The Cat's Mother of the Year Award 2025

14 October 2025 - Press release

Supported by Amazon Music

Presented to music supervisor and business leader Abi Leland 

  

Recruitment drive launched for mentors from A&R, Branding, Creative Direction, Digital Marketing, Events and Live

 

The Cat's Mother, the not-for-profit music industry mentoring and networking service founded by Natalie Wade in 2019, tonight honoured music supervisor and business owner Abi Leland with The Cat's Mother of the Year Award for 2025.

At a special event at 1 Warwick at Maslow's in London, in front of an audience of female leaders from across the music industry, Abi accepted her award from long-standing supporter of The Cat's Mother  Claudia Winkleman. The award recognises Abi's immeasurable contribution to the career development network through work placements and mentoring sessions, as part of her unwavering commitment to supporting equal pathways for young people from all walks of life in the music and creative industries.

A music supervisor for the film and advertising industry since the age of 20, Abi founded her company Leland 20 years ago, taking on high-profile campaigns for brands such as John Lewis, Honda, Sony, Nike and the Paralympics, as well as feature films and television including Netflix's Top Boy and Steve McQueen's Small Axe. She has twice been named Music Week's Music Supervisor of the Year and is featured in their Women in Music Roll of Honour. Abi is also a Trustee of The Creative Foundation, a member of the GMS D&I Committee, along with being an active mentor for The Cat's Mother.

On receiving the The Cat's Mother of the Year Award for 2025, Abi said: "I'm genuinely delighted to receive the Cat's Mother of the Year award. Mentoring through Cat's Mother is such a rewarding experience - I'm always curious about people's stories, what drives them, and the paths that have led them to where they are. I often meet women who are just starting out in their careers, and it's inspiring to see their enthusiasm and fresh perspectives."

"There are women across the music industry who are pushing boundaries and redefining what success looks like, and being part of that collective energy feels incredibly powerful. Supporting the next wave of talent feels like a meaningful way to use the experience and perspective I've gained. The industry only thrives when we make space for new voices. 

Running a small, independent company means I don't have the infrastructure or resources of a large organisation, but that doesn't limit the impact we can make. Alongside my mentoring with Cats Mother, I created and launched a first-of-its-kind, paid mentorship program for emerging music supervisors and composers on the Netflix drama Top Boy, which has now been rolled out across other productions. It's proof that when we share our knowledge and open doors for others, real change follows."

The evening also saw young female professional Anghared Davies talk about the positive impact that The Cat's Mother has had on her own career opportunities and development.

The Cat's Mother Network continues to receive vital support from Amazon Music, with a shared vision to make the creative industries more accessible, and a particular focus on regional activations. 2025 so far has seen The Cat's Mother Network develop its mentoring support through an event in Bristol with BIMM, and an International Women's Month event at Amazon Music's London headquarters, as well as recent panel events with UTA and an upcoming panel evening with SWIM (Sony Women in Music). 

With the aim of connecting young women from low income backgrounds to professional established women within the music industry, there are over 125 "Cat's Mothers" currently on the books, representing different roles within the industry from marketing to management, legal to licensing, PR to publishing.

The Cat's Mother Network has delivered over 500 mentor meetings to date (with over 190 undertaken so far this year alone), with seven Cat's Mother beneficiaries placed in jobs, internships or work experience schemes in 2025 to date.

The network is now on a drive for new Cat's Mothers within a number of sectors that are currently underrepresented within the mentors cohort. These are: A&R, Branding, Creative Direction, Digital Marketing, Events (Event Organisers and Event Producers, and Live (booking agents, promoters). The commitment is flexible, and the 30min remote mentoring sessions are tailored around the individual's career interests and availability of relevant Cat's Mothers. 

To register interest in becoming a Cat's Mother, or for more information on the network and service, please contact Kate Sweetsur on kate@catsmother.co.uk. 

Sara Lord and Charlotte-Anne Myler, Co-Chairs of The Cat's Mother Network, commented: "We are having a phenomenal year and the impact of Cat's Mother just keeps on growing. We are so grateful to Abi for accepting this award and to each and every Cat's Mother for what they contribute every year to change people's lives in a simple yet powerful way. This event is us wanting to thank ALL our CM's for everything they have done and continue to do."