The Music Producers Guild Awards at The Troxy this yr felt much less like an trade perform and extra like a correct celebration of neighborhood, craft, and long-standing friendships. My spouse and I have been invited as company of the plug-in producers FSK, which made the night really feel much more particular from the outset. There’s one thing about strolling right into a room crammed with individuals you’ve admired, labored with, or just shared a musical journey alongside, it instantly turns into private.
We have been fortunate sufficient to be seated with nice mates, together with the good Andrew Scheps and his spouse. Seeing Andrew take residence Atmos Mixer of the Yr was a kind of genuinely satisfying moments, not simply due to the achievement itself, nonetheless due to who he’s and the consistency of excellence he brings to all the pieces he touches. Moments like that remind you that this trade, for all its challenges, nonetheless rewards ardour and dedication.
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All through the night, there was a gradual stream of well-deserved recognitions. Ricky Damian choosing up Recording Engineer of the Yr was one other spotlight, once more, a win that felt private due to the friendships and shared historical past behind it. The identical may very well be stated for therefore many in that room. These aren’t distant figures, they’re colleagues, collaborators, and in lots of circumstances, shut mates.
One in every of my favorite moments personally was seeing Mark ‘Spike’ Stent honoured with the Icon Award. Spike and I really grew up in the identical space and each went to Calthorpe Park Secondary Faculty, one thing we solely found years later when he blended a band I wrote and produced known as Vedera. Neither of us believed the opposite at first when it got here up, which in all probability tells you all the pieces you have to find out about how surreal this trade may be. From the identical college to sitting in a room celebrating his unbelievable legacy, it was a full-circle second.
Past the person awards, what stood out most was the collective spirit. From Zach Nahome successful Producer of the Yr and contributing to Olivia Dean’s Album of the Yr, to Andrew Scheps’ recognition in immersive audio, the night showcased simply how broad and evolving our world has develop into. There was additionally one thing deeply grounding about seeing studios like Decoy and Snap! recognised, a reminder that the bodily areas the place we create nonetheless matter enormously.
The particular awards added one other emotional layer. Honouring figures like Mark ‘Spike’ Stent and organisations just like the BBC Radiophonic Workshop related the current second to a a lot greater legacy. It strengthened the concept that we’re all a part of a continuum, constructing on what got here earlier than whereas hopefully inspiring what comes subsequent.
For me, the evening wasn’t about anybody award or speech. It was about sitting there with my spouse, surrounded by mates, sharing of their success, and being reminded why all of us fell in love with this within the first place. The MPG Awards proceed to have a good time the perfect of what we do, nonetheless extra importantly, they have a good time who we do it with.
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