to Sony/ATV’s roster. Not only do both of them have a keen understanding of all aspects of music publishing, but possess the rare and special gift of being able to work successfully with both songwriters and recording artists. Together they form a powerful and effective team. Jennifer’s many successful songwriters include Jack Antonoff who has had chart-topping successes over the last year with Taylor Swift, Pink and Lorde, Joel Little who has followed previous Grammy wins with Lorde by recently working with acts such as Khalid, Imagine Dragons and Noah Kahan, and Grammy-nominated Leon Bridges whose much-anticipated second album will be released in May."
Jessica Murphey | Head of Digital | Maverick | Los Angeles
"Jess is a fantastic asset to our company but more importantly, is a good person. She's worked on many award winning campaigns while at Maverick over the last five years (and many others in her previous 5 years in management/digital strategy), has built a department of loyal employees who work hard and because they are empowered by her good nature, intelligence and constructive and inclusive work methods. She has very thorough knowledge about the music business in general, but is a true expert in the digital space, new technologies and marketing. Jess is neither my superior nor subordinate, so I can confidently say objectively that she is a huge asset to our company and would be a huge asset to any company... and that she should be included in this list."
Joanie Eaton + Sarah Joy | Founders | Babelogue | London
"Babelogue works tirelessly to promote gender equality within the punk and DIY scene by working with female fronted acts and developing their careers in an encouraging and safe space without male influence. Joanie and Sarah work to change the ethics of the industry from the bottom up and give female musicians a voice in a male dominated genre."
Julie Adenuga | Presenter | Beats 1 | London
"Julie's a shining light of positivity and hard work."
Jyoty Singh | Presenter | The Move Magazine/Rinse fm/Mixcloud | London
"At 27, Jyoty embodies a range of diverse cultural influences as a result of her ancestry and the subcultures she inhabited growing up in Amsterdam and eventually, London. As Move_Mag co-founder, she believes it necessary to not mistake appreciation for appropriation; “it is imperative that we reflect on the lane we choose to inhabit alongside keeping culture fresh and relevant”; a prerogative she feels to be a great responsibility of the youth."
Katie Tavini | Mastering Engineer | Manchester
"Katie has run the engineering workshops at our #NormalNotNovelty events over the past year and has been an incredible source of inspiration to the attendees and workshop leaders alike!"
Kelli Ali | Artist | London
"Kelli Ali and I have collaborated since we both began. Me as a writer, her as a singer. I met her first when she fronted the Sneaker Pimps, now independently. She leads as a forerunner in the indie music scene, championing new producers, creating amazing new projects - the current on Pledge - Ghost Driver, is a true innovation for a woman to achieve - total auteur project of a film which affects the album created alongside it. I am a star in the film, as are many of Ali's associates. She may not be fully known to all, but those that discover her remain fans for life."
Kelly Mac | Creative Director / Music Producer | NYC
"Kelly Mac represents both people of color and women in music. She heads her own music licensing company entitled Kelly Mac Music which specializes in modern hiphop and pop genres. Kelly is a creative in her own right, producing several emerging artists such as Aquilo, Dylan Owen, and Anders. She has also synced her own music to brands like Nike, Beats, Cover Girl etc."
Lara Baker | Music industry events, Marketing Director and Diversity Consultant | London
"Lara Baker has made AIM what it is today. Over her 14 years there she's created all events and conferences including the renowned AIM Independent Music Awards and annual Women in Music conference, as well as developing an inspiring level of relationships with all members and friends of AIM. As well as her work with events and membership, she's gone above and beyond in championing women in music. She's been incredibly vocal about equality for women in music by writing for the Huffington Post, maintaining 50/50 gender splits on any panels she books and imploring others to do the same. To aid this she started hosting free public speaking training and over 200 women in music have now attended these and she's personally placed several of them on conference lineups. Lara has spoken about equality and diversity on lots of panels around the world including SXSW, Nova Scotia Music Week and the upcoming UN HeForShe event in London just to name a few. Recently Lara has also become an ambassador for Love Music Hate Racism. On a more personal note, Lara has been such an inspiration to me since I moved to the UK and I really look up to her and hope to achieve the same level of respect from my industry peers as she has."
