Anton Powers named Head of A&R at Sony Music-owned Ministry of Sound – Music Business Worldwide

British DJ and producer Anton Powers has been named Head of A&R at Sony Music-owned Ministry of Sound Records in London.

Powers most recently served as A&R manager at Warner Records UK for three years, where he signed breakthrough artist LF System, whose track Afraid To Feel spent eight weeks at the top of the UK Singles chart in 2022. 

At Warner, Powers also co-signed Eliza Rose, who topped the chart with B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All).

As an A&R executive, Powers signed artists like Armand Van Helden, Martin Solveig, Kungs, Sigma, Duck Sauce, Philip George, M-22, and Jodie Harsh, among others.

Liverpool-born Powers, best known for his 2015 song, Alone No More, in collaboration with DJ Philip George, started his career in dance music record shops. He then became a DJ and producer, performing at festivals like Tomorrowland and  Creamfields.

To date, his track, Alone No More, has generated 78.7 million streams on Spotify and its music video has racked up 38 million views on YouTube.

Powers, a radio presenter at Kiss FM UK, was among the winners of the recent A&R Awards, MBW’s UK-focused annual awards.

At Ministry of Sound, Powers will report to Dipesh Parmar, President of Columbia Records UK.

Parmar was promoted to the role last month, alongside Amy Wheatley, who was appointed Managing Director. Parmar and Wheatley both joined Columbia Records UK from Ministry Of Sound, where Parmar was previously President and Wheatley was previously MD.

Ministry Of Sound became a subsidiary of Columbia Records UK following these changes.

Sony Music acquired the London-based Ministry Of Sound label for approximately GBP £67 million in 2016.

“Anton lives and breathes dance music and is well respected in the scene. I’m delighted to have him join the label.”

Dipesh Parmar, Columbia Records UK

“Anton lives and breathes dance music and is well respected in the scene. I’m delighted to have him join the label. He is at the top of his game and I’m confident he is the best person to help Ministry of Sound continue to sign and develop the artists of the future,” Parmar said of Powers’ appointment.

Powers says he worked with Dipesh 20 years ago, “so this feels like a full-circle moment.”

“I’m a huge fan of what Ministry of Sound has done over the years and it’s an honor to come in as Head of A&R, be working with the amazing team and getting stuck in on lots of exciting projects.”

Anton Powers

He added: “I’m a huge fan of what Ministry of Sound has done over the years and it’s an honor to come in as Head of A&R, be working with the amazing team and getting stuck in on lots of exciting projects.”

Ministry of Sound is a dance music-focused record company based in London. The label’s roster includes Riton, Oliver Heldens, Paul Woolford, Ewan McVicar and Majestic. Ministry of Sound also spearheaded global campaigns for domestic acts including Regard, London Grammar and Sigala and international artists including Doja Cat, Tate McRae and Lil Durk.

Aside from providing A&R services, Ministry of Sound is also engaged in club marketing and management, sales and marketing, social media, worldwide tours and events, event management and production, and digital content.

Music Business Worldwide