Brit Beat: Saturday Night time’s All Proper for Brit Awards; Island U.Okay. Goes with the FLO; New Indie Boss AIMs to Dealer Streaming Truce

February within the U.Okay. music biz is all in regards to the Brit Awards, and Britain’s flagship music ceremony will as soon as once more see some notable adjustments for this yr’s occasion.

After two years of COVID restrictions, this yr will see the notoriously noisy trade tables return to the world ground on the O2 in London. There’s additionally a brand new Brit Awards chairman within the type of one of many enterprise’ largest characters, Atlantic Data’ U.Okay. MD and president of promotions, Damian Christian.

One factor, nonetheless, stays — considerably unexpectedly — the identical. The 2022 ceremony had been billed as long-serving govt producer Sally Wooden’s remaining Brits, however she is again for 2023, telling Selection that she “merely wasn’t able to cease making the most important music present of the yr.”

“The Brits have at all times been my dream job and I didn’t need the dream to be over,” she says. “I might need greater than my fair proportion of sleepless nights, however I nonetheless really feel just like the luckiest particular person within the enterprise to be working with so many artistic, proficient and fantastic folks.”

Including to Wooden’s insomnia this yr is the ceremony’s shift to a Saturday night time for the primary time in its historical past, the place broadcaster ITV can count on some severe scores competitors. The slot historically attracts the most important audiences of the week throughout the networks, whereas the Brits have hardly proved a scores behemoth lately, pulling in 2.7 million viewers final yr in a midweek slot.

“With nice scheduling comes nice duty!” quips Wooden. “It’s unimaginable that ITV have trusted us with a prime-time Saturday slot and we all know that we’re going to ship on the night time, however that doesn’t imply we’re taking something as a right. We’re upping our recreation throughout the board.”

Wooden guarantees “larger and higher performances and a star-studded roster of presenters” for this yr’s version, with the likes of Harry Kinds, Stormzy, Lizzo and Sam Smith & Kim Petras confirmed to look dwell. However Wooden picks out fast-rising indie-rockers Moist Leg, nominated for 4 awards, as one of many ones to look at…

“Moist Leg are going large on their artistic,” Wooden says. “I find it irresistible when an act seems on the present for the primary time, they arrive with a potent cocktail of pleasure, adrenaline and a nervous power which, when blended, can create a really memorable efficiency. That’s the great thing about the Brit Awards; we’ve the most important artists on the planet performing alongside contemporary, new expertise.”

Wooden says Christian’s “award-winning background in promotions” and expertise of “large occasion tv” has additionally boosted this yr’s preparations.

“We’ve been working to make sure every efficiency will raise the roof off the O2 enviornment and ship the socials into meltdown,” she declares. “This yr is shaping as much as be an absolute traditional.”

To search out out whether or not the Brits lives as much as that hype, viewers outdoors of the U.Okay. can tune in to the YouTube livestream on Feb. 11.

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One Brit Award winner has already been determined: new R&B group FLO will decide up the Brits’ Rising Star gong on the ceremony, the primary non-solo artist to take action. The group was additionally voted the winners of the influential BBC Sound of 2023 ballot, including to the excitement attributable to “Cardboard Field,” its breakout single on social media final yr.

The group – Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downer – was signed to Island Data U.Okay. by A&R Rob Harrison, and label president Louis Bloom says the group was allowed to work issues out in personal for a very long time earlier than the label launch.

“What was necessary was that the women had the time, and help, to correctly develop, have the house to seek out their sound and songs and excellent their craft,” Bloom tells Selection. “They’ve labored critically arduous behind the scenes to get the place they’re and deserve every part they’ve coming to them. Finally, every part comes from Jorja, Renée & Stella; they name the pictures.” 

Earlier winners of the Rising Star award embody Adele, Florence + the Machine, Sam Smith and Sam Fender, giving it a fame for just about guaranteeing breakthrough success. However Bloom says the label is taking nothing as a right.

“The very fact there aren’t a whole lot of ‘woman teams’ on the market actually presents a possibility,” says Bloom. “Nevertheless, that might be completely meaningless if FLO weren’t ridiculously proficient. Nobody else is doing what they’re doing, and doing it so nicely.” 

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The British music biz will definitely be hoping FLO’s bid for world success pays off. The shortage of latest breakthrough world stars continues to concern native executives, with labels physique the BPI calling on the U.Okay. authorities to “help our export ambitions.”

“We’ve at all times punched method above our weight globally and we nonetheless do,” says Sophie Jones, BPI chief technique officer and interim CEO. “We take a look at international locations which can be doing nicely globally and they’ve very robust export methods, South Korea being the apparent instance. It’s robust to compete when there’s that type of funding getting into and clearly South Korea is reaping these rewards very handsomely.”

Nonetheless, the year-end market figures present a nationwide trade in good well being. Recorded music consumption elevated 4.3% year-on-year to 166.1 million album equivalents in 2022, in keeping with the BPI, whereas the High 10 biggest-selling singles of the yr all featured British artists for the primary time in historical past.