Laura Dambuleff | Artist Manager | Three Six Zero | Los Angeles
"After years of working with indie labels, venues, agencies, and artist management, I started my own company in 2016 to provide day-to-day management to artists and record labels and have now joined the Three Six Zero team managing artists like Kacy Hill and BURNS. I'm proud of what I accomplished in music and consider myself to have a strong work ethic and enthusiastic demeanor who still puts music at the forefront. I also represent a very small portion of the music population with a physical disability. "
Lauren Deakin Davies | Record Producer | Stevenage
"Self taught and self managing, 22 yr old Lauren has been a self employed producer since she was 18 and works very hard to carve a living for herself. She is heavily dyslexic and struggles with the admin of her profession but this does not affect her output. She carries on and no one would know. She does talks for boards and panels, for PRS and UK Music, and others, on LGBTQ issues as well as being a women in music, also has run workshops for Red Bull #normalnotnovelty, Huddersfield University and anyone who asks basically. She is currently teaching four Monday modules for a music degree at Brunel University in London and is a mentor for School Ground Sounds. Lauren is a full member of the Music Producers Guild, which is only eligible for people who have produced music which has had national BBC radio play. She has had a number of plays on BBC Radio 2 for tracks she has produced, and also on BBC6 Music and has won a regional award for the East of England from the NMG Awards. She has solely produced five albums which have been released by Folkstock records which gained coveted Sunday Times Culture Magazine reviews. She works so hard, all day every day and I really feel she deserves some recognition and is also an inspirational young women, a shining beacon for others who might be considering a musical career on the other side of the mic."
Lauren Valencia | Artist Manager | Roc Nation | Los Angeles
"Lauren is an incredible artist manager and an unsung hero of the music industry due to her humble nature. She impresses everyone she works with, she is the hardest working manager I know and a wonderful person."
Lindi Delight | Brand and Showcase Manager | De Light Management / shesaidsoBerlin | Barcelona/Berlin
"A true leader and strong female in the electronic music scene."
Lizzy Bowman | Artist Manager | Red Light Management | Bristol
"Lizzy has worked alongside me for the past 7 years. Initially, she was in charge of all digital and creative campaigns for a diverse roster of artists including Bonobo, Kelis and The Heavy. Lizzy has consistently implemented successful and innovative marketing campaigns and is often the link between the artists' creative vision and the label. She has expertise in all aspects of digital marketing and is one step ahead when it comes to emerging technologies. Over the couple of years she has moved into day to day management, taking charge of other artists on our roster including Jordan Rakei and Taylor McFerrin. Lizzy works tirelessly liaising with our US offices to ensure there is effective global campaigns. In addition to being my eyes and ears on the ground, A&Ring new talent and managing artists."
Louisa Rainbird | Creative Manager, Television | Music Sales Group | London
" Louisa Rainbird is Creative Manager, Television at publisher Music Sales. She was previously at Sky, where she had a huge impact on the amount of music shown across the network. She was responsible for conceiving and creating Sky Arts Sessions, a live music programme which has ran for several seasons and given dozens on new bands the first TV performance opportunities. She held responsibility for music clearances, rights requirements and licensing needs for all of the commissioned entertainment programming on Sky and Sky's JV partner channels from development stages through to post-production. She is a notable figure to watch in the ever important music on TV space. She now secures sync and TV opportunities for a range of huge name composer and artist clients, including Ludovico Einaudi. She is an authority on sync licensing and music on television, and has spoken at industry events including AIM's Sync Licensing conference and Midem."
Louisa Roach | Singer/Songwriter | She Drew The Gun | Liverpool
"I have been with Louisa for 8 years when we met she was shy of her abilities as a song writer and performer. I encouraged her to play in local open mic's and she really found her groove and over the years she has developed not only her self and her performance but she inspires other, she talks to people through her music in ways I think even surprise her. She is a talent, she is honest, she sees the world like many people do, a light broken grey that we all want to fix but what she does that's different is she can explain it, put it into words that you and I can't but it's what makes her so relatable, honest and trusting. Her song Poem is just one example of this the way she describes the political climate the way she takes you on the journey, and this is why I am nominating her."
Lucy Heyman | Vocal Coach / Researcher | London
"Lucy's research into mental health and wellbeing is essential for contemporary artists - she needs funding now to embark on her PHD at The Royal Academy."
Luz Diaz | Promoter / DJ | Room 4 Resistance | Berlin
"They are creating a safe space in clubs, creating a space for dialogue and workshops for teaching. Their aim is to be inclusive and fight for diversity and equality."
Marcia Carr | DJ | London
"For the past 30 years + DJ Marcia Carr has contributed to the underground dance music scene within London and abroad. Her passion and dedication as a music messenger has touched and enlightened souls throughout the UK and beyond."
