Alternative Power 100 Music List 2019

We started the Alternative Power 100 Music List as a response to Billboard’s Power 100 List with the aim to challenge conventional music industry standards. Over the past couple of years the #AltList has evolved from a symbolic stance in defiance of its original counterpart to a celebration for traditionally underrepresented communities such as women, people of color, with disabilities, people from emerging markets, LGBTQ and so on.

In 2019 we are bringing it back with a focus on COMMUNITY.

#ALTLIST2019 HONOREES

Adina Friedman | Artist Manager / Partner | Friends At Work  [Los Angeles]

Adina is an incredible manager and has built Lindsey Stirling and other other careers to an incredible level of success. She has created a small group of other female managers to share ideas, goals, concerns and create a bond of trust with other women with similar roles. Adina has also done an incredible amount of work with Lindsey Stirling involving different charities. Adina is an amazing human being along with being a very smart, hardworking, women in a division of the music industry that is still dominated by men (artist management). [words by Melissa Sabo]

Alejandro Cohen | General Manager | Dublab [Los Angeles]

Alejandro has been one of they key figures at DUBLAB, playing a key role in supporting the independent music community in Los Angeles. In his own words, “DUBLAB started in 1999 as an online radio station. In 2008, dublab became a non-profit organization. Through all these years dublab has gone from a small collective to an organization with studios in Los Angeles, Japan, Spain, and Germany. We’ve been broadcasting for over 18 years one of the most adventurous music programmings in the world. Our organization is an incubator where many young artists come from. We try to make the connection between the music of the past with the music of the present and future.”

Alex Bean | Director | 37 Adventures [London]

”Having worked in the industry for 15 years now, I set up 37 Adventures, a modern music company dedicated to finding and developing new artists. Overseeing, product managing and running every element of the company, 37 Adventures has had over 230 million streams so far, our artists have performed on Jools Holland and in session for BBC Radio 1 + 1Xtra, and played live at Glastonbury, Wireless and SXSW - amongst other accolades.
The company recently signed and developed the artists: Emily Burns, JONES, salute, Rosie Lowe, Studio Black.
Prior to this I was label manager for 679 Recordings (Warner / Atlantic) where I managed the artist projects for Plan B, The Streets, Little Boots and Marina and The Diamonds. Having recently given birth (to baby Herbie), I hope that I'm a successful example of a female record label boss who is juggling motherhood and the industry!”


AmberValent | Artist / Founder | Upfront [Stockholm]

Amber is not only through her art and artist platform speaking up and driving change for women, trans and non-binary people but as one of the co- founders of Upfront Producer Network has worked hard on raising awareness around non-cis men producers and developing a community together with Upfront that means a lot for many artists active in the industry. [words by Nikoo Sadr]



Andrea De Leon | A&R Manager / Artist Manager | Audio Network / For Nothing Management [London]

I am nominating them first of all because of the rise she has had in her music career over the past 12 months. Just over a year ago Andrea went through a phase of fighting many tough personal battles to overcoming & starting her own artist management company with rising neo-soul singer; Iyamah and being promoted to A&R Manager at Audio Network within 5 months of joining the company as an assistant, previously she has worked as a day to day manager at Vector Management & Giant Men Management. She is a model of hard work, passion and determination. Being one of the few black women in A&R in the UK music industry, I believe it’s important to highlight these women. [words by Chris Hunte]

Anna Hughes | Publicist | BBC Proms [London]

Anna is a hugely passionate individual who works tirelessly to reach new audiences in the classical music sector. I worked with her through the BBC Proms and the Ten Pieces outreach initiative where she would work incredibly hard to showcase new young talent. She truly believes in diversifying the classival music industry and she was hugely passionate about championing engagement in new audiences. She has helped launch many Ten Pieces initiatives which include assemblies for BBC Music Day which saw over 100,000 pupils engaging with classical music in 2017 to the launch of a brand new set of trailblazing themed music in 2019. She has even helped classical music feature on new platforms such as the BBC Asian Network by enabling a story of the Symphony Orchestra of India's tour to be broadcast as the network's first classical music piece. Her work is integral to building new communities and audiences. [words by Sarika Unadkat]

Athena Koumis | Head of Music Culture & Curation - North America | XITE [New York]

My journey in music has been directly impacted by Athena's kindness, openness, and commitment to supporting women & femmes in music. As a independent artist, it's commonplace to assume that folks who work for industry titans like Spotify to overlook us, whether for something as small as a personal playlist, or as big as an in person meeting, but Athena did neither. She selected me for a major playlist and was open to meeting with me and my team of two in order to better get to know us outside of the music she heard. We had really similar stories of coming into our womanhood and queerness, particularly as women of color, and it struck me deeply that this moment was not only life changing, but extremely rare. Athena has continued to be a champion for women in the workplace, women in music, queer folks in both arenas, and more than that, she is an ambassador for underserved and overlooked genres. For that and more, I wholeheartedly believe that Athena Koumis is a divine example of the Alternative Power 100 list. [words by Ivy Sole]

Ben Turner | Partner | International Music Summit [London/Los Angeles]

Ben is one of the first male allies shesaidso ever had in the electronic music space, at a time when diversity and inclusion weren’t necessarily a priority for the industry at large. He has pioneered values that are very much aligned with ours and, as a music executive, is someone whose advice and experience I cherish deeply. Collaborating with Ben has paved the way for me to look at men as allies first and foremost. [words by Andreea Magdalina]

Brendon Harding | Audio Engineer / Freelance Marketing and Creative Services [London]

I am nominating Brendon Harding because, in my opinion, he has done more for women in the UK music industry than most people combined. Brendon is the founder of Red Bull Studios' Normal Not Novelty event - he decided he wanted to help women, and he did. Through Normal Not Novelty, Brendon has created a massive community of women in the UK music industry, given them a safe space to learn from other amazing women, and changed the lives of many people. I certainly would not be currently working in the music industry right now if it wasn't for Brendon. And I know there are many other women who feel the same. Brendon is 100% deserving of being included in the She Said So Alt Power list, because he has done so much to help women but has been entirely behind the scenes. He deserves recognition for the incredible community he has created. [words by Katie Tavini]

Carly Mann | Head Of Marketing and Artist Manager | Three Six Zero [Los Angeles]

Carly is an incredibly talented and thorough professional who has been a pivotal team member in Calvin Harris' multiple successes, helping to achieve a record-shattering amount of #1 records and global success. She has incredible time management skills and is an effective and skilled manager and communicator. Carly has to work with many different management teams as head of marketing at Three Six Zero, and within those teams has to have an innate understanding of the structure within them. It's imperative that communication is clear and reaches all people diligently and effectively and Carly does this flawlessly. [words by Laura Dambuleff]

Chidera Eggrue | Speaker/Author | The Slumflower [London]

In 2017, Eggerue started #SaggyBoobsMatter, a hashtag that gained prominence on Twitter and Instagram, to challenge the convention that women with large breasts must wear a bra if their breasts sag. She then started a blog called The Slumflower to highlight fashion that is not covered within the mainstream. The name refers to the concept of a rose growing from concrete, and comes from the short film created by creative duo Street Etiquette.

