MPG Award number four for Paul Epworth, RAK wins again

For the fourth time in his career, Paul Epworth received the top accolade at last night’s Music Producers Guild (MPG) Awards, in association with Prism Sound, by carrying off the Producer of the Year Award for 2017, while RAK Studios also joined the list of multiple winners by coming top in the Studio of the Year category.

Epworth, who previously won the same award in 2010, 2013 and 2015, was nominated this year for his work with Adele, The Stone Roses and Usher.

The MPG Awards 2017, which took place at Grosvenor House, London, also saw American producer Tony Visconti honoured with the Award for Outstanding Contribution to UK Music. Sponsored by PPL, this award recognised the enormous impact Visconti has had on the UK music scene over many years thanks to his groundbreaking work with artists such as David Bowie, Marc Bolan and T.Rex, The Moody Blues, The Seahorses, Angélique Kidjo, The Manic Street Preachers and Morrissey.

Visconti also received the MPG’s 2017 gong for International Producer of the Year for his work on Bowie’s last album, Blackstar – itself a winner in the UK Album of the Year category.

This year’s Awards also honoured Roni Size with the Inspiration Award, before the producer and DJ then took to the stage to deliver a special performance in front the event’s 350-plus guests.

Introduced in 2009 to recognise the enormous contribution made by recording professionals to the success of the UK’s music industry, the MPG Awards regularly attracts a high turnout of music industry VIPs and celebrities.

Tony Platt, MPG Awards managing director, said: "Every year it becomes more and more difficult to find superlatives to describe the fantastic array of talent honoured during our Awards event. It is impossible to overstate the contribution these people make to our industry. The next few years will present many new challenges but with this level of creativity and inspiration to call on, we are well placed to face them.”

For a full list of 2016 MPG Award winners and sponsors, please see the list below:

UK Producer of the Year, sponsored by Prism Sound
Paul Epworth

Outstanding Contribution to UK Music, sponsored by PPL
Tony Visconti

Recording Engineer of the Year, sponsored by AMS Neve
Richard Woodcraft

Mix Engineer of the Year, sponsored by Solid State Logic
Tom Elmhirst

Mastering Engineer of the Year, sponsored by SADiE
Mandy Parnell

UK Album of the Year, sponsored by Universal Audio
David Bowie – Blackstar

UK Single Song Release of the Year, sponsored by Shure
Radiohead – Burn The Witch

Re-mixer of the Year, sponsored by Kazbar Systems
Matthew Herbert

Breakthrough Producer of the Year, sponsored by Novation
Andrew Hunt

Breakthrough Engineer of the Year, sponsored by Genelec
Manon Grandjean

International Producer of the Year, sponsored British Grove Studios
Tony Visconti

Self Producing Artist of the Year, sponsored by Spitfire Audio
Tarek Musa (Spring King)

Studio of the Year, sponsored by G-Technology and Jigsaw24
RAK Studios

The A&R Award, sponsored by AIM
Toby L and Tim Dellow (Transgressive Records)

The MPG Award for Inspiration, sponsored by Audio Note
Roni Size

Special Recognition Award, sponsored by Rupert Neve Designs
Rupert Neve

Additional sponsorship was provided by BPI and MQA (judge tables), PMC Speakers (reception drinks) and Avid (nominee seats).

http://www.mpg.org.uk/mpg-awards