Chase & Status and Sophie Kennard to receive joint award for Artist & Manager Team of the Year

The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF) are delighted to reveal more awardees for the upcoming Artist & Manager Awards.

The ceremony, which is the only celebration of achievements across the artist and management community, returns to London’s Bloomsbury Big Top on the evening of Thursday November 21st.

In recognition of their extraordinary run of successes over the past 12 months, we are delighted to announce that our awards for Artist of the Year and Manager of the Year will this year be combined, with Chase & Status and Sophie Kennard, co-founder of Frame Artists, sharing the accolade. 

Chase & Status have long been one of the most vital and exciting forces in modern British music, taking underground Drum & Bass to a mass global audience. In doing so they have provided inspiration to successive generations of British artists and DJs.

Releasing their debut track almost 20 years ago, the duo of Will Kennard and Saul Milton have gone on to enjoy four Top 5 albums and seven UK Top 10 singles, retaining their D&B credentials, while consistently expanding and regenerating their sound. 

Notably, they have always collaborated with and elevated the best of British talent, working with the likes of Kano, Plan B, Dizzee Rascal, Tom Grennan, Jacob Banks, Emelie Sande, Shy FX, Bugzy Malone, Unknown T and Becky Hill. 

Their most recent Chase & Status album, the 2023 mixtape 2 Ruff, Vol 1, encapsulated this approach - providing a platform for artists including Stefflon Don, ArrDee, Clementine Douglas, Bou and Kwengface and resulting in three simultaneous Top 40 hits with Liquor & Cigarettes, Baddadan and Disconnect. In March, they picked up a well deserved BRIT Award for Producer of the Year, as well as The Brit Billion Award for an incredible one billion UK streams. 

Topping this off, of course, is Backbone, 2024’s defining collaboration with Stormzy, and Will & Saul’s first ever UK number one. 

The track has provided yet another highlight to their storming live set, which, following a string of shows across North America, Australia and Europe, saw the duo headline stages at Creamfields, Boardmasters, TRNSMT, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and their biggest ever headline show to date at the 45,000-capacity Milton Keynes National Bowl. Dropping in October 2023, a Boiler Room appearance from London has been viewed more than 10m times. In 2025, Chase & Status will play multiple sold out UK arena dates, with their O2 London show being the venue’s fastest ever selling show from an electronic artist in the history of the venue. 

The work and support of Frame Artists’ Sophie Kennard has been elemental to these successes, guiding Chase & Status to multiple new record and publishing deals and meticulously connecting their uncompromising sound to specialist and mainstream audiences both in the UK and across the globe. 

Having previously run Chase & Status’ label, MTA Records, and then managed the duo via her own company (SK Artists), Sophie already had a long-term affiliation with Will & Saul, before co-founding Frame with Becci Abbott Black in April 2020.

Together, they have since built an enviable roster of artists, DJ’s and producers, including Eats Everything, Patrick Topping, Arielle Free, DJ Boring, Effy, Ewan McVicar, Melé, Mozey and Storm Mollison and Sophie continues to be a passionate and vocal advocate for greater female representation in dance music. 

Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive, Music Managers Forum & David Martin, CEO, Featured Artists Coalition: 

“Chase & Status and Sophie Kennard have had a remarkable year. After almost two decades at the forefront of Drum & Bass, and with Sophie’s support and expertise, Will and Saul continue to stray from their lane, break fresh ground and champion a new generation of artists. Incredibly, Backbone, 2024’s all-conquering collaboration with Stormzy, has pushed them to even greater heights and the MMF and FAC are delighted to recognise Chase & Status and Sophie as our Artist & Management Team of the Year.”

The MMF and FAC are also proud today to unveil our shortlist for Breakthrough Manager 2024. 

Sponsored by Amazon Music, the winner of the award will be revealed at our ceremony on November 21st. 

Deservedly picked up last year by Louise Latimer, manager of Self Esteem and The Big Moon, our Breakthrough award recognises an upcoming manager who has stood out from the pack and made a significant contribution to their client’s commercial or creative successes. Other previous recipients include Callum Reece (Eliza Rose, Sherelle), Kayleigh Thorpe (Gerry Cinnamon), Ali Raymond (Arlo Parks) and Sophie Bloggs (Kurupt FM, Danny Howard).  

Nominated by MMF members, 2024’s shortlist features a wide diversity of entrepreneurs - both independent managers and those working for established management businesses - representing artists, songwriters, producers and DJs from a multiple of genres. 

The full list for Breakthrough Manager 2024 reads as follows: 

Alex Putman, untitled (recs) (Famous, TAAHLIAH, Lauren Auder, Jerskin Fendrix)

Dan Jenkins, Raw Power Management (Jordan Adetunji)

Jade Busola (Thisizlondon)

Jasmine Watts, Circuit Management (Sammy Virji)

Lauren Roth de Wolf, Wolves Music Management (Moonchild Sanelly, Africa Express, The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians)

Memz, Mode Worldwide

Oran Barton, Attention Management (Barry Can’t Swim)

Thor Sutherland, Way Out Music (Songer, Blueboy & dash, Cam300G and Homebass)

Scoop (Darkoo, Taves, BNXN (fka Buju), Tiwa Savage, Rose May Alaba)

Victoria de Juniac, VictoriaBDJ Management (Cian Ducrot)

As previously announced, the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards will also recognise the long-term partnership between Pet Shop Boys and their manager Angela Becker (with an award sponsored by PPL), as well as the work of Yungblud and Special Projects Music to authentically build and engage fan communities. 

Our host for the evening is BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Remi Burgz.

Tickets for the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards are available now - please find details here. 

Attendees will enjoy full access to the ceremony, a red carpet cocktail reception, a two-course meal and entry to our exclusive afterparty. 

2023’s sell-out event, which was supported by the likes of beatBread, PPL, TikTok, Amazon Music and Hipgnosis Songs and graced by more than 600 attendees, saw Duran Duran and Wendy Laister recognised for their long-term partnership. 

Other 2023 awards were received by Central Cee’s manager Bello, Nia Archives, Tinie Tempah, Forever Living Originals, The Cookie Crew, The Band Formerly Known As Easy Life, Jorja Smith, Louise Latimer (manager of Self Esteem & The Big Moon), The Flight Club and the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee. 

Highlights from the 2023 Artist & Manager Awards can be viewed here.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or tickets, please contact Jonathan Robinson or Gary Reid - jonathan@themmf.net / gary@thefac.org