Chris Carey | Founder | FastForward [London]

Chris purposefully set up the FastForward conference to create a sense of community for 'younger' people working in music. His focus is very much on the leaders of the future and as such he keeps his conference small - that way, people can spend quality time together and make real connections. The community aspect is evident in the programming. The breaks are pitched as 'networking sessions' and all speakers and subject matter experts are requested to stay for drinks after each day session to provide an opportunity for delegates to speak to them personally. The FastForward conferences provide a genuine space to grow the international music community, across all sectors, from live to publishing and from artists to data analysts. I'm grateful to Chris for developing this valuable community. [words by Emily Scoggins]

Connie Chow | VP | Little Empire Music [Los Angeles]

Connie has been a part of our Little Empire Family for 5 years and continues to impress us with her dedication and willingness to give her all to her work. She handles her management role with grace and teaches us all new things all the time. I'm excited to watch her dominate in her career and in life and happy to be a part of her journey. [words by Stephanie LaFera]

Cookie Pryce | Senior Label Manager | The Orchard [London]

Cookie is a hard worker and straight talking. She’s honest and supporting diversity and encouraging inclusion of minorities as well as someone people can rely to talk to. For a very long time Cookie has not only supported but also pioneered driving women and minority issues in the music industry. Since being one of the first female rappers in the UK to working with Missy Elliot to being on the board of BPI diversity board as well as serving as a mentor for She Said So and doing talks and lectures for young students. [words by Nikoo Sadr]

Corinne Eady | Head of Creative, Advertising & Games | Music Sales Music Publishing [London]

Corinne has raised the profile of Sync in the UK music industry by her organising and managing a community meet up called Sync Drinks over the last few years - she is brilliant at connecting with people, championing especially other young women, and is generous with her contacts fostering a sharing and respectful community in the music to picture field. [words by Catherine Grimes]

Discwoman [New York]

Discwoman is a New York based collective, booking agency, and event platform representing and showcasing female-identified (cis women, trans women, and gender queer) talent in the electronic music community. It was founded in 2014 by Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson, Emma Burgess-Olson (DJ Umfang), and Christine McCharen-Tran. Discwoman's regular club nights and touring events highlight emerging and established artists from around the world. Overall, the collective seeks to highlight and correct the gender imbalance in EDM club and festival lineups. Discwoman events provide a platform to feminine-identified talent by booking them at bigger venues, streamlining the growth process, and ensuring artists receive fair payment.

Dorothy Hui | VP, Digital & Audience Development | Sony Music UK [London]

Dorothy has been an innovator in the digital music space for over a decade, both in the US and U.K., working on high profile and groundbreaking digital projects with artists like Rihanna, Arcade Fire, Kylie and many more. She has been a driving force in the music community for years. She has coordinated bi-monthly meet ups with digital stakeholders (Amazon, YouTube, Soundcloud) to have open conversations about growing the digital space without the pretense of being direct competitors. [words by Chris Koegen]

Dot Levine | Head of Communications | Vevo [New York]

Dot Levine is without a doubt an unsung hero in our industry because she always puts other people's needs in front of hers. She is the one nominating people, championing them, introducing them to her vast network and guiding them through their careers. I strongly believe that she too should be praised for her achievements and personality. Dot Levine rose the ranks of Vevo in record time due to her unbelievable determination, strength, loyalty and sense of responsibility and is now the youngest member of the Senior Leadership Team of Vevo. She volunteered to help me organised the SheSaidSo drinks in Vevo House during SXSW last year offering her departments budget because she thought it incredibly important for women in our industry to meet, bond, collaborate and ultimately strengthen each other. She is doing it again this year! Dot Levine is one of the most inspiring people I know - a pure and loyal people's person with a clear career goal: bringing as many people as she can together, connecting them in a meaningful way, to make the music industry a better, stronger and fairer industry. This fantastic list would not be complete without her name on it. [words by Kajal Gayadien]

Dr. Stacy Smith | Associate Professor; Director and Founder | Annenberg Initiative [Los Angeles]

Dr. Smith has written more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on content patterns and effects of the media. She has received multiple “top paper” awards for her research from the Instructional Developmental Division of the International Communication Association. In terms of the popular press, Dr. Smith’s research has been written about in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, Newsweek, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The Wrap, Slate.com, Salon.com, Fivethirtyeight.com, The Boston Globe, and USA Today to name a few. She also has a co-edited essay in Maria Shriver’s book, A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything (2009).  Dr. Smith was the principal investigator of the CARD report, examining Hollywood’s hiring practices on screen, behind the camera and in the executive ranks across the major multiple national media companies as well as digital platforms for distribution (i.e., Netflix, Amazon, Hulu). In addition to being a prolific writer, Dr. Smith speaks routinely on issues of inequality in the media.

Erika Elliott | Executive Artistic Director | City Parks Foundation / SummerStage [New York]

Her 15+ year career at the festival has been on supporting and presenting underserved communities particularly of color, and artists and genres that are underrepresented in mainstream music festival booking. Her work supports and gives platform to a community of creatives. She is a passionate programmer who works collaboratively with artists to bring their vision to our stage. [words by Paula Abreu]

Fadia Kader | Music Partnerships Manager | Instagram

Kuwait-born Kader manages all music efforts at Instagram, including long-form vertical IGTV. Fadia’s upbringing was filled with challenges, including the tragic loss of her mother at the age of 6, and that only seems to have made her stronger. She’s managed to channel her energy into projects that propelled her career at Instagram, including managing an artist, throwing parties and building a young hip hop community in Atlanta.

female founders fund | [USA]

Female Founders Fund LP operates as a venture capital firm. The Company targets startups founded by female entrepreneurs, as well as invests in e-commerce, media, web-enabled products and services, marketplaces, and platforms. Female Founders Fund serves customers worldwide.

female pressure | [Worldwide]

female pressure is an international network of female, transgender and non-binary artists in the fields of electronic music and digital arts founded by Electric Indigo: from musicians, composers and DJs to visual artists, cultural workers and researchers. A worldwide resource of talent that can be searched after criteria like location, profession, style or name. female:pressure intends to strengthen networking, communication and representation - a standard instrument to obtain information about artists, contact them, and find out about other, maybe less known women in electronic music all around the globe. Every artist listed in this database is able to keep their personal entry up-to-date. The network comprises of almost 2400 members from 75 countries as of March 2019.

