NEW YORK -- (SPW) --

The Association of Music Producers has released the shortlist for the 2019 AMP Awards for Music & Sound. The winners of the 2019 AMP Awards, along with the coveted Best in Show, will be announced at an awards presentation set for May 21 at Sony Hall in New York (tickets are now available). To view all the Shortlist entries, visit the AMP Awards Shortlist page here.

The AMP Awards Committee has also announced that one its key categories – Most Effective Use of Music in a Campaign – has been renamed in honor of the late Ryan Barkan. Barkan was a music supervisor at Droga5 who passed away in 2017, two months after winning the AMP Award in this category for the agency’s work for Google. Barkan’s wife Angela and daughter Sunny will acknowledge the honor and will present the AMP Award trophy to the 2019 winner in that category.  

Leading the Shortlist this year is the New York-based Antfood, which has nine entries in Shortlist contention covering such categories as Best Original Song, Best Sound Design, Best Execution of a Sonic ID/Logo, Most Innovative Process & Execution and Best Use of Music in Experiential/Events. Its work for SXSW, Maxon and AICP were each shortlisted twice.

Placing three entries on the Shortlist were the agencies TBWA-Media Arts Lab and Droga5 and the New York-based music shop Storefront Music. TBWA-MAL was shortlisted for its Apple work in Best Original Song, Best Use of Licensed Pre-Existing Recording and Most Innovative Process & Execution. Droga5 was shortlisted in Best Original Score for Hennessy, Outstanding Adaptation/Arrangement for Chase and Best Use of Licensed Pre-Existing Recording for Google. Storefront was shortlisted in Best Original Song for Glaceau, in Most Effective Use of Music in a Campaign for Citi and the Malala Fund and in Best Use of Music in a Promo or Trailer for Film, TV or Game for Netflix.

Other companies with multiple AMP Awards Shortlist mentions include Human Worldwide and COPILOT Music + Sound, both of which placed two entries on the shortlist.

Ryan Barkan Honored with Campaign Award
In renaming the Most Effective Use of Music in a Campaign for Barkan, who shared the award with his Droga5 music supervisor colleague Mike Ladman, the AMP Awards recognizes a passionate supporter of the ad music industry who has helped source music for a wide range of ad campaigns.

Barkan, who was 39 when he passed, was a Virginia native who, with Ladman, established the music department at the New York office of the globally acclaimed creative agency. Prior to joining Droga5 he was with Warner Music Group and, before that, at Primary Wave Entertainment.

“We’re proud to recognize Ryan’s accomplishments and commitment to the advertising music industry,” says AMP President Elad Marish, Partner at Swell Music + Sound. “His agency has been an ardent supporter of our competition, and Ryan’s appreciation for the role of independent music companies has made our members’ collaborations with him over the years not just rewarding, but gratifying. Our Most Effective Use of Music in a Campaign will now be known as the Ryan Barkan Award for Most Effective Use of Music in a Campaign. We feel this is a fitting tribute to someone who really got what the advertising music industry is all about.”

Droga5’s Ladman notes that not only was Barkan his partner and colleague, but also a close friend. “To be able to build the department at the best agency in the world, and to do it with Ryan, has been a tremendous experience,” he says. “The work we did together on Google that won us the Most Effective Use of Music in a Campaign award in 2017 was one of the most rewarding experiences of our careers, and I say that not just as a music supervisor, but as a music lover. It was a team effort, so having this award named for Ryan by his peers is truly special.”

2019 AMP Awards Shortlist

Best Original Song

TBWA Media Arts Lab 
“Share Your Gifts”
Apple
TBWAMedia Arts Lab

Storefront Music
“Funner than Water
Glaceau
Wieden+Kennedy

BANG Music + Audio Post
“KAROQ”
Skoda
WMC / Grey Prague

Antfood Music
“Easter 2018”
Target
Deutsch LA

Best Original Score

Droga5
“Major”
Hennessy
Droga5

ScreenSound Alliance
“Difficult Is Worth It”
Mercedes
Merkley

Nylon Studios
“Make, Play, & Discover”
Nintendo
Leo Burnett Chicago

SixtyFour Music
“Start Your Impossible”
Toyota
Academy Films

Outstanding Adaptation/Arrangement

Human Worldwide
“Original is Never Finished”
adidas Originals
Johannes Leonardo

We Are Walker
“A Little Company”
Apple

COPILOT Music and Sound LLC
“Fallout 76 – Official Trailer”
Bethesda Game Studios
Bethesda Softworks

