[12 Feb 2020]
Jacaranda Records has been shortlisted as a contender for 2020’s prestigious Music Week Awards.
With competition organisers reporting a record-breaking number of nominations for the music industry magazine’s annual celebration of the UK scene, the Liverpool based music hub has beaten off stiff competition to make it to the hotly contested final – securing one of the highly prized slots for Independent Retailer of Year Award.
The success represents another significant landmark for the Jacaranda Records group, which includes an immersive first independent label, 3D Audio studio, live venues and record stores – in its strategy to build a global music operations centre in Liverpool including a ground-breaking immersive audio studio complex and the first UK vinyl production plant to open in the city for decades.
Jacaranda Records label Capomaestro Ray Mia said:
“Hard work and a vision – that’s been the secret behind Graham Stanley and a team who have really pushed the boundary of what a record store means. It’s just a really, really cool place to come and work, sit, listen, play.
“Not many record stores can boast a truly iconic venue woven into the fabric of British, Global and Liverpool Culture, and not many venues can create a vibe that is so welcoming with the hum of history to boot. Let alone a Record Label that’s released more material in a calendar year than any other city based label, and not even mentioning our ground-breaking Immersive mix studio …
“A big part of wanting to build the Jacaranda Records business was and is defined by the Independent Record Store. The look and the feel, the style and the ambience – it’s what personally convinced me to return to where my roots were and reimagine what music means to the city and its place in Music Culture. Mr. Stanley’s recognition is hard earned and well deserved .”
The UK’s only music awards to recognise labels, publishing, live, retail, A&R, radio, marketing & PR, and the roles each discipline plays in the industry, each of the Music Week categories is peer-voted, with the final decision made by an independent panel of specialist judges from across the business.
One of the UK Music City’s most iconic sites, Jacaranda Records is part of the legendary club that gave birth to Mersey Beat, providing an early stage to generations of up and coming Liverpool bands from Gerry and The Pacemakers to The Beatles for over six decades, the organisation’s label, recording and retail operations have become a central resource for aspiring musicians in the city.
Brand & Retail Director Graham Stanley, who designed, launched and runs the burgeoning retail operation, said:
“This isn’t just a retail space – it’s a 60-year-old music community with a record store in the middle of it that’s built on a shared love and respect for music.
“A real shout-out must go to Namina Koroma, Danny Fitzgerald, Veso Mihaylov, Conor Docherty, Ellie Monks, Alex Cromer & the team that run the business day-in-day-out, they are the ones that deserve a special mention because they care – and it shows.”
“The blend of a live performance space and record store in a single place – where we can work with bands and audiences to bring them closer – is critical. It gives the public an extra reason to visit, stay, and enjoy the atmosphere, while for artists it’s an opportunity to work directly with a retailer and their audience to build relationships and provide a platform to plot commercial success. More than a simple shop, we’re part of the overall solution.”