Femi Adeyemi | Founder | NTS Radio [London]

Now eight years strong, the idea for NTS Radio germinated in Femi’s mind at a time when radio programming was often repetitive and didn't reflect diverse underground tastes. Together with a small crew of friends and DJs, Femi decided to take advantage of this blank space. At 28 years old, he quit his job as an online manager for a fashion company to dedicate his time and energy to the creation of a music platform that would showcase a range of artists from global underground scenes. [words by Caroline Astaes]

Foreigner / Adam Cooper | DJ & Community Organizer [Los Angeles]

Adam is a multi-disciplinary creative best known as a DJ, designer, and event producer. Born in Trinidad & Tobago, raised in Caracas/Venezuela & Brooklyn/NYC, and educated in Washington/DC. Adam has an incredible ability to mobilize his community and the Caribbean diaspora in Los Angeles through music events that bring values of unity and inclusion to life.

Gee Davy | Head of Legal and Business Affairs | AIM [London]

Gee is dedicated to representing and furthering independent music - sticking up for some of the underrepresented in the industry. Separately, she has always found the time to discuss opportunities to support my professional and business development as a female junior music lawyer, including offering speaking opportunities at AIM events. She is also unendingly friendly and positive. [words by Dorothea Thompson]

Georgia Meyer | Analyst - Marketing & Media Brands | MIdia Research

I am nominating Georgia Meyer because she represents the very best part of the music industry, and is one of the very most supportive and courageous individuals I know, who always goes further than above and beyond to further causes that matter and to fight for what’s fair and right for everyone. She believes that everyone should have their views heard and that everyone should have a seat at the table, and it’s a true and lived value for her, not a pennant that she waves for attention. She works hard and always fosters a sense of community everywhere she goes, through one on one time, facilitating talks and community events, and contributing daily to making the music industry a better place to work for everyone. I’m proud to call her my friend but it’s not why I’m nominating her, I’m awed by her energy and ability to contribute so positively to the world and to the people around her. She actively creates opportunities for others to have their voice heard, which is more important for her even than taking opportunities for herself, and for that she deserves to be applauded and appreciated. [Arianna Power]

GIRLSCHOOL LA / Anna Bulbrook [Los Angeles]

Girlschool is a women-led music and ideas festival with a mission: to celebrate, connect, and life women-identified artists, leaders, and voices.

Hazel Savage | CEO & Co-Founder | Musiio [Singapore]

Hazel Savage is the CEO and Co-Founder of Musiio. With over 12 years of industry experience in music technology, she has previously worked in companies all over the world such as Shazam in London, and the Sydney offices of Pandora and Universal Music. With more than 12 years in the field of music technology, Hazel has had first-hand experience in the development of companies such as Shazam and Pandora. With her expertise in music and marketing and the knowledge and experience in A.I brought on by Swedish-born data scientist Aron Pettersson, who is the co-founder and CTO of Musiio, Hazel is well-placed to discuss and contribute ideas and opinions on the development of A.I. for music curation. Recently, Musiio announced the closing of their seed funding, positioning the company for even greater growth in 2019 and making the company the first venture capital-backed music A.I. start-up in South East Asia. [words by Amelia Amari]

Helen Marquis | Global Head of Music Programming | YouTube [San Francisco]

“Having got my first job in my local record shop at the age of 17 in Guernsey in the Channel Islands, some 30 years ago, I have extensive experience of the industry. I turned it into a full career after university, first as a Music journalist, then joining HMV, Amazon, Play.com, Universal Music and finally joining Google in 2011, initially heading up Programming for Google Play in EMEA, before moving to California in 2015 to take on the role as Global Head of Music Programming. Over the years I have gone from being one of very few women in my part of the industry to heading up a diverse global team of passionate music enthusiasts around the world, finally breaking into the boys club and teaching them that women also know a lot about Music :)
I have gone from being told to sweep the floor in a record shop, because it was women's work, to heading up a global team at one of the biggest platforms for Music in the world, avoiding strip clubs, party hands and generally awful behaviour along the way.
I have faced a lot of challenges over the years, due to my gender, but have refused to take no for an answer, building a solid reputation within the UK industry, which saw my team at Play.com win Online Retailer of the Year at the Music Week Awards in 2008 followed by my winning International Woman of the Year at the Music Week Women in Music Awards 2018.“

Hildur Maral | Label Manager | figureight records [Reykjavik]

Founder of the first female music managers network in Iceland, working towards a unified and strong presence of Icelandic music business women on a local and global scale, supporting each other and younger women trying to get into the industry.

House of Yes / Kae Burke [New York]

“We are a collective of creatives, performers and innovators who live to support artistic expression, performance, nightlife and community. Our home is the House of Yes in Bushwick Brooklyn – our venue and incubation space fueled by passion and designed to inspire. Together we build intimate experiences, spectacular entertainment, killer parties and outrageous events anywhere and everywhere. House of Yes was created in 2007 by Kae Burke and Anya Sapozhnikova, two best friends who just wanted to make art and have a good time. With lots of help and lots of love, the original idea of House of Yes have transformed into a reality beyond what anyone ever imagined.”

Jackie Queens | Singer & Founder | Women of House South Africa [Cape Town]

Beyond speaking up for women house music vocalists through various initiatives like Women of House and her label Bae Electronica which also is involved in creating collaborative events with inclusive line ups and has a show which spotlights black women DJs from the across the world. Jackie is known for her embracing spirit. She passes on opportunities, she puts people on, is a mentor and most of all uses her platform to educate people about the incredible contributions of women which has done much to change perceptions in the local house music community. She also speaks consistently and openly about the reality of the music business and shares information on her platforms on how to manage one’s indie career. She has through other projects, brought women vocalists together, supported women led house music initiatives and given many women platforms to showcase their work that have gone on to reap more opportunities for them. She is a rarity in the South African music scene which is largely commercial and silent on various social and music issues. [words by Thenjiwe Khumalo]

Jane Shin | Writer / Creative Producer / Host of Progression podcast [Los Angeles]

I've worked with Jane now for over 4 years - we first met at SoundCloud and now are working together at Amazon. When I joined SoundCloud, she had been single-handedly leading artist relations for a number of years and demonstrated an incredible ability to connect with both Grammy-nominated artists and emerging creators to grow the SoundCloud community and bring people together to collaborate. We work together at Amazon now and she's been specifically engaged here to grow Amazon Music’s content efforts in hip hop. Jane makes it a point to hire all-women crews and as many women as possible to bring more opportunities for women in the video and music space to grow and gain experiences. [words by Alexis Giles]

Janine Irons MBE | Managing Director | Tomorrows Warriors [London]

She has tirelessly worked behind the scenes to nurture budding musicians and fund raise to keep Tomorrow's Warriors at the forefront of developing a new generation of jazz musicians. I am particularly struck by how many female band leaders have grown out of this organisation. [Emily Moxon]

Jenna Fentimen | Music & Composition Producer | Manners McDade [London]

Jenna's want to better the world for all composers is so strong. She's dedicated so much time to researching inequality for women composers, and not just stopped there: setting up a forum for women composers to support each other and connect. [words by Harriet Moss]

Jennifer Drake | SR Director of A&R | SonyATV [New York]

Although being with SonyATV a few years, she has signed some of the most notable young stars on their roster, including but not limited too Cardi B, Khalid, Ella Mai and more. As a young Black Female A&R she has overcome the role as a minority to have proven herself as a true power player in a male dominated industry. She has overcome much and persevered to show women and women of color are just as capable of making an impact in a role which has typically been male.

