On Tuesday, far removed from the chaos of the US presidential election, Ed Sheeran spoke to outgoing Warner Records Music CEO Max at the Music Business UK Awards hosted by Music Business Worldwide in London. He paid a moving tribute to Lousada. He is someone who has worked closely with Warner for many years. night.
Losada is widely respected in the creative community as a recipient of the Sir George Martin Award, which recognizes executives with a track record of fostering meaningful relationships between artists and songwriters. Mr. Sheeran and Mr. Lozada’s full speeches are available below.
Sony Music Publishing chief Jon Platt was also honored at the awards, receiving the International Executive of the Year award presented by his friend, singer-songwriter MNEK. The award recognizes non-UK business leaders who have significantly promoted the excellence and success of British and Irish music over the past 12 months.
Other bosses in attendance included Ron Perry of Columbia Records, Jody Garson of Universal Music Publishing, Guy Moot and Ryan Press of Warner Chappell, and Aaron Bay of Warner Records. Those in attendance included Shook and Tom Cawthorn, outgoing Atlantic Records executives Julie Greenwald and Kevin Lyles, and YouTube Music’s Liar Cohen. , Dirty Hit founder Jamie Oborne and Adele’s manager Jonathan Dickins.
Ed Sheeran:
My dream was always to be on Atlantic Records. Because Atlantic Records has the best singer-songwriters.
All my heroes and the people I aspired to be lived there.
When I first met Max, I told him: I was a little intimidated because he is a big dog and has shaped my entire hero career.
But when it finally became my home with him at the helm of the big ship, I was overjoyed. Passed the Asylum with Ed. [Howard] and ben [Cook]But Max worked from afar on my first album, and then very closely on my second and second albums. [from] after that.
We both achieved career highs together, which is something I will never forget. It’s really crazy how many years have passed and all the artists I’ve met along the way say, “Oh yeah, Max did this for me, and Max contributed to this.” Everyone from The Darkness to Stormzy, James Blunt, Coldplay, Dua Lipa and more will be there. When I was asked to introduce this award tonight, Max had just been fired from Warners, and I wanted to be here to tell you that Warners won’t make people like him anymore. Music people.
And if it does happen, it only happens once in a generation. It doesn’t mean you have a great marketing mind, are good at algorithms, or jump on new hot topics.
It’s about recognizing what is a great, great song and who is a great, great artist and allowing them to grow, not just dropping them after a couple of duff singles. All the legacy artists we know and love today have been developed over time and allowed to explore, fail, build, and experiment.
The industry is in danger of becoming reactionary rather than simply following their heart and intuition for what is good.
I sincerely hope that young people like Max will grow up in the future. Because for real art to thrive, we need real people like him in the music industry fighting for it.
I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and even more proud to call him a friend and someone I greatly admire personally and professionally.
Congratulations on this great honor, let’s celebrate it tonight. I can’t wait to see what you do next. Be sure to interrupt me, Bulbu.
Everyone is buzzing for tonight’s Sir George Martin Award winner, Max Lousada.
Max Lousada:
Thank you, Ed. Our journey so far has been amazing in some ways, and you’ve been a great artist, a great partner, and more importantly, a great friend.
Thank you very much Tim [Ingham] And everyone at Music Business Worldwide. As Jon Platt said, I don’t try to take these awards very seriously, but this one felt really, really special.
I would like to thank the George Martin family for this honor. Today I was thinking of keeping my speech short and trying to get across what I really wanted to say.
Tonight I realized there’s an important throughline from Sir George Martin to Ed Sheeran that goes far beyond this stage.
When I first joined Warner Music, I think it was 21 or 22 years ago, I started reading about George Martin and what Parlophone Records was. What he created was a kind of shelter where unconventional thinkers were always welcome. It was shocking to me and my North Star: people who didn’t fit in at all.
And that’s something I’ve always thought about when signing artists and running a record label. And that’s not all [Martin] He himself was a complete one-off, a maverick.
That is, when he found originality, he devoted himself completely to it. When a man saw a sociopath, he saw a pioneer. He never tried to pigeonhole artists. He tried to smash it to pieces with them. And I have always been inspired by such creative courage. To be honest, we need that kind of creative courage more and more.
Because the world is full of content. It’s very easy to drift into this algorithmic echo chamber. As I looked around the room tonight, I saw people coming up on stage and I saw them resisting. I’ve seen A&Rs, managers, and labels look beyond the data to find the artists who change the energy in a venue, the artists who move the world.
So, as a music executive and more importantly as a music fan, I wanted to dedicate this article to everyone who supports new artists who have something to say. Everyone who championed them with equal parts patience and passion, and everyone who gave them the support and freedom to explore to succeed.
I would like to give a special thank you to the amazing list of artists I have had the privilege of working with. [to work with] And those who trusted me with their stories, dreams, and careers.
Shout out to our wise and generous leaders, some of whom are here tonight, Korda. [Marshall]it was Mr. Lyall who brought me here in the cold. [Cohen]has been tough on me and the entire Warner team.
You all have been an amazing journey for me and my life. And to my American crew, Julie. [Greenwald]to Tom [Corson]to Aaron [Bay-Schuck]and to Kevin [Liles].
To the British crew, Tony [Harlow]Joe [Kentish]Briony [Turner]ed. [Howard]Jen [Ivory] And to everyone at Warners, it’s been an incredibly special journey.
Of course, to my wife Ali and our departed children. [this] Journey. I believe I was traveling back and forth to New York for six years. [required] A really patient person in the family.
But in the end, I just wanted to say to the unconventional minds gathered here tonight, the people I’ve had the privilege of working with, and the people I’ve admired from afar. “Okay,” he said. I salute you and am proud to follow in the footsteps of George Martin with you. thank you.
