During the Music Week Women In Music Awards 2026, we inducted a host of trailblazing industry executives into the Roll Of Honour, in association with Live Nation Women.
They join a huge list of previous honourees, including some of the leading names from across the business like Kanya King, Emma Banks, Charisse Beaumont, Rebecca Allen, Stacey Tang, Laura Monks, Shani Gonzales and Mary Anne Hobbs, who have been selected since the awards began in 2014. The Roll Of Honour aims to shine a spotlight on the variety of individuals who are leading the charge in the music industry and consistently using their platforms to support women, or focus on empowerment and gender disparity.
Following the Women In Music Awards ceremony, Music Week is running Q&A interviews with all of this year’s Roll Of Honour inductees.
Rose Moon has built a two-decade career at the highest level of artist management, working alongside Jonathan Dickins at September Management and playing a pivotal role in some of the defining artist careers and live moments of the modern music industry.
Her career began in Glasgow, where she took on a succession of roles across the city’s music and events scene – from counting festival wristbands and working as a runner at live shows, to helping organise fundraising events for Nordoff And Robbins. She went on to begin her management career in Glasgow before moving to London where she met Dickins and joined September in 2006.
Moon has been central to the company’s growth. She has worked alongside Dickins with Adele from the very beginning of the superstar’s career. For the past 20 years, Moon has been a constant presence in Adele’s journey from emerging artist to one of the world’s most successful and celebrated artists.
That journey has included some of the most significant moments in the modern landscape– from Adele’s 100-show Las Vegas residency, to her landmark, 10-night residency in Munich, staged in a purpose-built arena for 80,000 people per night. The Munich run was described by Live Nation GSA CEO Marek Lieberberg as a “historical, epic event”.
As well as her work with Adele, Moon has worked closely with Little Simz, overseeing a period of creative and commercial growth which included the rapper and artist’s sixth studio album, Lotus (2025) and major global partnerships. Moon helped oversee Simz’s historic curation of the 30th anniversary edition of Meltdown at London’s Southbank Centre, an 11-day festival that culminated in a sold-out closing night performance with the Chineke! Orchestra.
Her wider management career includes working with London Grammar and helping secure the band two No.1 albums, as well as Paul Epworth, Tom Elmhirst, Jamie T and Jack Penate.
As September’s first employee, Moon has been foundational to its global expansion and success. Colleagues have praised her consistently demonstration of exceptional leadership and strong teamwork, all while being a proud mother of two children.
How do you feel about the Roll Of Honour?
“I'm very flattered, and also slightly embarrassed! I've never been particularly good at looking back at what I've done, and I'm even less comfortable with any kind of spotlight being on me. So being asked to do this has definitely made me stop and think about it more than I normally would. I've always noticed the women who have been included in the Roll Of Honour over the years, and there are a lot of people in there whose careers I've followed, whose work I've admired and who I've been lucky enough to know or work alongside. It's lovely to now be part of that gang.”
How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?
“I always knew I wanted to work in music; I grew up surrounded by it. My dad made guitars down a lane next to a management company, GR Management, who looked after Texas and Primal Scream, amongst others. So, during the summer holidays, I'd see the bands around and find myself peeking through the doors of their rehearsal room and occasionally make them a cup of tea. That made the music industry feel like a very real thing from a very young age. I tried my hand at various jobs within the industry before finding my way into management and I haven't been able to escape it since! I've been lucky as it has felt like a relatively natural journey – most of it at September – where I've always been surrounded by incredible artists with a strong sense of who they are, and colleagues who are extremely good at what they do. A lot of my education has come from watching, listening and asking questions.”
Did you have a mentor at that stage?
“Not in the formal sense. My biggest influence has, of course, been Jonathan Dickins. He has been hugely important in my career and without his guidance and support I would not be here. He’s been particularly influential in the way he thinks about artists, long-term careers and the importance of protecting the artist's vision. I've learned a huge amount from being around him for so long.”
Being a manager isn't about telling an artist what they want to hear, it's about being honest with them while always remembering that it is their career and their life
Rose Moon, September Management
Hard question perhaps, but what are the qualities that make a brilliant artist manager? And have they changed during your time in the business?