Jennifer Justice | Co-founder | The Justice Department [New York]

Jennifer is an experienced executive and attorney in the fields of entertainment, music, media and live experience with a demonstrated history of generating high revenue returns merging art and commerce. Jennifer spent years building the brands and careers of artist such as Jay-Z and businesses such as Roc Nation. Skilled in strategy, strategic partnerships, commercial transactions, business operations, sales, business development and legal affairs. Strong revenue generational, operational and business experience and a Doctor of Law (J.D.) from Cornell Law School.

Jess Partridge | Project Manager, PRS Foundation | Founder of London in Stereo [London]

Jess has managed the first edition of PRS Foundation's Keychange programme with immense energy, skill and ambition; going out of her way to ensure diversity and inclusion in the project as well as nurturing a sense of community between the 60 participants and 7 European partners who she has worked with on hundreds of music and conference events. She is also a barrier-pushing,music loving entrepreneur who founded London in Stereo, spotting the need for live music listings in print as part of London's incredible live music community. She innovates and makes things happen and this benefits us all.

Jodie Nicholson | Managing Director | Boiler Room [London]

Jodie is a great role model to me! I worked with her from 2015 - 2016 when she was my line manager which was amazing for me as she was clearly so well respected by everyone in the company as well as her clients. She was very invested in developing my skills and increase my
responsibilities. Since then we have become good friends and it’s very apparent that Jodie is very passionate about supporting the progression of women in the industry and she’s continued to be a great support to me and a wonderful mentor. Over the past few years Jodie has really made her mark at Boiler Room and cracked what was a very male heavy company, especially at her level. Her hard work was noticed and she was promoted to MD which is such a huge achievement. I’d love to see her recognised for supporting the female community in a predominantly male-dominated industry and for making amazing movements herself. [words by Roberta Hickey]

Kajal Gayadien | Principal, Content Acquisition | Amazon Music [New York]

Kajal is one of the most impressive people working in the music business today, as a woman she is an example of a hard working and tenacious attitude and her passion for music and creators makes her an invaluable addition to the music industry. Her role at Amazon Music puts her at the intersection of music and tech, bringing a vast catalog to the platform, championing music labels and the creative community. [words by Dot Levine]

Karen Emanuel | CEO | Key Production [London]

Karen founded Key in 1990 and has successfully steered the company through the music industry's radical changes, thanks to her business acumen, deep values and - perhaps most relevant to this nomination - her passion for people. Following a series of acquisitions, Key is now 4 companies and Karen works tirelessly to create a sense of community among all the 50-plus people who work in them. There's no question she cares for her staff with a depth of feeling you'd normally expect someone to reserve for their family. I recently conducted a staff survey at Key and was bowled over by some of the comments which showed their appreciation of this. They included: “Working here means a great a deal to me. I feel privileged" and “The most honest and moral company I have ever worked for.” This second comment is also recognition of her ethos in dealing with customers and suppliers - treating them as part of the Key community as well. Last year, Karen won the NatWest Everywoman Award in honour of her achievements and she continues to be an inspiration to all around her. [words by Johnny Owen]

Karlie Hustle | Music Manager | Beats 1 / Apple Music [New York]

Karlie is someone I've been following online for YEARS. She's always messaged me back when I've asked for words of wisdom, is always championing for diversity, inclusion, and promoting what's real. Karlie is an extremely kind individual who takes no shit, and inspires all the women around her to do the same. She speaks her truth, doesn't apologize for it, and brings others up around her. Karlie is now a mother of a three year old and hasn't hesitated to share about her experience working in a male dominated industry as a mother. [words by Emily Berkey]

Katia Isakoff | Composer, Producer, Founder | !N_KoL//\\B [London/Berlin]

A composer, music producer, and the founder of !N_Kol//\\B; a new music series bringing together pioneering, established, and emerging artists, to collaborate in various studios and pop-up locations. Katia is currently working on the first series with electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani, Marta Salogni (Bjork) and Anil Aykan (Fragile Self). She is also the Founder of Women Produce Music (WPM) an artist and producer led non-profit to promote and support the activities of music-makers, producers and audio engineers through a series of collaborative projects and initiative. [words by Sandira Blas]

Kelly Ridgway | US General Manager | WMA [New York]

I have known Kelly for 15 years and worked with her closely while she was in marketing at Polydor UK. Since relocating to New York to run WMA's east coast operation, Kelly has continued to be a remarkable and dedicated mentor to a lot of young people entering the industry and is exceptional at connecting people together and paying it forward with knowledge and tools to help people along. Kelly has run some free marketing workshops at WMA’s NY office in support of the community who can’t afford to pay for services like theirs, and recently ran the first shesaidso NY breakfast giving advice about salary negotiations. She volunteers for the Student Leadership Network in NYC where she speaks to girls at schools as part of their ‘Cool Women, Hot Jobs’ program, and has hosted them for a learning day at WMA. Kelly has also mentored at SXSW for the last 2 years and has also spoken at NYU’s music school. [words by Liz Goodwin]

Kerry Steib | Head of Social Impact | Spotify [New York]

Leads the team that builds empathy and equity through culture. Develops programs that champion inclusive voices, connect artists and fans, and break down barriers to empower everyone to be a creator. At Spotify, she developed Black History is Happening Now and the Sound Up Bootcamp to amplify and support creators of color, I’m With the Banned (Emmy nominee, Cannes Lions Silver, ONE Show Golden Pencil), to support the free exchange of ideas and shift perception of immigrants and refugees through artist stories, Clarify (Emmy nominee) to encourage Spotify’s audience to vote, Here to Stay (Halo Award), where donated materials from Spotify’s SXSW experience were used to build a recording studio for Kealing Middle School and First Song (Webby Award) featuring Spotify’s partnership with the Starkey Hearing Foundation. AAF Hall of Achievement 2018, named to Refinery29’s “Rising Female Tech Stars” and a MAKERS@Spotify awardee.

