Ashley Tabor-King will receive this year’s Music Industry Trusts Award in recognition of a two-decade career.
He will be presented with the award on 3rd November at The Grosvenor House Hotel in support of The BRIT Trust, Nordoff & Robbins, and Global Academy.
Ashley founded Global in 2007 and has since grown it into Europe’s largest commercial radio and outdoor company, with brands including Capital, Heart, Classic FM, Radio X, Smooth, and LBC, reaching 51 million people weekly across the UK.
Ashley launched the Global Academy to give young people from all backgrounds a direct pathway into the creative industries. This year it will also be part of the MITS.
Ashley was awarded an OBE in 2017, and a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List in 2024 for services to media and entertainment.
Ashley said: “I’m extremely honoured to receive the prestigious Music Industry Trust Award and am delighted that the Awards night will be supporting the important work of the BRIT Trust and Nordoff & Robbins, two extremely important charities in our industry whose work is very close to my heart.
“I’m also delighted and grateful to MITS for including Global Academy this year. I’m deeply humbled by this recognition and would like to thank everyone who has supported Global along the way and of course thank you to the MITS Award committee for this great honour.”
Co-chair of the MITS Award committee, Toby Leighton-Pope, said: “Ashley has redefined what a modern media business looks like. He took Global from an idea to a company that sets the pace for the entire industry.”
Dan Chalmers, co-chair of the MITS Award committee, added: “Ashley has built one of the most successful entertainment groups in Europe, transforming commercial radio and creating a full-scale entertainment powerhouse.
“His work has consistently opened doors, whether for artists breaking through or for young people entering the industry.”
Ashley joins previous MITS recipients including Annie Lennox, Kylie Minogue, Sir Elton John, Michael Eavis and Jason Iley.