We are delighted that Hywelian, Sofia Ilyas, who left Howell’s in 1999, has been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious GDST Alumna of the Year Award!
After facing cultural barriers and familial opposition, Sofia’s mission is to empower women and people of colour across the globe whilst making the electronic music industry a safer and more inclusive place for all. Sofia studies the electronic music industry landscape to determine if efforts have been made to increase the exposure of women by comparing current data to that of 10 or 20 years ago. She has also delivered initiatives such as Beatport’s Diversity + Parity Fund, which aims to support organisations that focus on underrepresented groups and diversity within the music industry. She was recently interviewed by Forbes and Grammy on her work championing diversity.
Sofia is actively involved in sharing her knowledge of diversity and inclusion with musicians, labels, and everyone who engages with the music community. She hosted a panel discussing ‘Gender Disparity in the Record Label Ecosystem’ at the 2024 International Music Summit in Ibiza.
Sofia previously co-managed Erased Tapes for five years, where she raised the record label’s profile and artists such as Nils Frahm. In 2015, she founded the PR and marketing agency FLOAT who create and execute innovative campaigns for artists such as DJ Sasha, Dishoom, and Christian Löffler. She has curated annual Piano Day events in London and Melbourne since 2016 and was invited to curate the lineup for the National Gallery’s 200th birthday.
Click here for more information on all the amazing finalists and to place your vote by Friday 12th July.
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