Keturah Cummings | Founder | Forward Slash [London]

Keturah is a self-described ‘Slashie’. A DJ/ Photographer/ Strategist/ Content Creative specialising in music and connected culture. From starting a music blog in 2010 and running Manchester’s only live music event for emerging black music talent, to creating So Future in 2016 for emerging producers and DJs, Keturah has provided online and offline platforms for countless young and D.I.Y creatives. Leading by example, she is adept at combining content formats and digital tools to globally amplify online reach and cut through the noise. After years of delivering digital and social media campaigns and championing new music at BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Keturah left the BBC and founded Forward Slash; working with artists, music and culture brands to help them build and maintain authentic relationships with their online audiences.

Lauren Deakin Davies | Audio engineer [London]

Lauren is at the centre of ever expanding community of musicians and producers. Since she started her own band aged 10 she has been inclusive, creative and supportive to all fortunate enough to cross paths with her. Now 23, Lauren is a producer and a musician, both skill sets complimenting each other. Lauren is the consummate networker, with her distinctive hair and ever smiling face she is a magnet at events and you never see her alone, even though she frequently arrives on her own. She draws people to her and is unfailingly supportive and encouraging to everyone she meets and is constantly matching people to generate greater opportunities – artists with managers, publishers with songwriters, releasing artists with promoters….While only 23, Lauren is paving the way for others, prepared to put her head above the parapet and boldy blaze a trail, demonstrating that you don’t have to fit a limited stereotype to forge a career music. [words by Helen Meissner]

Lauren Sullivan | Founder, Executive Director | REVERB [Portland]

Lauren created REVERB, an enviro non-profit that harnesses the power of the music community to change the way live music does business while bringing together millions of music fans to make real and measurable change for people and the planet. As Executive Director for 15 years since starting REVERB, she has overseen the organization's environmental work on over 250 tours (Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, P!NK Zac Brown Band, Drake, Fleetwood Mac, Harry Styles, John Mayer, Dead & Company, and many more), and 5,000 concerts reaching over 30 millions fans to take action for the environment. She recently hosted a group of musicians (Members of Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, Guster and KT Tunstall) on a field trip to Peru to learn from indigenous leaders who have been on the front lines of protecting the rainforest from illegal loggers. [words by Adam Gardner]

Leyla Kumble | Founder | Girls Are Loud [Los Angeles]

Leyla Kumble is the founder of the organization, Girls Are Loud, the collective of female-identifying instrumentalists providing solo songwriters with the resources to record all aspects of their song live, as well as a studio. Leyla fosters the idea of creating a community with womxn in live and recorded music. She puts on showcases to highlight female musicians as well as provides a space for them to record their songs with female session musicians. [words by Shannon Murphy]

Liz Miller | Strategic Partnerships for Music | Facebook [New York]

Liz is an incredible force in the electronic music community, working behind the scenes to support artists and executives alike. The Colorado native left her record store job to join fledgling local company Beatport in the early 2000s, and she was quickly dispatched to Berlin to evangelise for the potential of digital music distribution to reluctant record label owners. She also worked as an independent marketing consultant with the likes of Richie Hawtin's Minus roster as they bridged the gap between underground mainstay and identifiable brand. She is now using her position at Facebook to turn the platform into a better resource for the music community.

Ludovica Guerrieri | Label and collective founder, radio host, DJ, artist manager | Femme Culture [London]

Ludo is a great woman and entrepreneur, amazing DJ, very positive and open minded person. It's someone you want to work with and be around. She deserves to be encouraged, congratulated and known! [words by Marine De Bruyn]

Marcie Allen | President | MAC Presents [New York]

Marcie and I were interviewed together for an article at the end of 2018. I was not only blown away by her intelligence and business savvy, but her commitment to her work and understanding of its impact is outstanding. She is a self made woman with a commitment to bringing up other women with her (and a committed wife and step mom to boot!) [words by Emily Williams]

Marjana Jaidi | Founder and Creative Director | Oasis Festival [New York / Marrakech]

Marjana Jaidi is the Founder and Creative Director of Oasis, a destination festival in Marrakech, Morocco that features today's top underground electronic talent alongside the best in Moroccan culture. Prior to Oasis, Marjana worked as a music photographer and reporter, specializing in the global music festival scene. As a designer, Marjana has produced official travel guides for a number of festivals, including BPM in Mexico, Secret Solstice in Iceland, and CMJ, Governor's Ball, and Electric Zoo in New York City, where she is currently based.

Mercedes Benson | Brand Partnerships Manager | Complex UK [London]

Mercedes describes herself as a “renaissance girl”, and is living proof that it’s possible to get stuck into a variety of creative endeavours, if you have the passion. She started her quarterly showcase of new talent, Future SNDS at London’s XOYO, as a result of her own frustration with the live scene. “I was tired of reading blogs about my favourite up-and-coming artists,” she says. “I wanted to see them on stage, so I said f**k it, let’s do it. Anything you believe in and put your mind to will work.” Next, Mercedes plans to create a platform that fuses music and charity. “I want to give back,” she adds. [words by NME]

Michael Duffy | Music Programme Manager: Americas, European Union & Classical Music | British Council [London]

Michael Duffy studied Music at the University of Oxford (Magdalen College). He has worked with a number of classical and contemporary classical music organisations, including the London Sinfonietta, on the production of talent development projects Writing the Future and Blue Touch Paper. He led on marketing and audience development for East London’s Spitalfields Music, across festivals and creative learning programmes, including sell-out tours of the flagship opera programme Musical Rumpus for 0-2 year-olds. He later worked with touring opera and music theatre company Mahogany Opera Group, leading the company’s communications and digital activity, and working on projects in diversity and equality. He also works as an independent assessor for the Clore Leadership Programme and is a member of the London Sinfonietta’s advisory group Sounding Board.

Mulika Sannie | Vice President, Business Affairs | Kobalt [London]

Mulika Sannie has used her time, knowledge and experience to give young aspiring individuals the insight on what it takes to get into the industry she currently works within. She has taken a step that not many of her peers have, and has made the conscious effort to establish a precedent that includes support, community, network and the connection of young professionals who can develop strong relationships and bring fourth significant influence and innovation to the music industry. She founded a network for black aspiring music lawyers, she is on the board of The Midi Music Company and she is a mentor at the University of Westminster, as well as a guest lecturer at Bucks University and Birmingham City University. She is an amazing mentor to many and has helped people like myself to strive for success in the industry. [words by Oviri Clarke and Ore Akande]

Nadia Khan | Music Manager | CTRL MGMT [UK]

