The Music Biz Conference will be held in Nashville, Tenn May 9-12 at the JW Marriot. The four day event curated by the Music Business Association boasts industry-defining conversations and connections, including continued discussions of how to support those among us who are still struggling from the pandemic and address individual needs for professional & personal growth. The annual event’s schedule is slated for both face-to-face and virtual sessions that will introduce new career development tools and provide vital knowledge to inform business decisions. The keynote speaker for this year will be Sony Music Publishing Chairman & CEO, Jon Platt. The conversation will cover the music publishing space, and how Platt has influenced its evolution throughout his career. The keynote conversation for this year is “A Roadmap to Change” and will include discussions with Jonathan Azu ( CEO and Founder of Culture Collective and Diversity in Music), Ghazi (Founder & CEO of EMPIRE), Liliahn Majeed (SVP & Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Officer of Universal Music Group), Noelle Scaggs (Founder of Diversify The Stage and Co-Lead vocalist for Fitz and the Tantrums - Elektra Records), Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett, (Global Head of DEI at Warner Music Group), and Tiffany R. Warren (EVP & Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Sony Music Group). The conversation will take place on Monday, May 9.
Agent of Change Award — For a company that exemplifies a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in their hiring practices, executive development, and promotion structure. • • •
Made In Memphis Entertainment Recording Academy Spotify
#NEXTGEN_NOW One To Watch Award — For an executive under 40 whose work (professional and/or volunteer) has been exceptional, innovative, and stands out as a contribution to the industry. • • • • •
Shauna Alexander, SoundCloud Jenna Gaudio, Vydia Tiffany Kerns, Country Music Association Geoff Ogunlesi, 300 Entertainment Jennifer Turnbow, NSAI
Master of Metadata Award — For a company or executive who has made a significant impact in the area of data processing, credit clarification, streamlining or otherwise promoting clean data and best practices. • • • • •
Lindsay Conlin, Exactuals Britnee Foreman, Exceleration Music Jaxsta Music Reports SoundExchange
Frontline Innovator Award — For a retail store who showed exceptional inventiveness and ingenuity in their practices during the past year in their interactions with consumers.
The Music Biz Brunch will be hosted by CMA on Tuesday, May 10. The brunch will feature a conversation with and performance by mother-daughter singer-songwriter team, O.N.E the Duo. Tennessean Nashville Country Music Reporter, Marcus K. Dowling will moderate the conversation.
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O.N.E the Duo comprises Nashville-based mother Tekitha and daughter Prana Supreme, both with ties to Hip-Hop royalty — Prana’s father is RZA, the founder, producer & de-facto leader of Wu-Tang Clan, and Tekitha is known for her work as the group’s featured female vocalist. Despite this, the two have created their own, stripped-down musical style blending their Hip-Hop roots with the creative energy and storytellers of Nashville. As the duo moves forward, their goal is to tell their story through as many different mediums as possible — the written word, film, and of course, through music.
Marketing Superstar Award — For a marketing campaign that was innovative and thought provoking. Candidates can be from any sector of the industry, and campaigns can be physical or virtual.
This year, they have also reimagined their awards presentation to honor the B2B nature of the organization and its membership. The Bizzy Awards will be held Wednesday, May 11 and will be hosted by Country Artist, Jimmie Allen.
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“So many awards are about sales, which are great, but I wanted to create awards that recognize people in our industry for the work they do every day,” said Music Biz President Portia Sabin. “After the last couple of years we’ve all been through, we need to do all we can to shine a spotlight on the people and companies in our industry who are lifting up others, being creative, and showing leadership & character in their business practices as well as selling music.”
2022 Bizzy Award Finalists Include: Leading Light Award — For a company or executive that has supported their staff via internal initiatives aimed at improving mental health & wellbeing and work/life balance. • • •
Kevin Liles, 300 Entertainment Monstercat Warner Music Group
NashvilleMusicGuide.com
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Darkside Records (Poughkeepsie, NY) Music Millennium (Portland, OR) The Record Exchange (Boise, ID) Seasick Records (Birmingham, AL) The Sound Garden (Baltimore, MD; Syracuse, NY)
All Time Low “It Was Never A Phase” Campaign — Hopeless Records Cleopatrick’s Debut Album Campaign — Thirty Tigers/The Orchard Donny Osmond – “Puppy Love” 50 Year Anniversary Campaign — Crowd Surf Tenille Arts Marketing Campaign — EMPIRE WMX Black History Month Campaign
The 2022 Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement will be presented during the ceremony as well to Julie Swidler, Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and General Counsel for Sony Music Entertainment, in recognition of her accomplished industry leadership and many contributions to the success of the music business over the course of her career. During the Bizzy Awards dinner, The LSS Group of RBC Wealth Management will present two performances by the Song Suffragettes. This collective of female singer-songwriters is vocally combatting widespread discrimination against women in the music industry by giving female talent a place to play, grow and evolve with fellow creatives. In just over eight years, Song Suffragettes has showcased almost 350 talented women, performing every Monday night at The Listening Room Café in Nashville, TN. Twenty-five Song Suffragettes women have gone on to receive record deals and more than 50 have landed music publishing deals since the initiative’s inception. For more information: www.musicbiz.org
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