Earlier this month, MBW revealed the 15-person shortlist for our first ever annual Young Executive Award, supported by Google Play Music.
This shortlist was chosen from hundreds of entries sent in from around the world.
Since the announcement, MBW has asked over 150 senior executives from all walks of the global music industry to confidentially vote on who they believe should be the winner.
His or her name will be revealed later today.
Before then, though, let’s take a look at the runners up: the individuals who were voted into the No.5, No.4, No.3 and No.2 positions – a huge achievement in itself…
Sean Glass is a multi-hyphenate in the music industry. He currently works at Apple Music, building Connect and Original Content. Fully immersed in both the music and tech industries, the NY Times called Glass “the soundtrack to the New York City Tech community.”
Glass founded his label Win Music in 2013 with the release of Duke Dumont’s “Need U 100%,” which debuted at No.1 on iTunes and was Grammy Nominated. He’s since released artists like Flight Facilities, Tiga, Anabel Englund, ETML, Anna Lunoe, and Just Kiddin.
Glass launched his production career in March 2015 with his remix of Robert Delong’s “Long Way Down,” which went straight to #1 on Hypem, as did his follow up remix of Flight Facilities’ “Down to Earth.” His first original “We’re All Friends” releases December 2015.
Sarah Gallagher started her career at Z Management and Xenomania, managing in-house artists, before joining Modest! in 2009. After working with Lemar, she began managing Olly Murs that year after he graduated from the UK X Factor show.
Murs has gone on to record four multi-platinum (UK) albums, three of them No.1s, with a string of chart-topping singles across the UK, Germany, Austria and, with Dear Darlin’, a Top 5 track in Australia.
In addition, Murs has enjoyed a lasting TV career and now co-presents the show that made his name, X Factor. Gallagher also manages her brother Ben Thomas, who is a guitarist for the likes of Adele and Sam Smith.
Toby L founded Rockfeedback.com as an online music magazine aged just 15 in 2000, before transforming it into one of the most exciting young live promotion companies in the world. He went on to co-found Transgressive Records in 2005 with Tim Dellow. The label’s artists have included Foals, The Shins, Regina Spektor, Songhoy Blues, At The Drive In and Alvvays.
In 2005 Transgressive Publishing launched as a JV with Warner/Chappell Publishing – a relationship that has now lasted over ten years – spawning signings such as Two Door Cinema Club. And in 2008, Toby & Tim becomes Founding Partners in award-winning online visual media firm LoveLive.
This year alone, Transgressive Records has won Independent Label of the Year at AIM Awards, while Rockfeedback was nominated as Live Promoter of the Year at Music Week Awards. Plus Foals won Best Act In The World at Q Awards, while LoveLive has been named one of Britain’s fastest growing tech businesses in The Sunday Times Tech-Track 100.
Jaddan Comerford is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of UNIFIED, arguably Australia’s fastest-growing independent music company. With offices in London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne UNIFIED is quickly becoming a globally recognised business and brand.
Comerford also looks after WAU Management, looking after the careers of 16 of Australia’s finest artists including Vance Joy, The Amity Affliction, The Kite String Tangle, Northlane and Nina Las Vegas.
Comerford has personally managed the career of Vance Joy whose international hit single ‘Riptide’ in 2015 achieved sales of 5 x Platinum certified in Australia, 2 x Platinum certified in the USA, 4 x platinum certified in Sweden and Canada and multiple times platinum in Netherlands, Poland, Norway, Germany, Italy and Ireland.
“Jaddan is a true entrepreneur. His achievements are phenomenal.”
Through the UNIFIED label group, Comerford is now preparing to launch a joint venture label, 1825, with fellow manager Matt Emsell (5 Seconds of Summer and Matt Corby) and Atlantic Records. 1825 aims to build on Comerford’s achievements by breaking yet more Australian artists in the USA.
Howard Corner, General Manager at ADA & Warner Label Services, said: “Jaddan is a true entrepreneur who has already had significant impact both locally & internationally.
“As a manager & label owner he has discovered & broken the hottest Australian rock acts before then going on to launch a successful merch co, a festival and a record store, which are all huge achievements in themselves.
“To then to find an unknown act in a completely different genre, scale that and break him around the world while smashing records in the process is phenomenal.”Music Business Worldwide