Maria Castellon | Rockera Enterprises | Los Angeles
"I am an independent female artist with no previous connection to the Music Industry, and I met Maria while volunteering for the Chicas Roqueras of South East LA Rock Camp. When she spoke about having worked with some of the biggest names in the Latin music industry while emphasizing that she wanted to prove that females can also sell, I knew I had to reach out to her. With Maria's guidance I was able to prepare and release the debut single for my project and am now preparing the full EP for independent release. Thanks to her, I was able to execute my vision my own way, collaborating with mostly other women-- and this will hopefully show other women that they don't have to compromise their artistic vision or their integrity to be a recording artist. I am incredibly thankful for her willingness to share her priceless insight and to dedicate time to helping me."
Marine de Bruyn | Project Manager | French Music Export Office | Paris
"Marine is a fierce label executive who successfully drove Warp's activities in France. She's currently in the shesaidso France leadership team and has recently joined the French Music Export Office as a Project Manager where she intends to fight for women's rights, diversity and inclusion."
Mary Anne Hobbs | Radio Presenter | BBC6Music | Manchester
"She's an influencer. Works for the BBC. Selector."
Melanie Sheehan | Label Manager, US | Rough Trade | NYC
"Melanie started out working in a record store in Seattle called Sonic Boom and playing in bands -- she then was a project manager at Secretly Group, followed by a stint project managing at Beggars Group. She now runs the US branch of the label Rough Trade Records, featuring artists like Parquet Courts, Warpaint, and Princess Nokia. She is a kind, welcoming, and clever soul who is dedicated to her work and is known for being a positive force in music and works tirelessly to grow artists. I feel so lucky to know her, and I am so proud of where she is -- I look up to her."
Melissa Taylor | Founder | Tailored Communication | Berlin
"Melissa Taylor has worked in electronic music for 15 years with many respected companies. Over this time she has established an excellent reputation for reliability, honesty, good taste, great ideas and impeccable execution."
Michail Stangl | Cultural Programmer / General Manager | CTM Festival / Boiler Room DE | Berlin
"Every music scene has a few members who seem to have their fingers in everything. Michail Stangl is one of those people. If you've scratched the surface of electronic music in Berlin, you'll undoubtedly have come across him."
Michele Vice-Maslin | Music Producer / Songwriter / Publisher | Sweetersongs & Mob Force Productions | Los Angeles
"I am nominating myself being one of a very few female music producers. I'd like to bring attention to the world to the potential of female music producers and their ability to "bring it" to the table. Getting hired as a female producer is not easy. I'd like to see more women in power actually hire female producers as well. I have sacrificed a lot of potentially lucrative songwriting situations knowing I would "lose" the productions to the male in the room and seek out the situations where I would be the one producing regardless of the monetary possibilities. Producing in my passion and I'd like to see the possibilities for women in the field expand. Thank you."
Michelle Golden | Head of Events | Clive Davis Institute | NYC
"Michelle joined us at Clive Davis Institute this year and has made a huge impact with creating, producing, and programming events that bring together people from all walks of life, that inspire important conversations amongst our student body, that embrace various industry leaders as well as up-and-coming people, and Michelle is responsible for elevating our Institute and opening up the doors to the public to create a safe space for the youth and creating impactful experiences catered for them. Michelle is worthy of this feature for sure. Thank you!"
Michelle Kambasha | Publicist | Secretly Group | Coventry
"Michelle is one of the best publicists I know. She has worked on campaigns such as Shame, Sharon Van Etten, War On Drugs and many more."
MNEK | Artist / Songwriter / Producer | London
"MNEK is a fantastic example of a young man of African descent who celebrates who he is with no apology and his upcoming music campaign is going to really break barriers in a way no British gay artist has done before."
Ms. Mohammed | Artist | Trinidad
" In an increasingly hazardous age of travel bans and mass deportations, it feels more vital than ever to see and hear from musicians who are invested in celebrating otherness—artists who can meet toxic white supremacy head-on, with a volley of colorful, border-traversing sounds. Enter Ms. Mohammed—a queer U.K.-based immigrant artist, born and raised in Trinidad—and her “island punk” vision: rock guitar chords, dhol percussion, riddims, and lyrics that blend protest and pleasure."
