Nick Raphael

Nick Raphael is a music industry executive and was born in London, England. He is currently President of Capitol Records in the UK. He got his first taste of the music industry in 1987, when he with school friends promoted a night at Dingwalls in Camden Lock, London. His most recent successes with artists he signed include 5 Seconds of Summer, Paloma Faith who won the 2015 Brit Award for Best Female Solo Artist and Sam Smith who won four 2015 Grammy Awards.

In the early 1990s, Raphael moved to Leeds, UK and organized, managed and promoted several night club venues such as Hi Flyers, The Gallery and The Warehouse. This led him to becoming a DJ and recording artist with partner Paul Fryer under the name 'TWA'. Raphael, Fryer and Suzy Mason then started the seminal Vague club, which ran between 1993 and 1996. His work throughout 1991 until 1994 as a Night Club promoter, DJ, recording artist and remixer led Raphael to his first corporate job in the UK music industry in 1994 at London Records UK, where he served as Product and later Label Manager for FFRR. In 1996, he left London Records to start NorthWestSide (NWS) Records (at BMG) with Christian Tattersfield. In 2000, NorthWestSide Records was rolled into Arista Records and Raphael was appointed A&R Director. One year later in 2001, Raphael left Arista to join Sony, where he was hired as the Managing Director of Epic Records UK.Raphael stayed with Sony for 10 years he left in 2011 with Jo Charrington to re launch London Records for Universal Music - after Universal bought EMI they decided to launch Capitol Records in the US and UK in April 2013 - London Records roster and staff were rebranded Capitol Records UK - with Raphael named as President.

Posts held at the following record companies since 1994;

• London Records UK – Product Manager 1994 - 1996
• FFRR UK – Label Manager 1996
• BMG UK 1996–2000
  • NorthWest Side Records UK – Label Founder – 1996 - 2000
• * Arista Records UK – A&R Director 2000 - 2001
• Epic Records UK –Managing Director 2001 -2002
• Sony Music UK – Vice President - 2002–2004
• Sony/BMG UK – A&R - 2004–2005
• White Rabbit Records – Label owner - 2005 - 2007
• Epic Records UK –Managing director - 2007 - 2011
• London Records UK - President 2011 - 2013
• Capitol Records UK - President 2013 - current

• Writer, Staff. "Why have Big Labels largely abandoned British Rap?". 1 April 2000. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 28 February 2015. 
• Bouwman, Kimbel. "Interview with NICK RAPHAEL, A&R At Sony Music UK for G4 (No.1 UK) and Lemar (Top 10 UK)". 23 May 2005. Hit Quarters. Retrieved 28 February 2015. 
• "Epic Everlasting". 2 June 2007. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 28 February 2015. 
• "NI priests hoping to top the pops". 24 April 2008. BBC. Retrieved 28 February 2015. 
• Smirke, Richard. "Capitol Records U.K. Launches, Nick Raphael Named President". 25 April 2013. Billboard,com. Retrieved 28 February 2015. 
• "CAPITOL RECORDS UK LAUNCHES, NICK RAPHAEL NAMED PRESIDENT". 2013. Universal Music Group. Retrieved 28 February 2015. 

Raphael (alongside Tattersfield and Charrington) has signed, and launched a number of artists including

• 5 Seconds of Summer at London/Capitol with Charrington.
• Aloe Blacc at Epic with Charrington.
• Another Level at NWS/BMG with Tattersfield
• Armand Van Helden
• Big Brovaz
• Charlotte Church at Epic with Charrington.
• G4 at Epic with Charrington.
• Jay-Z, with Tattersfield
• JLS at Epic with Charrington.
• Lemar at Epic with Charrington.
• Mylo
• Olly Murs at Epic/Whiterabbit Records/Sony with Charrington.
• Paloma Faith, at Epic with Charrington.
• The Priests at Epic with Charrington.
• Sam Smith at London/Capitol with Charrington.
• Scouting For Girls at Epic with Charrington.

• "A & R Master Class with Nick Rapahel & Muff Winwood". 13 November 2014. The British and Irish Modern Music Institute. Retrieved 28 February 2015. 
• Bauman, Kimbel. "Interview with NICK RAPHAEL, A&R At Sony Music UK". 23 May 2005. Hit Quarters Music Webzine. Retrieved 3 March 2015. 
• Ingham, Tim. "CAPITOL U.K. PRESIDENT NICK RAPHAEL". 4 February 2015. Hits Double Daily Music Magazine. Retrieved 2 March 2015. 

Music Week Awards

In 2010, Raphael and Charrington were recipients of the Music Week A&R award, which they received again in 2015 making them the only A&R team to win the award twice.