Down with Debrett’s: an alternative guide to UK music's most influential
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Version 0 of 1. Debrett’s etiquette guide has for centuries provided the rules for handling ticklesome social situations, such as not knowing how to address an envelope to the widow of an earl (“The Dowager Countess of Wherever” should do it, FYI). But last year, the launch of the Debrett’s 500 saw the company edge close to communing with ordinary slobs. The 500 was a list of “Britain’s 500 most influential people” – many of them actually untitled – across 24 categories, including music. The 2015 list has just been released, and the music section is a surprise. Actually, on second thought, it’s not in the slightest: the 20 influencers are uniformly male, and – apart from One Direction’s half-Pakistani Zayn Malik – uniformly white. Go figure, eh? What is surprising is that it was in part compiled by Virgin EMI president Ted Cockle, whose roster includes Laura Marling and MNEK; Universal, Virgin’s parent company, say the list he submitted did contain people who were neither male nor white, and it was Debrett’s who finalised the 20. The result is a list of the biggest money-makers, rather than authentically influential or inspirational types. Thus, the heads of record labels Universal, Sony and Warner Music all figure; inevitably, so does Simon Cowell, and iTunes International senior director Oliver Schusser. One Direction are there, too, as a collective entity – as individuals, only Harry is a rising star in the influence game, but currently reserves his power for persuading models and singers to date him. Some of the entries make sense: Radio 1’s George Ergatoudis is authentically influential, choosing what gets played on Radio 1 and 1Xtra; Damon Albarn is a relentless forager for new musical directions. Ed Sheeran has already been voted the most powerful figure in UK black music by 1Xtra itself – and while you’re allowed to dismiss that as insanity, there’s no denying that he acts as a middleman to some, introducing his pop fanbase to grime stars such as Wiley. The list could have looked very different. Like this, perhaps. Clara Amfo, new presenter of the Chart Show Amfo has moved from 1Xtra into one of Radio 1’s prestige slots, the first black woman to get the gig. As such, she’ll be an inspirational figure, even if the job essentially consists of sounding peppy while introducing Calvin Harris’s latest banger. Emma Banks, executive at Creative Artists Agency As a booker, she helped to launch Katy Perry in the UK, broke Florence and the Machine as a live act and booked Kraftwerk. Her credits in artist development include Lorde, who herself was voted one of the most influential teenagers of 2013 by Time magazine. Jamal Edwards, videomaker and owner of viral content company SB.TV Edwards, the council-estate kid who became a millionaire and was recently awarded an MBE, was in the new media section – but he should have been here. As he said last month: “The world won’t help you. I learned that early, you have to help yourself, you have to invest in yourself to better your life.” Alison Howe, producer of Later … with Jools Holland Later … is one of the longest-running music programmes, and Howe’s expertise as a talent spotter (she booked Adele, for one, before anyone had heard of her) has been a major factor. Darcus Beese, president of Island Records Awarded an OBE last year for services to music, the only black head of a major label in the UK has made some savvy signings, from Amy Winehouse to Florence and the Machine. He’s also the one to blame for Mumford and Sons. Sarah Stennett, director of Turn First Artists The “alpha-female music [executive]”, she manages Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding and Iggy Azalea, a roster that puts her in the top tier of British artist managers. Kanya King, founder of the Mobo awards Though the Mobos are a long-running music-calendar fixture, they’re perennially controversial. The very question “What is music of black origin?” generates debate every year, keeping the Mobos in the spotlight. DJ Semtex, presenter at 1Xtra A cornerstone of 1Xtra, Semtex anchors the Friday hip-hop show, and was credited with launching Kanye West’s career. The fact that it was West himself who said it speaks volumes about Semtex’s influence. Imran Ahmed, head of A&R at XL Recordings XL still has much cachet as an indie-tastemaker label; the roster currently includes FKA twigs, Jungle and Jack White, and Ahmed guides them. Lauren Laverne, presenter at BBC 6 Music Though she’s only 36, the radio and TV presenter is fast becoming a national treasure. Both matey and knowledgeable, she attracts two million listeners a day. |