Droga5
“Mama Said Knock You Out”
Chase
Droga5

Best Use of Licensed Pre-Existing Recording

TBWA Media Arts Lab
“Welcome Home”
Apple
TBWAMedia Arts Lab

Droga5
“Way to Wonder”
Google Pixel
Droga5

Mophonics
“Rendezvous”
Samsung
adam&eve DDB

Townhouse NY
“Battle Cry”
Walgreens
Grey / Townhouse

Best Sound Design

MelodyGun music + sound
“Find Your Moment”
Lexus
Golin / Zooppa

Sound Lounge
“The Most Vicious Cycle”
March for Our Lives
McCann NY

Antfood Music
“Influencers”
Maxon
Foam Studio Berlin

Wave Studios
“Fearlessness”
The New York Times
Droga 5

Ryan Barkan Award for Most Effective Use of Music in a Campaign

Singing Serpent
“AlphaBounce Beyond”
adidas
Kamp Grizzly

Storefront Music
“Progress Makers”
Citi / Malala Fund
Citi

Venn Arts
“Jaybird Presents ‘Run Wild’ (A Global Film Series)”
Jaybird
Camp4 Collective

West One Music Group
“Kohler Finishes”
Kohler
Kohler

Best Use of Music in a Promo or Trailer for Film, TV or Game

COPILOT Music and Sound LLC
“Fallout 76 – Official Trailer”
Bethesda Game Studios
Bethesda Softworks

SixtyFour Music
“The Favorite”
Fox Searchlight

AY Music and Sound LLC
“Circles”
Google
Hornet

Storefront Music
“Season 2 – Official Trailer”
“Ozark”
Netflix

Outstanding Mix

Heard City
“2018 FIFA World Cup Drone Film”
Budweiser
Anomaly

Mixtape Club Music
“The Sun and The Snake”
Foot Locker
BBDO

Sonic Union
“Major”
Hennessy
Droga5

Wave Studios
“Fearlessness”
The New York Times
Droga5

Best Execution of a Sonic Logo/ID

Shout It Out Loud Music
“Comedy Central Sonic Rebrand “
Comedy Central
Comedy Central and Loyal Kaspar

Human Worldwide
“Brighthouse Financial Audio Logo”
Brighthouse Financial
Human Worldwide

Antfood Music
"Brand Party”
SoFI
SoFI and 1stAveMachine

Most Innovative Process & Execution

Antfood Music
“The Ghost & The Machine”
SXSW 2018
The Mill

Antfood Music
“AICP Show + Next Titles 2018”
AICP
The Mill

Antfood Music
“Influencers”
Maxon
Foam Studio Berlin

TBWA Media Arts Lab
“Welcome Home”
Apple
TBWA Media Arts Lab

Best Use of Music and Sound in Experiential/Events

Yessian Music
“MCS Winter Fest”
Ford Motor Company
Imagination

Antfood Music
“The Ghost & The Machine”
SXSW 2018
The Mill

Antfood Music
“AICP Show + Next Titles 2018”
AICP
The Mill

Antfood Music
“Seeker”
Accor
Cossette + The Mill

For more information on AMP, visit www.ampnow.com or visit its Facebook page here. To view past winners of the AMP Awards, go to www.amp-awards.com.

About AMP
The Association of Music Producers was founded in 1997 for the purpose of educating its members, as well as the production, advertising and media communities, on all facets of music production, from creation to final use. A national organization, it has chapters in New York and Los Angeles and member representation in cities across the country. From business matters such as production guidelines, composer royalties and music rights agreements to educational seminars, fund-raising events and the industry’s most respected celebration of excellence – The AMP Awards – AMP has turned up the volume on the things that matter most.