Mykki Blanco | Artist | NYC
"Mykki Blanco is an openly queer person living with Aids who continues to tour, write and perform within a genre (hiphop) that often discriminates against all of those qualities. Mykki has been consistently making music, and has been producing high level work long before they had other visible peers. They are constantly pushing boundaries and using their platform to bring other queer minority artists to the forefront (as shown in thier vice documentary earlier this year). They're not only a powerful and important artist but an advocate and leader."
Naaz | Artist | Amsterdam
"Because she's so talented and I world need to know about her art. From The Fader: "“In the video you see a bunch of people living in each other's worlds, admiring one another, and expressing themselves,” Naaz explained in an email to The FADER. “I strongly believe it's possible for people to live in peace like that one day. The visuals are, like the song, about looking up to certain people and admiring their ways of life. Realizing how everyone's words are bits of art."
Nikoo Sadr | Interactive MArketing Manager | The Orchard | London
"From her work with Music Ally onto her work on campaigns for the Orchard, Nikoo is always looking for innovative ways to use digital to market music. She appears on industry panels and lectures around the world and always champions other women to get the same opportunities."
Nomi Ruiz | Singer / Songwriter | Los Angeles
"I've only worked with Nomi in the last year but getting to dive deeper into her world has led me to see her strength and power in being an outspoken roll model for the transgender community. At first we were friends and really just knew her as someone to have a fun conversation and night out with. Once I got deeper into her world I started realizing how much thought and consideration she puts into her lyrics, her advocacy, her performances and it all comes from a place of inclusiveness and educating people around her but in a subtle yet powerful way. "
Olivia Hobbs | Founder & Director | Blackstar London | London
"Olivia has donated her time to music support (a charity for the music industry) offering support and round the clock assistance with our digital profile, website development and social media presence. By giving up her time, she has helped the charity to reach more people and in turn we can help those that need it the most."
Pam Lewis-Rudden | Sync Licensing Specialist | Plutonic Group Syncs| London
"Pam's commitment and work ethic is an inspiration to us here and we are thrilled to partner with her in the sync environment."
Pauline Le Mell | Program Director | The Lot Radio | NYC
"Pauline single-handedly books on average 8 separate shows/DJs a day, as well as countless events, for a beloved community radio station. Her contribution to the Brooklyn music scene is immeasurable."
Priyanka Khimani | Partner | Anand and Anand & Khimani | Mumbai
"I had the opportunity to see Ms. Khimani on a panel at NY:LON conference this year called India goes global. It was clear she was a leader and advocate for change for artists"
Rachel Graham | Publisher, Head of Creative & Sync Licensing | Passé, Infiné, VIF Creative | Paris
"Rachel has achieved so much as an independent music professional. Her work is of utmost quality, her dedication is incomparable and overall an inspiring leader, having carved out her own place in the music industry in France."
Rayna Bass | Head of Urban Marketing | 300 Entertainment | NYC
"She is becoming a great executive and empowering young women by sharing more of her experiences as a black woman in music. More on Rayna in Billboard https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8098870/300-entertainment-rayna-bass-marketing-spotlight-interview"
Rebecca Ayres | COO | Liverpool Sound City | Liverpool
"Becky is one of the smartest, hardest-working women in the industry - She is the beating heart behind Sound City, which in turn has been a huge force for emerging talent and a massive impact on the northern music industry. She deserves recognition."
Ruth Timmermans | Managing Director | Gonzo Circus | Amsterdam
"Ruth has moved the organisation in the right direction in recent years and enhanced the professional level big time. She has the vision and the strength one needs in that position. Chapeau!"
Samantha Blake Goodman | Choreographer / DJ / Performer | Rail Up | Los Angeles
"Samantha Blake Goodman is an interdisciplinary choreographer native to Los Angeles and a huge supporter of the Latinx community in the city. She recently set up MAPS, dedicated to cultivating the contemporary and traditional arts of the Afro-Latinx & Carribean Diaspora in Los Angels."
Sarra Wild | DJ & Promoter | Glasgow
"Sarra has worked tirelessly and thanklessly to make the Glasgow club scene a more diverse and inclusive space, often times being criticised by the white men who control the scene there. She’s been running parties for the last few years and she has been featured in I-D magazine as a woman of colour to watch and called out Boiler Room for editing her talking about ‘white men’, which was covered extensively in the press."
serpentwithfeet | Artist | NYC
"Quoting Pitchfork "Listening to *blisters, *I was reminded of the bittersweet optimism of the theorist José Esteban Muñoz, who wrote, “Queerness should and could be about a desire for another way of being in both the world and time.” In *blisters, *Wise pauses to examine the ugliness of our world, then floats right past it to another way of being."