Nadia Khan has been managing for over 15 years and has been a key part of the Grime scene since its emergence. She started managing the legendary Lethal Bizzle from the start of his career and has been with him since then. Having independently charted several singles including Rari Work out and more and sold out a existing clothing line “Dench”, Nadia Khan is a highly respected and looked up to manager. She recently was inducted into the Music Week Role Of Honour at Women In Music awards. Her work doesn’t go unnoticed but she deserves to get the recognition she deserves. For years Nadia Khan worked extremely hard in the background and she never asked for any credit. Recently she started her own platform for women called “Women in CTRL” to shine light on existing women in the music industry. Nadia has held many panel shows/events of her own and has collaborated with the BBC, Punch Records and more to give females a platform. Her passionate nature for female empowerment goes as far as personally giving 1:1 advice for females starting out in the industry. Her hard work and her efforts in the male dominated industry is just a mere reflection of her passion and natural ability to develop artist from the bottom up. She also manages two successful female artists Lady Lykez and Laughta who are both shaking up the Grime scene being talented females backed by the legendary Nadia Khan. Her ability goes beyond music, she knows the culture and she understands how to develop artist image, music, style and visual aesthetics and more. I deep in my heart believe Nadia Khan deserves to be recognised for her efforts in the music scene as a female manager in a male dominated scene. [words by Narjes Fawaz]

Naomi Pohl | Deputy General Secretary | Musicians' Union (theMU) [London]

Naomi made history as the first female member of the leadership team at the Musicians’ Union in 124 years. When the #MeToo movement started, she took the lead and immediately developed and launched the MU’s Safe Space initiative. With a programme of open meetings across the UK, Naomi brought musicians together to share their experiences and discuss practical ways of creating change. She put together workplace advice and legal advice for those who have experienced sexual harassment, abuse, exploitation and discrimination in the music industry, as well as starting a confidential email reporting line (safespace@theMU.org) open to everyone in music - not just MU members. Naomi has personally investigated several cases raised via Safe Space, and has provided practical guidance and support to around 100 people – all women – in the music industry. Naomi also led on the Music Sector Code of Practice, a practical tool to help us hold the music industry to account, in partnership with the Incorporated Society of Musicians. [words by Maddy Radcliff]

Natalie Falt | Director & Founder | Women & Film [Los Angeles]

Natalie Fält is a director and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She began her work in moving imagery with a degree in fine art as an experimental video artist and conceptual artist. She hosts film screenings and events with her organization Women & Film and is also cofounder of FFFEST, a 3-day screening and talk series that had its successful debut October 2018 in downtown Los Angeles with panelists and filmmakers such as Janet Mock, Lake Bell, Crystal Moselle, and Sophia Takal . She also has an extensive body of work as a production designer for artists such as Grimes, Future, Lil Baby, Dev Hynes, Ravyn Lenae, and Empress Of as well as commercial and editorial clients such as Vogue, Fader, Shinola, and Regime des Fleurs.

Natalie Wade | Director | Small Green Shoots [London]

Small Green shoots is a powerhouse for creative leadership beyond diverse boundaries. As an arts council funded music development organisation they challenge how a&r, recruitment and workforce development work. They are ingrained and led by marginalised people but make mainstream impressions with employment and artistic opportunities being opened for their networks. [words by Paul Bonham]

Nick Sabine | Co-founder | Resident Advisor [London/Berlin]

“I’m thrilled to be on this list. Our entire purpose as a company is to support local scenes and connect the electronic music community. It is immensely pleasing when people I admire greatly for the work they are doing (like you/Geo/others on SSSO) recognise our approach to be a force for good for our community. I believe it is through the work, ambition and collaboration of independent organisations like RA and SSSO that we can encourage companies and people to take greater responsibility for the vitality of our wider community.”

Nur Al Habash | Music Export Specialist | Italia Music Export [Milan]

Nur is doing a beautiful job for the Italian community, keeping everyone posted on what's going on and keeping a live debate on women in the music/show biz. From her experience in Rockit she has engaged a lot of us in creating community, in addition to her work with SIAE and with Shesaidso Italy. [words by Stefania Barbato and Irene Tiberi]

Octo Octa [Brooklyn]

Maya Bouldry-Morrison, better known by her stage name Octo Octa is an American house producer and DJ based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2016, Bouldy-Morrison came out transgender, making her one of the few electronic musicians to come out as transgender after gaining prominence as an artist, thus effectively undergoing a gender-identity transition in the public eye.

Open Up Music [UK]

Open Up Music’s mission is to make orchestras accessible to young disabled people. Over the past 8 years, they have worked with 100s of young people to create an award-winning, accessible musical instrument called the clarion. Aimed primarily at young people who find it difficult to access conventional musical instruments, the clarion can be played with any part of the body, including the movement of a musician's eyes. They recently launched the National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) which is the world's first disabled-led national youth ensemble. This groundbreaking programme provides a musical progression route for some of the UK’s most talented young disabled musicians. [words by Yasmine Lajoie]

The Lot Radio / Pauline Le Mell - Station manager/Director of programming [New York]

The Lot Radio is an independent, non-profit, online radio station live streaming 24/7 from a reclaimed shipping container on an empty lot in NYC. In three years of broadcasting, The Lot Radio has placed itself at the heart of New York City’s pulsing underground and brought together the city’s expansive music community.

Portrait XO | Artist / Music Technologist [Berlin]

Portrait XO (aka Rania Kim) is an amazing human, humanitarian, artist, and innovative music-technologist that is breaking all the gender stereotypes and rules in how artists and creatives should move forward in their career paths. Heavily involved in dedicating her network, talent, and skills into social impacts. She is co-founder of The Freegees platform, a 2-for-1 ethical music platform about co-creation with displaced artists to collaborate for social causes. Portrait XO is Creative Director at IV.AI, the first creative agency for AI and Resident Artist at Factory Berlin's "Creators in Residence" project launching in May 2019 where she will heavily involve a community of creators to come together and utilize their skills and talent in a cross sector of industries. Merging Technology & Art with already established platforms, pushing creative thinking, and breaking boundaries in how we work today. [words by Sandira Blas]

Poulomi Desai | Artistic Director | Usurp Art [UK/India]

Poulomi is a pioneer as an Asian woman in the UK and India, supporting and promoting Asian women to take part in the arts, activism, music and experimental cultures since the 1980s. She has also been instrumental in changing practices and policies, campaigning for increased diversity for LGBTQ+, women and BME artists and musicians, helping to change laws in the UK. [words by Kiran Shah]

Rebeca Leon | Manager/CEO | Lionfish Entertainment [USA]

Rebecca brought Latin artists to the top in 2018 (J Balvin / Rosalia). The artists in her company bring in new artists to the roster. She is playing a key role in championing women and Latinx individuals in the music ecosystem. [words by Rocio Sanchez]

Remi Harris MBE | Business Consultant | Remi Harris Consulting [London]

We are all a product of the example set for us and I was lucky enough to meet Remi relatively early into my music industry career. I met her when she was seeking out young music industry professionals to form, alongside Sam Potts (Colombia UK), YGN, a network for young music industry professionals run by the same. She struck me as an accomplished, confident, caring person that was very motivated to pay things forward. We had a great deal of success with YGN and the it was the start of a great career for me having now had a over 4 years experience at Virgin EMI and now running my own management company. Her thirst to advance and inspire not only myself but countless others as well as having a family and being very decent in the process is why I think Remi is the perfect nominee for this. [words by Danny Desai]

room 4 resistance [Berlin]

ROOM 4 RESISTANCE is a Berlin-based queer femme / non-binary forward collective focused on community-building and creating safer space & visibility for underrepresented artists in Dance Music. R4R runs intersectional and sex positive queer raves, hosts radio shows, and curates panels to promote women, gender queers, non-binaries, trans, black and POC artists, to explore the political dimensions of the dance floor and to create bridges between different communities.

