ADA has renewed its partnership with Solotoko Records and its principal, Sonny Fodera, the only independent artist to be nominated for an award at the 2025 BRITs.
The Austalian-born DJ/producer, who earned the nod for his smash “Somedays,” which has notched 120m global streams across all DSPs, founded Solotoko in 2017. In addition to his own hits, including “Asking” and “Turn Back Time," he’s dropped material by Dom Dolla, John Summit, Tita Lau, James Hype and Vintage Culture.
In a joint statement, Fodera’s manager Greg Burnell and ADA’s MD of UK business Howard Corner said: “From doing a deal together in lockdown to the best-selling British independent act & a BRIT nomination, what a journey! Sonny’s sound, songs and shows connect deeply with the public and his impact on dance music in the UK in the last couple of years has been incredible.”
Fodera will return on 2/7 with “eagerly anticipated follow-up collaboration with Clementine Douglas, who was recently named Breakthrough Vocalist at the DJ Mag Best of British awards. He’s also set to headline his own curated festival at London’s Silverworks Island on 7/12.
Polydor Label Group has 21 reasons to celebrate after 13 of its artists received 21 BRIT Award nominations. Among them is The Cure's latest album, Songs of a Lost World (Polydor/UMG), which snagged a Mastercard Album of the Year nod. The Robert Smith-led outfit is also up for Group of the Year. Fellow Polydor signees Michael Kiwanuka and Sam Fender are nominated in the Artist of the Year category, while Becky Hill landed a Best Dance Act nom. Needless to say, Polydor Label Group President Ben Mortimer is blown away by the success of the company's artists.
"These nominations reflect the heart of what Polydor has always stood for: a commitment to long-term artist development and creating a home where talent is nurtured, individuality is celebrated and creativity flourishes," he said. "The recognition for PLG, which includes the brilliant 0207 Def Jam team, is a testament not only to the extraordinary artistry on our roster and the relentless passion of our teams, but also to the invaluable collaborations with our label partners, Interscope and Island US. Together, we are celebrating a truly unforgettable moment for our artists."
The 2025 BRIT Awards take place 3/1 at London's O2 Arena and will be broadcast exclusively on ITV1 and ITVX. Find all the nominees here while we curb our sudden craving for crumpets.
BPI has expanded its Equity and Justice Advisory Group with the addition of nine new members, reaffirming the group’s commitment to advocating for the progression of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
The nine new EJAG members are each beginning a two-year term and will be joining the 11 existing members, seven of whom will step down at the end of 2025.
The new additions to the EJAG team are Alex Hannaby, Asma Siddique, Eve Horne, Iona Rodger, Laura Lewis-Paul, María Cecilia Ayalde Ángel, Martina Connors, Matt Cham and Trenton Tomlinson.
BPI Chair YolanDa Brown OBE DL, and chair of EJAG, said, “On behalf of the BPI and the existing EJAG members, we are excited to welcome these talented new recruits to the group and look forward to the complementary experiences and additional perspectives they will each bring to inform our continuing work in promoting equity and inclusion across our industry."
Hailey Willington, BPI DEI Manager, who led the EJAG recruitment process, said, “EJAG’s support continues to be key in delivering BPI’s five year DEI strategy and in developing its evolving work to foster a more inclusive industry, one where everyone’s potential can be realised in a nurturing environment. The more diverse and inclusive our industry is, the greater its prospects for success.”
Nominations for this year’s BRIT Awards will be announced on the organization’s Instagram and Facebook pages at 5pm [GMT] on 1/23.
The broadcast will feature interviews with top nominees and an appearance by presenter Semel London. The public will be invited to vote for the winners of all five genre awards: Alternative/Rock Act, Dance Act, Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Pop Act and R&B Act, exclusively on WhatsApp, in a first for The BRITs.
The first winner for 2025 was announced recently, as Myles Smith took home the BRITs Rising Star award supported by BBC Radio 1.
The ceremony, to be held at the O2 Arena on 3/1, will be broadcast on ITV for the 32nd year.
