EDM.com’s Best of 2020: Industry Leaders
Honorable Mentions: Melody You, Aaron Brooks, Grym
RECORD LABEL
Winner: Subsidia Records
Following the unprecedented release of 118 new tracks, Excision’s newly minted Subsidia Records banner quickly positioned itself as a major player in the bass music scene in 2020. By supporting both unheralded and established artists, the label has set itself up as a bona fide industry tastemaker and a hub for talent development, offering gifted producers the footing they need to excel in the electronic music space. A utopia for the heavy, experimental, and melodic avenues of bass, Excision’s new home is primed to create more opportunities for an oftentimes underrepresented genre.
Honorable Mentions: Hospital Records, Anjunabeats, Ophelia Records
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Winner: Cercle
Aiming to showcase the world’s culture and heritage through the lens of captivating electronic music performances, Cercle‘s YouTube channel doubles as a teleportation device. Dance music fans are able to immerse themselves in truly one-of-a-kind sets performed at idyllic beaches, icy mountaintops, roaring waterfalls, and historical landmarks.
With their gobsmacking series of livestreamed DJ performances, Cercle pushed the envelope this year by placing artists into visually breathtaking geographic locations around the world. Croatia’s stunning Plitvice Lakes, the sprawling canyons of Cappadocia, the legendary Great Pyramids of Giza, and the Swiss lake Lac de Soi created picture-perfect backdrops for sets from Disclosure, Ben Böhmer, Sébastien Léger and NTO, respectively.
Honorable Mentions: UKF, Proximity, Eliminate
AUDIO ENGINEER
Winner: Stuart Hawkes
Prominent audio mastering engineer Stuart Hawkes’ credits are expansive, as the music veteran has contributed to countless works by artists from contemporary music’s corps d’elite, including Lorde, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, and the late Amy Winehouse. It was his impactful work in electronic music this year, however, that deserves nothing but the highest plaudits. In 2020, Hawkes contributed to Elderbrook’s scintillating debut record Why Do We Shake In The Cold?, Mura Masa’s critically acclaimed sophomore album R.Y.C., and Disclosure’s Grammy Award-nominated ENERGY LP.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Norris, Ryan Shanahan, Andrew Frampton
ARTIST MANAGEMENT FIRM
Winner: Prodigy Artists
Stewarding the careers of the artists representing the next generation of bass music, powerhouse management firm Prodigy Artists moonlights as a tastemaker and trend-spotter in the EDM community. While managing the breakneck careers of established stars such as NGHTMRE, Deorro, and SVDDEN DEATH, Prodigy also fosters the blossoming careers of some of the electronic music scene’s brightest young producers, including Moore Kismet, Effin, Nitepunk, and Rome In Silver.
Honorable Mentions: Blood Company, 2 + 2 Management, The Shalizi Group
Trusted by myriad brands and major artists, Rephlektor continued to be a power player in the dance music publicity world in 2020. From assisting in the effort to raise $85,000 for Australian wildfire relief to helping the dance music community reflect on client Anjunabeats’ historic 20th anniversary, the company led a slew of impactful 2020 campaigns for the likes of Above & Beyond, Mat Zo, Flux Pavilion, and legendary Chicago producer Keith Harris, among many others. Rephlektor secured landmark press hits in numerous high-profile publications this year—including Forbes, Bloomberg, and Pollstar—all testaments to the their dedication and ability to spread the messages of its clients far and wide.
Honorable Mentions: DK Projects, Falcon Publicity, Listen Up
Despite a year devoid of concerts and virtually no major festivals, United Talent Agency remained a powerhouse in 2020. The company made an attention-grabbing move this summer when they signed deadmau5, who is now represented by UTA Partner Cheryl Paglierani, the powerhouse agent behind Post Malone. The firm has made EDM a priority in recent years, acquiring Circle Talent Agency in 2018 and adding a slew of high-profile dance music artists to its roster in 2019, such as Carnage and Cheat Codes.
In a year marred by grievous blows to their workforce and the slashing of worldwide physical events, UTA was able to generate creative opportunities for their artists, including a pie-in-the-sky DJ set at the Grand Canyon Skywalk for Kaskade and a number of Halloween and New Year’s Eve drive-in shows for deadmau5.
Honorable Mentions: SPIN Talent Agency, ICM Partners, Paradigm Talent Agency
MUSIC PUBLICITY FIRM
Winner: Rephlektor Inkorporated
TALENT AGENCY
Winner: United Talent Agency
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