UK Music Welcome New Futures Group Members To Increase Regional and Nations Representation

07 August 2023 - Press release

 

UK Music has welcomed new members to its Futures Group that represent Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Midlands, South of England and the North of England. 

The recruitment of new members was part of a drive to ensure representation of the group expanded beyond London.

The UK Music Futures Group was established in 2016 to give a platform to the next generation of future leaders in the industry.

 

The new members of the group are:

Andy Booth, based in the Isle of Wight, is the Music Industry Liaison for Platform One Music College. He founded Island Music Management and is the booker for Rhythmtree Festival.

Charlene Hegarty, based in Belfast, is the Talent Development Manager at Oh Yeah Music Centre. She also runs Zero Myth, a management company.

Casper James, based in Cardiff, is the lead singer of aggro-glam band TELGATE. He works for Beacons Cymru as the founder of TransForm Music, a project to help create space for transgender and non-binary people in the Welsh music scene.

Katie McLoughlin, known professionally as Katie Mac, is a singer-songwriter from Merseyside. She is an artist mentor on the Propeller Programme at Future Yard, Birkenhead, and teaches young children to play the ukulele and guitar. She recently graduated with a BA Hons in Music Production from Edge Hill University. 

Sanjeev Mann, aka Supermann on da beat, is a Scottish disabled South Asian producer bringing a blend of influences from hip-hop to metal and pop. He also promotes local artists through his platform Hip Hop Scotland and an A&R at Imvaizemusicgroup, as well as a campaigner, raising awareness of issues facing disabled people.

Nikki Riggon, is Head of Programme for Birmingham's Punch Records and founder of MightBeCreative.

The group also welcomes new members Ree Sewell, a South London-based music executive with experience in A&R, tour management, and studio and engineer management and Geraldine Zanaska, a music business executive, consultant, entrepreneur, music programmer, educator and mentor.

Also joining the group is Lizzy Wood, who was the winner of UK Music’s Outstanding Music Academic Partnership Graduate Awards (OMG Awards). Lizzy graduated from the University of Liverpool and now works for Polydor in A&R. 

They join current members: Maddy Radcliff (Musicians’ Union), Meenal Odedra (COLORSxSTUDIOS), Leah Mack (Sony Music Publishing), Holly Manners (Warner Records UK), Nick Breen (Reed Smith LLP), Frank Hamilton (singer-songwriter and creator of #OneSongaWeek), Cam Blackwood (producer and songwriter who has worked with Dua Lipa, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel and George Ezra), Brett Cox (Grammy nominated producer/engineer), and Amanda Playe (Co-founder and CEO of Decade Management). 

The Futures Group is Chaired by artist manager Amanda Maxwell. Eurovision legend Sandie Shaw is the Futures Group Advisor. The group is supported at UK Music by Jennifer Geddes.

The group meets regularly to discuss key issues affecting younger people working in the music business and feeds directly into the Board of UK Music. Topics include training, workplace policies, diversity, routes into the industry and mental health support for music industry executives.