A bout a year ago, the Music Inc. team sat down to plan out the 2025 magazine schedule and the themes for each issue. One item on the docket: launching an MI young leadership awards — something myself and a few others on the team felt our industry was missing. Fast-forward 12 months, and this July issue is a particularly special one because it debuts the recipients of the inaugural MI 5 Under 45 young leadership program. PERSPECTIVE I BY KATIE KAILUS SPOTLIGHTING MI’S NEXT GENERATION
When we hatched the plan to create the MI 5 Under 45, we never anticipated the level of re- sponse we’d receive from both applicants and judges alike. In just 10 days, we collected 96 qualified applications from young profes- sionals across the MI ecosystem, from retailers and manufacturers to distributors and non-profits. We had several MI veterans reach out and ask if they could help judge. As such, we crafted a judging pan- el of six well-respected industry vets, including the president of a synth brand, a former-retailer- turned-consultant and a former NAMM board member. The judges spent just over a week carefully reviewing each submission and scoring them
on a scale from 1–10. The result? A highly competitive, well-rounded inaugural class that showcases just how impressive our industry’s emerg- ing leaders are. Beginning on page 34, we spotlight the five young professionals who earned the highest marks from our judges. Their submissions demonstrate the meaningful, lasting contributions they’ve made — and continue to make — on our industry. This issue honors them. That said, the remaining 90-some applications were equally impressive. In some cases, submissions missed the top five by just a tenth of a point. So, when you turn to page 34 to learn about each recipient and the mark they’re leaving on our industry, remember that this is just a sampling of the well-qualified professionals who applied to be part of the 2025 class. For those not included this year, our judges look forward to review- ing your applications next year and welcoming you into the 2026 class of recipients. If creating the MI 5 Under 45 program taught us anything, it’s that our industry is filled with dedicated, innovative young leaders who are continually moving the dial to make the MI industry one of the most forward-thinking and dynamic spaces in business. MI
8 I MUSIC INC. I JULY 2025
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