Amazon Music U.K. is opening 2025 by pointing users to some of the most intriguing new acts on the horizon, via its Artists to Watch series.
This year’s crop includes Good Neighbours, who earned a platinum cert in the U.S. last year for their Capitol single, "Home," Bea and her Business, Jordan Adetunji, Luvcat, Nieve Ella, nimino, Sammy Virji, Sasha Keable, SNAYX and Victor Ray.
As part of the initiative, each artist will receive support from Amazon Music over the next year, including editorial and social media promotion across Amazon Music channels.
Reacting to the honor, Uganda-born, Newcastle-raised singer-songwriter Victor Ray said, “I used to spend hours singing in front of Amazon's artists to watch billboards, so to be a part of this year's list is genuinely crazy,”
Bea and Her Business, also known as Bea Wheeler, said “Huge love to Amazon Music. I am so very honoured to have been chosen as one of their ‘Ones To Watch’!!! The pressure is on baby! Bring on 2025 and lots of new music!”
Laura Lukanz, head of music industry, Amazon Music U.K., said, “Curating our Artists to Watch program is always an exciting and rewarding process and this year has been no exception. It has never been more important for us to demonstrate our deep commitment to championing emerging UK Artists, both at home and internationally.”
You can sample Amazon Music U.K.'s Artists to Watch on this playlist.
Diamonds has been a touchstone in Elton John’s storied career, but it’s never reached the #1 spot on the chart until now.
The Universal Music Recordings Island EMI set was issued in November 2017, initially debuting at #5 on the British chart. Diamonds has been a staple in the top ten since then, but didn’t hit the pinnacle until now. The album has achieved 1.67m total U.K. sales, including 362k physical copies, 57k downloads and 1.29 sales-equivalent streams according to the Official Charts Company.
Rocket Entertainment CEO David Furnish said, “We are so proud to see Diamonds finally get to #1 eight years after its release. Diamonds has been an omnipresent beacon in the charts over that time and all of Elton's other activities feed into its success."
Rocket’s Rachael Paley added, “Elton has an unmatched ability to connect with fans old and new, and he's always thrilled to know that people are continuing to discover his catalogue through Diamonds.”
Louis Bloom, president, Island EMI, concluded, “Elton is one of the most iconic artists in the history of popular music and it’s really no surprise that decades into his incredible career, Diamonds has given him his ninth No.1 album. Elton’s music, philanthropy, activism and his incredible support for new artists, is unparalleled and he continues to be an inspiration to us all."
Sony U.K.’s Jackie Hyde has been awarded an MBE for her services to music and charity in the King’s New Year Honors List. The recognition comes as Hyde marks an incredible 46 years at Sony Music.
“Receiving this recognition feels overwhelming and I never thought an honor such as this would be given to me,” Hyde said of her new title. “When I joined CBS Records/Sony Music back in 1979 I couldn’t have imagined that I would be in the industry 45 years later or that I would receive an MBE. It’s been an incredible and very happy career in the business, which I am very proud to be a part of, and a privilege to have worked with such brilliant artists, whom I so very much admire.”
Hyde, VP of Artist Relations, has worked with such artists as George Michael, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Sade, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Bob Dylan and The Clash.
In other U.K. News, we have been strongly cautioned to stay on our side of the pond.
British singer-songwriter Sam Ryder has signed with management company mtheory and will release his second album in 2025.
Ryder, who was placed second in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 while representing the U.K., released his debut album on Parlophone that year and hit #1 in the U.K. He’s had two #2 singles at home: Eurovision entry “Space Man” and “You’re Christmas To Me.”
Lewis Allen, who has been a key part of Ryder’s previous setup over the last few years, and Derek Gridley, will assist in the advancement of Ryder's career.
Next year, Ryder has multiple festivals booked and a tour in the pipeline.
Cameo Carlson, CEO of mtheory, added, “mtheory could not be more thrilled to partner up with Lewis Allen and Derek Gridley to help take Sam Ryder’s incredible talent to the next level. Sam embodies everything we believe in as a company: unmatched global talent, drive, and he’s a damn good person."
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