Eddie Levy, Joanne & Eliot Cohen with SongLink's David Stark Martin Hall The late Malcolm Dunbar Ian Penman and Rusty Egan Korda Marshall and Nigel Elderton Ren and Yungblud Lone Madsen Nigel Elderton and Christian Ulf-Hansen

London, June 2023: Upstart music, media and tech networking event MiCannes, now in its second year, was held in Cannes, France from June 6-9th 2023, with the first MiCannes Awards presented at an industry lunch on June 7th at the MJC Picaud Theatre. The MiCannes Committee, comprising over twenty international music & entertainment entrepreneurs, decided to create the MiCannes Awards as a way to encourage excellence in the international music scene and to encourage the future echelon of talented creators and business people to network together in a positive way for the future of all.

To follow that creative credo, they decided that they would commission a young sculptor to create a special award and so com missioned a set of stunning cheetah heads from Knox Field, an emergent British sculptor, who specialises in sculpting birds and animals. Knox said: "It's been an absolute honour to be chosen to sculpt this cheetah for the MiCannes Awards winners. I hope the recipients get as much pleasure from this sculpture as I got from making it."

The MiCannes committee also decided to present an "Achievement in Music Award" posthumously to much-missed A&R executive Malcolm Dunbar, who sadly passed away in May, and to honour him by naming the MiCannes A&R Award after him as well. MiCannes board member Ian Penman presented Dunbar's award to his widow Sophy in London on the day before the awards lunch. Here's the full list of all MiCannes Awards winners:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: WET LEG
Award sponsored by Performance Rights Ltd
This female-fronted indie rock band from Isle of Wight, who released their first single "Chaise Longue" less than 2 years ago, have blown a trail around the world, through cracking indie rock, fun videos, thrilling gigs from supports to Festivals to headlines in 20+ countries, conquering the world. A Debut No.1 album, two US Grammies, two Brits and an Ivor for Songwriters of the Year attest to their meteoric rise and they are now on tour playing stadiums with Harry Styles including four nights at Wembley. Wet Leg were in the Netherlands on tour and unable to accept in person but recorded a special acceptance video.

ARTIST MANAGER OF THE YEAR: MARTIN HALL
Longtime Manic Street Preachers manager Martin Hall has guided Wet Leg's management and helped create possibly the best set up worldwide of the last few years to a new band's career. In praise of Martin, Laurence Bell, head of Wet Leg's label Domino Records sent this message: "Excuse me if I pinch one of your better backstage one liners but "look busy - the record label is here!" Many congratulations on this well-deserved award. It's been an absolute pleasure working with you on the first Wet Leg album and it's been a fun and fruitful campaign. Your ambition and vision and energy and enthusiasm for the tasks at hand help us all do our best work. We are all thrilled that their music has travelled so far in such a short period of time and we look forward to many more years of good times with you and the band."

THE MALCOLM DUNBAR A&R AWARD: KORDA MARSHALL
Sponsored by New Media Law
Even his name has the letters A&R in it. Legendary A&R man Korda Marshall needs little introduction having started in A&R in 1983 and overseen the signings of a plethora of brilliant acts including the Blow Monkeys, The Wedding Present, Pop Will Eat Itself, Londonbeat, Take That, Paul Oakenfold, Ash, Garbage, Muse, Gnarls Barkley, Temper Trap, Alt J... the list is, well golden. But Korda is also an A&R of people too, having been mentor and colleague to a string of talented music executives including Stuart Camp manager of Ed Sheeran, Max Lousada of Warner and many more. The award was presented by Nigel Elderton, while in his acceptance speech Marshall told guests that he wouldn't have missed it, as Malcolm Dunbar had in fact given him his first studio time when he was a drummer in a band and helped to get his career started in the music business.

MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR: "THE TASTEMAKER" BY TONY KING
The greatest British promo person of all time? Yes. Worldwide? Almost certainly. From record store assistant, to plugger for The Ronettes and Roy Orbison, to A&R at Apple Records working for The Beatles, to working with Allen Klein and John Lennon, to The Rolling Stones, Elton John (who he knew whilst still Reg Dwight), and many more. Tony's book "The Tastemaker" outlines his gradual rise to working with the top artists in the history of music, but always in a fun way.. This is a terrific read and a great document of music history.

