Music Week Has Apologised for the Lack of Diversity in Their 30 Under 30 List

UK music industry business publication, Music Week, apologized today for the lack of diversity in the 2016 edition of their annual "30 Under 30" list. The list—which is intended to highlight "the best and brightest young executives in the industry"— featured only two people of color.

The "30 Under 30" list was published on Monday, and it immediately drew concerns and criticism on social media about its lack of diversity. It featured professionals working in genres ranging from pop to electronic, chosen by the Music Week editorial staff from a list of individuals nominated from within the music industry. The list included project manager Nick Dearmun, who has worked closely with Calvin Harris; Jason Edwards, a booking agent who works with Grimes and Blood Orange; Rachel Patterson, a label manager who was heavily involved with the last Björk album; and Billy Wood, a talent agent who has worked with Wiley and Tinchy Stryder.

On Tuesday, Music Week published a response piece where the magazine's editor Mark Sutherland argued that "The lack of diversity on the list may reflect a wider lack of diversity in the industry itself." The same day, the Guardian published a forceful critique of the list called "Is the future of the British music industry really so white?", pointing out individuals who should have been on the list and emphasizing how much it overlooked important figures in grime.

British BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Semtex also published a piece called "30 More Under 30," where he wrote: "In 2016 you cannot create a list of 30 under 30 that are described as the 'future of the music biz' that doesn't include people of colour." His list included people such as Tobe Onwuka, manager of grime artist Stormzy, 1Xtra DJ Jamz Supernova, and SBTV founder Jamal Edwards.

Today, Music Week issued another response to the controversy, in which they formally accept the criticism for the lack of diversity in their list and apologize. Following their apology, they reprinted with permission DJ Semtex's own list.

Speaking to their business practices going forward, they said, "We will now review and adjust the nomination and selection process for this and other such lists, ensuring that diversity is given significantly more priority."

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