Shamir | Artist | Las Vegas
"They are unapologetically themselves and have spoken out about mental health issues in music, which as a queer POC young musician is very powerful and brave. "
Shavone Charles | Head of Global Music & Youth Culture Communications | Instagram | Los Angeles
"Shavone is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech and music industries, with a focus on millennials of color. Charles aims not only to increase the African American presence in Silicon Valley but also inspire her generation to innovate and collaborate now. "
Shiba Mazaza | Various | African Consciousness Institute | Cape Town
"The many-hat-wearing Shiba Melissa Mazaza is a UK-born, Malawi-bred writer, content producer and music festival curator based in South Africa. Spending ample time at various publications such as Design Indaba, The African Consciousness Institute, Littlegig, Afropunk and Okayafrica, punting positive and inspiring images of Africa to the rest of the world."
Sky Deep | Founder | Reclaim the Beats Festival | Berlin
"I've been working with Sky Deep for the past month on some projects after I met her earlier this year. I have so much love for this woman. She is one of the most beautiful, intelligent and powerful humans you'll ever meet. Her ambition is inspiring and she actively supports the LGBTQ and People of Color community here in Berlin. She's also an music educator at BIMM, speaks the good word on panels, shares her stories and has a voice. She's a mentor to many. I've hired her for several projects and an upcoming Live Jam event in March at Tresor."
Sophie Goossens | Counsel | Reed Smith | London
"She focuses on all issues shaping the future of the media industry from a technological, commercial, legal but also from a policy making standpoint. Her practice stretches from assisting a number of cutting edge services in digital music, OTT, data, AI, VR and blockchain to navigating the Digital Single Market Strategy and the intricacies of EU law. She have been acting for the European Commission to moderate a cross-sector consultation about the nascent Music Moves Europe program."
Steph Perrin | Head of Sync | Cloud 9 Music & Downtown Benelux | Amsterdam
"Steph has been the Music supervisor on a number of my projects and she was outstanding. she was promoted to Senior Supervisor at Felt Music, then moved to Amsterdam to open and run their 2nd office before moving over to Cloud 9 / Downtown Music Benelux to head their Sync department. I think that’s rather impressive at 29! She’s one of the most hardworking, dedicated music industry professionals I’ve ever met."
Stephanie Pan | Founder / Composer / Curator | Stichting Modulus & Modern Body Festival | The Hague
"Stephanie is one of the leading young female composers in The Netherlands, but above all the curator of the very inspirational Modern Bodies Festivals bringing a new narrative in music and arts in The Netherlands. Independent singer, maker, performance artist, multi-instrumentalist, working in experimental music and theater, live performance, film. Co-founder with Stelios Manousakis of Stichting Modulus & Modern Body Festival."
Suzanne Bull MBE | CEO | Attitude is Everything | London
"Suzanne is the CEO of the incredible 'Attitude is Everything', improving deaf and disabled people's access to live music. Their work is invaluable and is helping so many people access music. Venues in particular have so much work to do in this area - and Suzanne can certainly hold them to account. She is a brilliant asset to the industry!"
Sylvia Hinz | Recorder Player / Conductor / Teacher | Berlin
"The recorder is an instrument which is highly underrated - as is the work by women performers. ...She is a recorder, player, conductor, teacher, expert on contemporary music and improvisation. Loves challenges ... "
Tasha Anderson | Director | Fine Company | London
"Tasha has overseen an incredible PR campaign for Dua Lipa in the last year - the first solo female UK chart number one since Adele, the most streamed female artist of 2017 (464 million times worldwide) and (as of today) the youngest ever female artist to break the billion views barrier on YT with New Rules. Crossing into lifestyle - Tasha has also started working representing GalDem - self described as both 'a vibrant online magazine written by women of colour' and a 'creative community filled with incredible women of colour'. On top of all of that she still manages to find time to talk at several industry events about her in-depth knowledge and understanding of the industry as well as the role and under-representation of women (especially women of colour) in the music industry."
