The MPG Awards 2023, in association with Dolby, has revealed the shortlist for the 2023 MPG awards.
Following a record number of open submissions from the general public, MPG members have again voted to shortlist three of their peers in each of the 14 awards categories.
Dave Emery, David Wrench and Emre Ramazanoglu are all in the running to receive the Dolby Atmos Mix Of The Year award. This new award was introduced to reflect the ever-evolving industry and recognise Dolby Atmos as a new standard for generating creative, engaging and truly immersive audio.
The prestigious Producer of The Year category is being contested by INFLO, Grammy and Brit award winner, Kid Harpoon and Marta Salogni.
Francine Perry, Joseph Rodgers and Will Purton are in the mix for the Rising Star award, which was introduced last year and replaces the breakthrough engineer category to include early-career recording, mix and mastering engineers, in an effort to highlight more of the new talent rising up through the industry.
Nominees:
Producer of the Year, sponsored by Flare Audio
Writer-Producer of the Year, sponsored by Hipgnosis
INFLO
Kaity Rae
Kid Harpoon
Breakthrough Producer of the Year
Adam 'Cecil' Bartlett
Riccardo Damian
Self-Producing Artist
Catherine Anne Davies (The Anchoress)
Devonté Hynes (aka Blood Orange)
Recording Engineer of the Year, sponsored by AMS Neve
Mikko Gordon
Rising Star
Francine Perry
Joseph Rodgers
Will Purton
Mix Engineer of the Year, sponsored by Avid
Craig Silvey
Mastering Engineer of the Year
Cicely Balston
Matt Colton
Vocal Producer of the Year
Cameron Gower-Poole
Lorna Blackwood
Ramera Abraham
Unsung Hero, sponsored by Musicians Union
Carla Harding
Rosie Danvers
The Runner Team at Abbey Road
Atmos Mix of the Year sponsored by Dolby
Dave Emery
David Wrench
Emre Ramazanoglu
Studio of the Year, sponsored by Neumann
Urchin Studios
Original Score Recording of the Year sponsored by Blinding Talent
Clint Mansell: She Will (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Hannah Peel: The Midwich Cuckoos (Original Score)
Tom Howe: Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Album of the Year
Kae Tempest: The Line Is A Curve
The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention
In addition to these are the gifted awards, given by the MPG and announced ahead of the ceremony.
The MPG has announced that producer, songwriter and musician Fraser T Smith as winner of the PPL Present Outstanding Contribution to UK Music Award.
Fraser is a Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello award winner who has worked with the likes of Adele, James Morrison, Tinchy Stryder, Stormzy, Kano, Sam Smith and Dave.
“This award recognises the achievements of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the UK’s success story as a world leader in music,” said Peter Leathem OBE, CEO of PPL.
“It is fitting, therefore, to recognise Fraser T. Smith for his work over the last three decades as an award-winning and critically acclaimed creator.
“As a producer, he has been the engine room behind some of the UK’s most influential artists, playing a fundamental role in bringing their voice to the world and demonstrating his versatility across multiple genres, from pop and hip hop to grime and rock.
“As a performer, he continues to use his music to explore some of the biggest thematic challenges facing our society today; and, as an ambassador, he shares his time and expertise with humility and passion, inspiring future generations of creators through talent development initiatives and helping them to find their voice. Congratulations Fraser from all of us at PPL on this much-deserved award.”
The two remaining gifted awards, The MPG Inspiration Award (sponsored by Audio Note) and The Icon Award will be announced in the coming months.
Matt Taylor, executive director of the MPG, said: “We’re proud to have reached our 15th year at the MPG Awards, and although our industry has changed over that time, we have strived to reflect and celebrate each evolution while focusing on the quality of the work presented, building a more diverse music production community. We’re thrilled to see such a breadth of talent and diversity across all categories as we reach this milestone.”
Previous MPG award winners include Paul Epworth (Adele), Nile Rodgers, FKA Twigs, Marta Salogni (Björk, Animal Collective, Anna Meredith and Bon Iver), Dr Susan Rodgers (Prince) and Joan Armatrading.
The MPG Awards will take place on April 27 at The Tower Hotel St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1LD. Tickets are on-sale now.