Saidah Blount | US Brand Activation Manager | Sonos [New York]

Saidah is the US Brand Activation at Sonos and leads the curation of Sonos' 101 Greene Street cultural space in NYC. In the past, she led Music Live Events and produced dynamic video and audio content for NPR Music. She is an incredible champion for diversity and all things inclusion in the music & wider creative industries, helping bridge connections between music and brands.

Sally Freeman | Co-Founder, DevelopHer UK / Press + Digital, Silver Hayes (Glastonbury) / MD, Love Live Music UK | DevelopHer / Glastonbury / Love Live Music UK [London]

Sally and I first met at ADE in 2012 - the only two women at a panel about digital technology. We bonded immediately! Her passion and enthusiasm for music and technology shine through, and are completely infectious. Coming from a musical family (her father and other family members were musicians), she has been working in music her whole life; first in studios, then live events, and now digital marketing and press at Glastonbury. She co-founded DevelopHer UK (a non-profit community dedicated to bringing women in technology together to create both opportunities and a network of support) in 2013 as a result of our experience at ADE, which had a profound impact upon her and left her determined to create a community and opportunities for women in technology. [words by Lucy Blair]

SAMA | DJ, Producer, Audio Engineer [Palestine]

An emblematic artist of the Palestinian underground scene, SAMA’ (previously named Skywalker) is the first Palestinian DJ and electronic music producer. SAMA started her career in Cairo in 2013 as an Audio Engineer, Music Producer, Audio Trainer and Sound Designer for films. In 2016, she partnered with Eka3 to start a publishing agency of its first kind called Awyav, which represents independent artists from all over the Arab world. 

Sandira Blas | Senior Curator and Researcher | Factory Berlin [Berlin]

I, along with many of her friends and colleagues would love to see Sandira's work with Keychange and Factory Berlin recognised through the Alternative Power 100 Music List! Sandira works tirelessly to provide opportunities for musicians and artists to showcase their work, and provides them with much needed space in which to create; all without fanfare. She is a true artist advocate and a visionary. [words by Katia Isakoff]

Sarah Carrier | Event Manager | Kitsuné / shesaidsoFrance [Paris]

Sarah Carrier has been developing the live events for the renowned brand Kitsuné, successfully organizing shows everywhere in the world. She is very talented, very tenacious and she's also a very kind and fun person to be around. [words by Marine De Bruyn]

Sarah Chawla | Co-founder | Magnetic Fields / The Wild City [New Delhi]

Sarah and her husband Munbir are playing an important role in bridging connections between India and the wider music ecosystem. We have collaborated together as part the shesaidso mentoring program she.grows and her tenacity and commitment to support women in India is almost contagious. [words by Andreea Magdalina]

Shannon Herber | Pop & Dance/Electronic genre manager, Awards | The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs [Los Angeles]

“Many people don't know that The Recording Academy (The GRAMMYs) is actually a not-for-profit entity that has roots in advocacy and philanthropy, and includes our sister organizations MusiCares and the GRAMMY Museum Foundation. My job is to manage the Pop & Dance/Electronic categories of the GRAMMY Awards and to bring in relevant, diverse, vibrant new members within those genres. Through this position, I have utilized my nearly 20 years experience in the music industry to specifically bring more women of all backgrounds and orientations into the fold to join The Recording Academy as members and to recommend them for committee and board service. As a membership organization with a lot of visibility due to being the stewards of the highest honor in music, I feel a special responsibility to make sure that our membership reflects all of the voices working in music and that a diverse range of people are making such important decisions.”

Shauna Watson | Label Coordinator / Sound Engineer / Festival Organiser | Rubyworks / Ruby Sessions / We've Only Just Begun Festiva / shesaidsoDublin l [Dublin]

Shauna is an unstoppable force, and in my 13 years in the industry is probably the brightest talent I've had the pleasure of working with. Aside from her day to day work here at Rubyworks (Irish independent) she set up Dublin's She Said So chapter last year, holding fantastic free workshops and keeping us all updated on the important work of females in the industry. Every week she works as the Sound engineer for our Live music night (now in it's 20th year) The infamous Ruby Sessions, sometimes dealing with difficulties and push back from TM's with the fact that she's female. Last summer she also created Ireland's first all female festival over 3 nights at Whelan's here in Dublin called 'We've Only Just Begun' it was an incredible success and will be back for it's second year later on in 2019. Her work ethic and professionalism is second to none and I have no doubt whatsoever that she will be an extremely important part of the industry in years to come. [words by Ceri Dixon]

SheSaidSo Radio LA | Community / Radio Show [Los Angeles]

SheSaid.So Radio LA's main goal is to extend the core values of SSSO to foster the building of the community of womxn in the music industry and to tell their stories so that others may also be inspired and learn from them. This group of candidates cultivate the idea of "community" by connecting womxn in music across the world through the internet radio airwaves on dublab.

Shocka | Artist [London]
Shocka is at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of music and community. He is a spokesperson for the mental health community and is a prime example of someone who has survived trauma and re-established themselves in the industry. [words by Selina Hannaford]

SISTER Collective / Carly Wilford [London]

Pioneering brand new tastemaker radio platform SISTER, Carly Wilford has become a trusted voice for the underground. A groundbreaking Presenter & DJ, she takes the artists she believes in and broadcasts their music to the world. Strongly connecting both the US and UK music scenes, her roots within the UK scene have helped to bring through so many of the artists on today’s airwaves.