Terra Lopez | Artist / Publicist | Terrorbird Media | Los Angeles
"Terra is a force onstage, giving her all at every performance to connect with fans, helping them feel less alone. Offstage, she’s just as passionate about improving the human experience and giving a platform to those in need of one. Her traveling art project, This is What it Feels Like, invites men to experience being on the receiving end of catcalling in order to promote understanding and stop the misogynistic patterns that have become embedded in our culture. She’s also co-founder of a queer friendly, female/non-binary focused record label and community called BITCHWAVE. Terra is a true Renaissance woman and an important voice of her generation. "
Tiffany Kumar | Global Head of Songwriter Relations at Spotify | Los Angeles
"While attending NYU, Tiffany Kumar began her career in music when she met Kanye West. She joined his small team while he was recording The College Dropout album. Tiffany went on to become a songwriter and started networking with fellow New York City writers and producers. In 2007, she met Diddy, and he put her on his MTV show 'Making The Band’ to write songs for his artists. After the show, Tiffany signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing. Joining Spotify's team in 2016, Tiffany is currently heading their newly created Songwriter Relations department."
Toya Delazy | Artist | London
"She's a great role model for the LGBT community and young black girls who want to be themselves in a world where doing that comes with so many challenges."
Trakgirl | Music Producer | Washington
"Shakari “TRAKGIRL” Boles is a music producer, songwriter and entrepreneur. Through speaking engagements and producer clinics, she plans to continue to serve as a mentor to those entering the industry. She also seeks to encourage women to seek greater access to broader roles in the heavily male-dominated production and business facets of the music industry."
Valerie Renay | Artist | Berlin
"Valerie has been involved in this music hustle for over 20+ years as a touring musician, has played and worked with many successful artists. I’ve worked on a few projects to support this artist, she is beautiful, brave, helps connects the dots for all of those around her at some point or another. She is unselfish and has struggled to make a career in music and deserves global recognition! "
Vaughn McKenzie | Founder & CEO | JAAK | London
"Vaughn is working at the intersection of music and tech and driving forward technology that could deliver seismic value to the content industries."
Verity Pabla | Founder & Synch Licensing Agent | I'm not a machine music | Evesham
"Coming from the city of Coventry, where there are very few opportunities for networking and collaborating with artists of multiple genres and disciplines, Verity has made these opportunities available for emerging artists such as myself and by doing so has helped to expand my audience and also the platform that my music is heard on. I've had electronic tracks placed on VICE on HBO, on a major Russian TV series (plus the soundtrack) as well as being connected to DnB labels & other producers for my Drum n Bass tunes. Verity has built up an impressive network and connections over a very short space of time, which she has been happy to share with other artists such as myself. She has always been there as support not only for my music but also personally. Keeping me motivated and inspired and on a positive path!"
Vidhi Gandhi | A&R Manager | Ninja Tune | London
"Vidhi is an inspirational A&R manager who heads up and oversees an important part of the Ninja Tune eco structure. She's an excellent A&R and has helped steer Ninja Tune into a brilliant new space over the past 4 years of being here."
Wynne Bennett | Songwriter / Producer | Los Angeles
"Wynne Bennett is a musical polymath who has composed music for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane dance company, DKNY, and composed/arranged for a number of ensembles and orchestras. As a session and live musician, she has played keyboards with Mobb Deep , Slick Rick,and Pete Rock. Wynne is also known for her writing and production collaborations with Twin Shadow (To The Top, Five Seconds) as well as being a member of the touring band. Most recently Wynne has been working with Twin Shadow and Janelle Monae as a producer-writer for their forthcoming albums."
Yasmin Lajoie | Artist Manager | Empire Artist Management | London
"Despite still being in her 20s, Yasmin has over 10 years experience in the London music industry. She suffers from BPD and bipolar disorder which makes her achievements all the more impressive. She used to work at Sony/ATV where she signed Afrika Bambaataa and Cymande and worked on Michael Jackson, Kate Bush, Blur and Queen catalogues. She then went to Warner/Chappell before having to take a break for her mental health. She's now back in the industry, working at Empire where she helps manage a roster of songwriters and producers including Fraser T Smith (Adele, Stormzy, Gorillaz), James Newman (Little Mix, Kesha, Calvin Harris) and Zdot (Stormzy, Wiley, Bugzy Malone). Last year she brought in to the company Shea Taylor (Beyonce, Frank Ocean, Rihanna) and HANNIE (newly signed to Kobalt). At the moment she's busy working on Dakota's album campaign (signed to Virgin) and setting up sessions for the rest of Empire's roster."
Yael Chiara | Group Brand Manager | PIAS | Paris
"Yael is a fighter in every sense of the word. Not only a force in the music industry Yael is also an inspiring leader, fighting for diversity and inclusion in the French music industry."