The New Bosses (left to right): Anna Bewers, James Simmons, Lukasz Tracz, John Rugemalira, Stephanie Clive, Teun Heijmans, Inga Esseling, Maarten Van Vugt, Charlotte Spooren and Dave Bradley
2014 MARKS THE SEVENTH YEAR of IQ’s New Bosses spotlights, meaning that among those asked to nominate this year’s candidates were the 60 previous winners, many of whom have gone on to carve out stellar careers in the live entertainment industry. As you will see in the following pages, this year’s crop of rising stars is no less impressive. And the fact that the fairer sex account for 40% of the 2014 New Bosses is also heartening – perhaps next year we’ll have true equality with a 50/50 mix… When it comes to job roles, the agents are slightly outnumbered by the promoters this year. But the entrepreneurial spirit runs throughout your chosen ten, because many of the winners on the 2014 shortlist started their careers by establishing their own fledgling operations. Geographically, we’re also broad in range with winners based in America, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The criteria for the New Bosses remains constant: nominees need to be aged 30 or under and need to be impressing ILMC members with their approach to business. Our tenstrong winners are now in the running for the accolade of Tomorrow’s New Boss which will be awarded at the Arthur Awards ceremony during ILMC 27 next March (voting for which gets under way on the ILMC website later this year). In the meantime, if you’re looking to build relationships with individuals whom your peers predict will be the industry’s main decision makers in the coming years, then you could do worse than add the ten profiled New Bosses winners for 2014 to your contacts.
Anna Bewers (UK)
What are you currently working on?
Age: 29
Agent, The Agency Group
In the summer of 2005, and whilst completing a history degree at university, Anna worked as an intern at The Agency Group. After graduating she started working at the company again, as an assistant just a week later. She became an agent in August 2013. How is the role of an agent changing?
You have to be onto new bands so much earlier. A band may have a few demo songs; no management and no label; and have never played a show when you first come across them. You have to take a risk and sign bands earlier or someone else will. How do you identify new acts for your roster?
The music: it doesn’t matter what genre, if I like it, I’ll look into the band. For the majority of the bands on my roster I also have to see the live show before I sign. You can tell if an artist has the potential even in a terrible venue.
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Gordon Masson, editor, IQ Magazine
My day-to-day work varies. Being a relatively new agent I spend a lot of time developing new artists, so getting the band’s name out there and making promoters aware of them is just as important as getting a tour routed. What’s your proudest achievement to date?
I think being the first assistant at The Agency Group’s UK office to be promoted to agent. For my bands, probably Reading Festival this year. My first festival was Reading 14 years ago and I’ve been every year since. To have two bands I’m working with playing the main stage in my first year of being an agent is a highlight for me. Who do you turn to for advice?
Anyone at The Agency Group. I work with a wide range of bands from different genres so I don’t just turn to one person. If you need help and advice, we all have time for each other.
IQ Magazine September 2014