“The fundamentals haven't changed that much. You need to understand the artist, understand what they want, and be able to make good decisions when there isn't an obvious answer. You need patience – lots of it – resilience, good judgement and, probably most importantly, the ability to know when to push and when to get out of the way. You also need to be able to have difficult conversations. Being a manager isn't about telling an artist what they want to hear, it's about being honest with them while always remembering that it is their career and their life. The job itself has changed enormously. There are so many more moving parts to keep on top of – commercially, digitally, internationally and creatively – and managers are increasingly involved in areas that would once not have existed or sat elsewhere. But the core relationship between an artist and their manager remains the same.”
With Adele, what has it been like to be part of one of the most important stories British music has ever seen? Can you share a favourite story or moment?
“It's difficult to put 20 years into an answer. I joined September right at the beginning so I've had the privilege of watching the company grow while also being part of Adele's career from the start. What has always struck me most is how little has actually changed. However big the numbers, the awards, the records or the shows become, the dynamics between Jonathan, Adele and I have pretty much stayed the same. I have many stories but the ones that come to mind right now cannot be shared….”
Do you think managers get fairly credited and acknowledged by the rest of the industry for the work they do? So many managers have told Music Week recently that the role is more complex than ever before, often doing much of the work and assuming much of the risk that the labels used to do...
“The role is definitely more complex than it used to be. Some people who work closely with managers understand how much goes into the job, but it can still be quite invisible from the outside. I’m quite happy staying invisible and letting the artist take the stage. But credit isn't just about ego – it's about recognising the value of the role. The job has become much broader and harder than ever, and managers are often taking on responsibilities and risks that used to sit elsewhere. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution anymore. The industry needs to be much more flexible and realistic about what it takes to build and sustain an artist’s career.”
What's your biggest achievement so far?
“I can’t give just one. For me, it's having built a career and relationships that have lasted. To have been part of September from its very beginning, to have worked with many incredible artists through different stages of their careers, and to still be excited about the job after all this time feels like an achievement in itself. Naturally, playing a role in Adele’s career over the last two decades is extraordinary, and I’m deeply proud of everything we've done. A major standout has to be the Munich residency in 2024. It was an enormous undertaking, and it's a moment I often look back on with immense pride, and even a touch of sadness, knowing that we won't experience that exact show setup in the same way again. I’m so proud of what the entire team delivered, it was really special.
"More recently, managing Little Simz has been a career highlight. I’m constantly in awe of her talent and work ethic. She is an incredible creative force and watching her own those massive arena stages last year off the back of a difficult and hectic period was a hugely gratifying moment for both of us in different ways.As you can tell, live shows are where it all comes home for me. Seeing months of hard work come together and then watching the audience’s reaction is what makes it all worthwhile. Those are the moments where I really feel a sense of achievement.”
Do you have some advice for young women wishing to have a successful career in music?
“Don't spend too much time worrying about whether you're doing it the ‘right’ way. There isn't one. Work hard, be good at what you do, be curious, listen and treat people well. For me, most importantly, surround yourself with people you truly enjoy working with. You spend a huge portion of your life at work – especially in an industry as intense as music – so those relationships matter more than you might think. I’ve worked alongside Katy Dickson [artist manager] at September for more than 15 years and she’s become one of my most trusted allies. We spend so much time giving each other advice and, honestly, just having someone you trust to bounce ideas off or occasionally rant to is essential for keeping your head clear.”
What's the best advice you've ever had?
“Trust your instincts. You can ask 10 people for their opinion and get 10 different answers. There will always be someone who thinks you should do something differently and we don't always know what the right answer is. Ultimately, you have to develop enough confidence in your own judgement to make the decision and live with it.”
Is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?
“There's a lot of brilliant new music around at the moment, but I'm particularly excited by Siena Marcos. It's very early days for her but I think she’s one to keep an eye on.”
Finally, what's your biggest lesson from 2026 so far?
“Probably that I’m not an imposter after all! Celebrating 20 years with September Management this year has made me realise how often I’ve questioned whether I’m doing things right, despite having been part of some pretty extraordinary things. I’m finally more comfortable trusting myself and accepting that I do know what I’m doing… most of the time, I think!”
