On a mild spring evening, I find myself at the Troxy, a beautiful Grade II-listed art deco music venue in Stepney, London, where a medley of music industry professionals are congregating for the 18th annual Music Producers Guild Awards. Tonight is a celebration of the people behind the scenes, sometimes overlooked yet often most instrumental in bringing projects to full life — mixers and masterers, producers and recording engineers, and the studios where they practice their craft.

READ MORE: Petition launched to save London’s Battery Studios from demolition

On entrance, I immediately spot David Wrench, the wizardly mastermind known for his work with David Byrne, Arlo Parks, and Jamie xx to name a few. I’m suddenly struck by the collective impact on pop music currently contained in the Troxy’s auditorium.

I take my seat at Table 34. To my left is Miles Clinton James, Producer of the Year nominee who helmed Little Simz’ critically acclaimed Lotus. On my right is Tom Dalgety, his rock pedigree built on acts like Royal Blood, Pixies, and Ghost. Both don headwear: James, a chunky-knit beanie; Dalgety, a black fedora.

After a delectable three-course meal, the ceremony begins. Abbie McCarthy of Radio 1 fame kicks things off with a lighthearted dig at producers’ proclivity to remain in dimly lit box rooms by themselves for hours on end, at odds with their presence here in the Troxy. The crowd seem unamused, though Mark ‘Spike’ Stent confirms her assessment, admitting he’s a little nervous when he collects his prestigious Icon Award. He receives a standing ovation, and it couldn’t be more deserved — Stent’s fingerprints are on countless megahits from the likes of Madonna, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Miley Cyrus.

The headline accolade, Producer of the Year, is given to Zach Nahome, executive producer of Olivia Dean’s chart-topping second album, The Art of Loving. It’s unsurprising — the album’s mixer, Charlie Holmes, picked up Mix Engineer of the Year earlier in the night, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard Dean’s first UK number one, Man I Need in recent weeks.

Another highlight is Self-Producing Artist of the Year, which goes to Joshua Spence Mainnie, better known as Barry Can’t Swim.

Songwriter and record producer Kamille lands the Inspiration Award. As well as penning hits for Jessie J, Little Mix, and Anne-Marie, she’s collaborated on music with Fred Again, with whom she worked on the Next Up initiative, a mentorship programme for female producers.

In her acceptance speech, Kamille said: “I hadn’t seen many women doing what I wanted to do when I first started. There were hardly any female engineers, hardly any female producers … I just want to continue to be an inspiration to anyone.” This sentiment of democratisation and door-opening pervades much of the evening. No longer do industry professionals want to gatekeep their knowledge and experience — instead, they want to pass it forward to the next generation.

Once the award ceremony wraps, I get chatting with Jon Craig, owner of Courthouse Studio in Manchester and a key name in orchestral dance events like Hacienda Classical. He introduces me to Dan Harfield — assistant to mastering engineer Matt Colton out of Metropolis — as one to watch.

Reverting to music tech geekiness, I quiz Harfield on his desert island plugin: “FabFilter Pro-L at the end of the chain. It’s like the Neumann U87 — it does almost everything, almost perfectly. No matter what you’re mastering, as a smoother-overer, it works very well.”

Finally, I converse with Isaac Neilson, an indie rock singer-songwriter who’s on a serious undertaking: a gig a day, every day in 2026. I ask him if it’s moving the needle, and he responds with enthusiasm around the growth he’s seeing.

It’s a positive note to close the night, and I return home feeling buoyed. Despite the wholesome mood of the evening, there’s been ample acknowledgement of the challenges real people are currently facing in the music industry, from studio and venue closures to lack of representation. The fact Neilson’s unrelenting graft seems to be paying off reassures me that musicians, producers, and engineers who persevere can still achieve their dreams — even when it feels like the deck may be stacked against them.

Here’s the full list of 2026 MPG Award Winners:

Producer of the Year
Zach Nahome

Writer-Producer of the Year
Steph Marziano

Breakthrough Producer of the Year
Oli Barton-Wood

Breakthrough Engineer of the Year
Evie Clark-Yospa

Self-Producing Artist of the Year
Barry Can’t Swim (Joshua Spence Mainnie)

Recording Engineer of the Year
Ricky Damian

Mix Engineer of the Year
Charlie Holmes

Mastering Engineer of the Year
Natalie Bibby

Atmos Mixer of the Year
Andrew Scheps

Unsung Hero
Mick Ross

Small Commercial Studio of the Year
Snap! Studios

Large Commercial Studio of the Year
Decoy Studios

Original Score Recording of the Year
Young Fathers – 28 Years Later (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Producer: Young Fathers
Additional Production: Rosie Danvers, Tommy Danvers
Engineer: Jake Jackson
Mixer: James Trevascus

Album of the Year
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Producer & Engineer: Zach Nahome
Mixer: Charlie Holmes
Mastering: Simon Francis

Special Awards
Icon Award – Mark “Spike” Stent
Inspiration Award – KAMILLE
Outstanding Contribution to UK Music – The 1975
Special Recognition Award – John Thornton
Pioneer Award – BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Impact Award – War Child

Read more music tech news.

The post Music Producer’s Guild Awards 2026: The winners, the highlights, and the hot topics of the night appeared first on MusicTech.