Susanna Eastburn MBE | CEO | Sound and Music [UK]

She is a continual support to countless composers around the UK. She inspires and moves them with her Kindness and willingness to believe in new music. She believes in people and music and that they can work together to make great Art. Susanna is a very special person who has worked incredibly hard for music and the people that create it. [words by Jo Thomas]

Tabitha Thorlu Bangura | Creative Partnerships Director | NTS Radio [London]

Tabitha is staunchly community minded and has always championed the energy and efforts of those who love music. She’s committed to giving everyone a chance and goes out of her way to give artists/bands heartfelt supper and practical help. She’s been at the heart of ascending careers like Klein, Beatrice Dillon and LOFT. Working recently with Tabitha on NTS WIP i was amazed at the effort and detail she put in to giving feedback to unsuccessful applicants. Ensuring that everyone walked away with something useful. Tabitha has been and remains the heart, soul & skeleton of NTS. We’d be fucked without her. [words by Lizzy King]

Tarana Burke | Founder | meToo [New York]

Tarana Burke is a civil rights activist from The Bronx, New York who founded the Me Too movement. In 2006, Burke began using the phrase "Me Too" to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society, and the phrase developed into a broader movement, following the 2017 use of #MeToo as a hashtag following the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations. Time named Burke, among a group of other prominent activists dubbed "the silence breakers", as the Time Person of the Year for 2017. Burke attends public speaking events across the country and is currently Senior Director at Girls for Gender Equity in Brooklyn.

Tersha Willis | Co-founder | Terrible Merch

I've worked with Tersha for ten years, from nebulous ideas of how to change the world around us, through a fledgling streetwear company, arms-length management of growth strategies for the fastest-growing drum company in the world, to a fashion consultancy, my own record label for a time, managing artists and now over the last three years as a co-founder at Terrible Merch. Her dedication, commitment, optimism and work ethic are unparalleled in this sector and she is a rare breed in being concerned with the needs of artists and their stakeholders. Traditionally, this sector is male-dominated and the age skew is unhelpfully older. Tersha has handled herself with maximum poise at industry showcases, being spoken over, contradicted, undermined, etc. In all instances, she listens, assesses and corrects with dignity and understanding. She's - as far as I'm aware - the only woman leading a merchandise company and we as a company appear to be the only ones with a concern for how artists can leverage their merch offering earlier in their career, to engender stability while they grow. Our roster is dominated by female/non-binary acts and we're proud to say that we never intended to do that, it just happened that what we cared about was being brought to us by strong, talented and powerful people that had been traditionally underrepresented. Our work will continue to shine a light on women in music, with a new initiative "Listen To Women" launching soon, spearheaded by Tersha, to reach down to those still fighting to be heard. [words by Jack McGruer]

Tygapaw | Artist [New York]

Dion McKenzie, better known as TYGAPAW, has a lot of plates spinning. The DJ, producer, party promoter, and designer is playing out regularly, getting ready to tour with Niv Acosta’s Discotropic production, and coordinating two monthly parties, all while working on her debut EP. On April 2, McKenzie celebrates the second birthday of Fake Accent, a monthly party inspired by her experience as a queer Jamaican immigrant living in New York, which she curates to highlight queer and trans artists of color. The party also marks the debut of the Fake Accent collective. [words by The Fader]

Vanessa Bakewell | Client Partner - Entertainment | Facebook Inc. [London]

In 2011, Vanessa joined Facebook Inc. prior to its listing on the Stock Exchange to lead retail sector partnerships, and in 2012, set up the first Entertainment Vertical team where she continues to drive the fundamental evolution and change as a Global Client Partner in how film and music industries globally market their releases and events on Facebook via the explosion of video consumption on mobile across Facebook and Instagram. Vanessa is the Chair of the Future Leaders Forum for the British Screen Advisory Council (BSAC). She is on the Board of Trustees for The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Vanessa also founded ‘The Wed Network’ (Women in Entertainment and Digital), a strong network of 1500 women in arts and entertainment sectors which hosts senior female film and music leaders from directors to marketing execs in film and cinema to producers. The network provides the group with advice, events, charitable projects, contacts, mentoring and job opportunities since 2015. Vanessa built this as a response to old men’s clubs – she wanted to build a ‘new woman’s club’ as a strong network and community for women in the entertainment sectors. Vanessa mentors people from across the industry and often helps charities such as War Child or NABS in her spare time. [words by Leisa Maloney]

Violet Skies + Charlie McClean (sheWrites) | co-founders | sheWrites [Wordlwide]

sheWrites is an all-female songwriting camp initiative; bringing together the very best female producers, song writers and engineers, writing to brief and in collaboration with artists.

Women's Audio Mission [San Francisco]

Women's Audio Mission is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California, whose mission it is to promote "the advancement of women in music production and the recording arts."

Xanthe Fuller | Head of Community | Mixcloud [London]

Mixcloud’s chief goal is to cultivate community around audio culture, and as Head of Community, that mission has fallen largely to Xanthe. The way she has nurtured the influencers on the platform, encouraging them to form connections within the community and to find meaningful ways of communicating to their fans via insights into their personality and influences, has resulted in a strong sense of human connection between the long-form audio creators who upload their shows to the platform and the listeners who follow and engage with them. As Head of Community, Xanthe has been instrumental in cultivating a sense of closeness between Mixcloud listeners and their favorite creators.

Zelia Rodrigues | Cultural Manager | Oi Futuro [Rio de Janeiro]

“Together we are stronger than we could ever believe. When women are united we become fertile soil that other can rest and feed themselves up. I am very happy to be this soil, this branch, this net and change the World even if my steps are small we stepping together are a movement.”

#AltList2019

To reinforce this year’s theme, we are excited to announce our partnership with the UK’s leading trading body representing the independent music sector, the Association for Independent Music. As part of our partnership AIM will host an #AltList2019 Awards event at their AIM CONNECTED conference taking place in London between April 1-3. In addition, a minimum of five #AltList2019 nominees will be invited to speak at AIM CONNECTED.

As the world becomes more integrated through social media and technology, an increasingly wider pool of people have access to the music industry that ever before. In spite of that, even with the ability to develop networks reaching across the globe, deeper connections still seem hard to cultivate. Therefore, in the #AltList’s 3rd year we decided to highlight people of all genders who foster COMMUNITY in the music industry.

While last year we focused on #intersections, this year's theme is an opportunity to celebrate those who bring others together to foster a stronger sense of collaboration; those who lift up their peers with their work, advice and mentorship; those who have either nurtured a specific community or have contributed positively to the music community, in general; those who go out of their way to make introductions; those who take the time to recommend someone for a job, speaker or press opportunity; those who use their success to pave the way for others; those who value teamwork and honor the shoulders of others who helped them make their climb.

As a reminder, the Alternative Power 100 Music List is a symbolic gesture. It’s an exercise that aims to highlight people of all genders whose contributions to the music industry may go unnoticed. It is our opportunity to showcase unconventional companies, business models, career paths and levels of success that challenge the status quo, whether they work independently or within larger organizations.

Please join us in our third year of the list by nominating those that have inspired community, togetherness, and strive to raise all tides for underrepresented communities in the music industry.

Please note-- your nominations can either go to a collective or an individual for their contribution towards the music community in general, or a specific community particular.

Check out last year’s Alternative Power 100 Music List 2018 here.

The Alternative Power 100 Music List 2017 is here.