MUSIC DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR: "BLITZED!"
Sponsored by Synclodge
Coincidentally screening that night with a Q&A with legendary DJ, artist and former Rich Kid Rusty Egan, this documentary accurately and imaginatively conjures up the period when, to cut a long story short, London and wherever Rusty laid his slipmat, became the epicentre of music, fashion and culture, centred around the legendary London club Blitz. The award was presented by Lionel Lodge of sponsor Synclodge to producer Andy Woodford, co-producerIan Penman and the legendary Rusty Egan.

MUSIC MOGUL OF THE YEAR: NIGEL ELDERTON
From joining EMI Music Publishing at 17, quickly rising to plugger, to helping start and build the first publishing sync department, moving to MCA then Polygram and then a long successful career as MD and later European head of indie publishing legends Peer Music, alongside his brilliant six year tenure as PRS for Music Chairman, Nigel Eldertondeserves to be called a Mogul. MiCannes secured this special message from Ralph Peer II, Executive Chair of Peer Music: "I can't think of a better inaugural recipient of this award, particularly being that it is focused in Cannes. I can remember so many occasions on the Croisette and elsewhere in town during which you have struck friendships, professional contacts and de als. Your extraordinary global network of relationships has led to many benefits for our whole international music community. This award spotlights your gift for helping people across borders. And that is not mentioning your significant contributions to PRS which have benefited us all. Congratulations Mr. Mogul!"

YOUNG MOGUL: YUNGBLUD
From releasing his first EP in January 2018, a song about sexual assault against girls to highlighting how young men should behave, Dominic Harrison, aka Yungblud, has not shied away from controversy and even more, hard work. Constant touring, building a phenomenal online rapport with his fans, US tours, live EPs and a live album within his first year; recording with featured artists including Halsey, Travis Barker and more; sync action including recording covers of other artists songs, traditional and online press; more touring, merch and fan events... every part of Yungblud's meteoric rise to No.1 album status has been a lesson in a young artist ripping up the rule book and making their world work on their own terms. NME awards, Brit nominations, MTV and Silver Clef awards indicate that that it's not just MiCannes that are wowed by Yungblud's dynamism.

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: REN
Sponsored by Notting Hill Music
Welsh singer/songwriter Ren Erin Gill started performing at the age of 13, while a 2010 record deal with Sony faltered largely because of his bad health and success seemed far away. It wasn't until 2017 that his music started to light a fire with people, online word of mouth and press driving this, and his ongoing health problems were highlighted in his honest lyrics and videos. For his honest and exciting songwriting talent that we award Ren with Songwriter of the Year. Unfortunately, Ren was in Canada receiving treatment for his illness, but his publisher Other Songs say that he's delighted to get this and will record a special message when he is well enough.

SPECIAL MUSIC PROJECT OF THE YEAR: TAYLOR HAWKINS TRIBUTE CONCERT AT WEMBLEY STADIUM
Fifty songs and six hours of show. Guest musicians included Liam Gallagher, Chrissie Hynde, Nile Rodgers, Supergrass, Them Crooked Vultures, Brian May, Brian Johnson, Lars Ulrich, Paul McCartney and of course Dave Grohl and some more Foos. For its bold yet crushingly honest celebration of a musician's life in all of its glory we gave this award to a mammoth event that was clearly made with love. Whilst the producers of the show couldn't make it to Cannes, some of them will be presented with the award soon at a special MiCannes summer event in London, date TBC.

CLASSICAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR : LONE WIDAHL MADSEN
Danish-born British classical clarinettist and composer Lone Madsen (pronounced Luna) graduated with a Master's Degree from the Juilliard School, New York, where she studied with world-renowned clarinetist Charles Neidich. She has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician in prestigious venues, from New York's Lincoln Center to the Royal Albert Hall in London, collaborating with some of the world's greatest musical talents from Alfred Brendel to Andrea Bocelli and performed in festivals ranging from Pavarotti and friends in Modena and the Lerici Festival in Italy, the Aldeburgh Festival in the UK, to opening the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival in South Africa.

For more information on MiCannes or the awards contact:
Christian Ulf-Hansen (Board member & awards organiser)
E-mail: christianulf1@gmail.com
Mobile: +44 (0)7768 156 682
Website: www.MiCannes.com