Jones tells Selection that the outcomes are “a really constructive endorsement of the expertise coming by way of.”

Inside the headline determine, streaming rose 8.1%, forward of 2021’s 5.7% rise, and Jones insists there may be nonetheless room for additional U.Okay. development.

“There’s nonetheless headroom,” says Jones. “There are nonetheless listeners who aren’t but utilizing streaming platforms routinely and there’s loads of room for motion between free and subscription providers, which can profit the trade in financial phrases.

“That stated, we all know the U.Okay. is a reasonably well-established marketplace for streaming,” she provides. “We have to place our deal with getting the absolute best share of worldwide development, as a result of there are some important markets which can be solely now beginning to see streaming take off.”

Jones additionally raises considerations that, ought to the federal government introduce laws imposing different fashions for remunerating artists – following the current Division of Digital, Tradition, Media & Sport (DCMS) Committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming – report firm funding in new expertise might be hit.

“We want an surroundings by which that type of funding can happen,” she says. “I don’t assume it’s below risk for the time being however, have been there intervention into the market, it could be completely important to have a look at the potential influence on future funding.”

The DCMS Committee not too long ago known as on stakeholders to hurry up the progress being made by the varied working teams wanting into the problems round streaming, however the BPI – which represents all three main labels in addition to many independents – is at present and not using a everlasting CEO, following the departure of 15-year vet Geoff Taylor.

Jones says she has no thought how lengthy she’s prone to be in cost, however stresses the BPI is continuous to work on all fronts within the meantime.

“We’re clearly going by way of a interval of change,” says Jones. “Geoff has been an incredible chief, however he’s left a extremely good staff and we’re cracking on. Whoever comes into this position shall be very lucky to come back into a superb place with a whole lot of thrilling issues to do.”

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In the meantime, one other main British commerce physique has discovered its new boss, with Silvia Montello having began her job as CEO of the Affiliation of Impartial Music (AIM) on Jan. 31.

Montello strikes throughout from the Affiliation for Digital Music to take over from Paul Pacifico at a vital time for the impartial sector. The indies’ market share grew to twenty-eight.6% of all music consumption in 2022, in keeping with the BPI, up from 26.9% the earlier yr and its fifth consecutive yr of development. However a lot of that development appears to be coming from DIY/self-releasing artists moderately than the normal indie labels that make up a lot of AIM’s membership.

“The routes to market are actually simpler for starter and growing expertise,” Montello tells Selection. “They’re now in a position to self-distribute, be their very own labels and their very own groups and that’s going to proceed to drive market share. I don’t assume labels are ever going to vanish, however the label mannequin evolves to swimsuit the wants and needs of rising artists coming by way of.”

Elsewhere, Sony’s acquisition of AWAL and Common’s buy of a 49% stake in indie large PIAS will probably hit the impartial sector’s market share (though PIAS will be capable to stay a member of AIM below the Affiliation’s guidelines) and lots of execs privately increase considerations about whether or not even the biggest impartial corporations can compete with out exterior finance.

“Entry to funding is extremely necessary,” says Montello. “We’re battling an financial disaster and a cost-of-living disaster so we have to look very rigorously at how we may enhance the alternatives for that funding.”

Montello brings a wealth of music trade expertise to the position, together with earlier stints at Common Music Group in addition to at BMG and AWAL. And she or he thinks that 360-degree perception will show essential because the trade makes an attempt to discover a decision to questions thrown up by the DCMS Committee’s streaming inquiry.

Montello will now be concerned in these discussions and warns: “We should be very cautious about having entrenched ‘us and them’ conversations, after we actually should be wanting throughout the piece to extend the worth of music altogether.”

“I’m eager to see an answer that advantages all of the stakeholders throughout the ecosystem, and never one that’s centered on robbing Peter to pay Paul,” she provides, saying she plans to fulfill with #FixStreaming and #BrokenRecord campaigners in addition to all different events. “Some very well-meaning folks have perhaps gone into this debate, requested the fallacious inquiries to the fallacious folks and never checked out that larger image but.”

Underneath Pacifico, AIM and the BPI – traditionally, usually at odds – turned extra intently aligned on a number of points, together with streaming. Certainly, Pacifico had been extensively tipped to maneuver throughout to the BPI, till he took a job as CEO of the Saudi Arabia Music Fee.

Throughout her Selection interview, Montello was not afraid to criticize the BPI-run Brit Awards for its 2023 nominations, which have brought about controversy because of the all-male Artist of the 12 months shortlist (“Persons are very disillusioned and shocked to see that, given the richness of feminine expertise inside the U.Okay. – we’d like to ensure we don’t go backwards”).

However she additionally known as for the music trade to work collectively after a fractious couple of years dominated by the streaming debate.

“Collaboration is what’s wanted within the music trade to drive issues ahead,” she says. “We have to take a look at what the exterior threats are to our trade, by way of shopper spend and different elements. Moderately than combating amongst ourselves, we have to group collectively and stand our floor for incredible U.Okay. music and artists.”