In Partnership with
April 10, 2025
A PIONEERING AGENT WHO HAS SHAPED THE LANDSCAPE OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC
TO BE PRESENTED AT THE BEATPORT AWARDS AND CELEBRATED AT AN INDUSTRY LUNCH DURING IMS IBIZA
IMS is proud to announce that CAA’s Maria May will receive the IMS Legends Award 2025, recognising her outstanding contribution to electronic music culture. The award will be formally presented during The Beatport Awards on Thursday 24 April, with a dedicated industry lunch celebration held during IMS Ibiza.
May’s roots in electronic music run deep, she is one of the most renowned and respected agents in the genre, with a career spanning over three decades representing many of the most innovative artists in the scene. Heading up the London based ‘Team Disco’ at leading entertainment agency Creative Artists, May and her team represent many of the world’s leading musicians, including David Guetta, Black Eyed Peas, Róisín Murphy, Sara Landry, Layla Benitez, Hernan Cattaneo, Hugel, Meduza, Marlon Hoffstadt, Malugi, Paul Kalkbrenner, Robin Schulz, Icona Pop, The Chainsmokers, Jonas Blue, Purple Disco Machine, Eli Brown, Genesi, Jammer, Monolink, Cloonee, Lanna, Abel, ARCADIA, Marten Lou, Gok Wan, WhoMadeWho and Monolink among others. Previously May worked with the likes of Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Layo and Bushwacka, Hercules and Love Affair , Azari and III, Moloko, Soulwax , 2manydjs, Lee Burridge and X-press 2.
Maria's work has not only propelled artists to global success, she has also fostered a more inclusive and dynamic electronic music community. One of the industry’s most influential behind-the-scenes figures Maria has been a proactive advocate for the electronic music community and continues to champion, honor and support women in music and the electronic music business.
Beyond her role at CAA, she is a board member of Lady of the House, a female-led collective that amplifies women's contributions to the dance music industry, as well as uplifts and educates the community. Additionally, she serves on the board of Beatport and the advisory board of the Frankie Knuckles Foundation. Maria was a founding advisory board member of the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) for a decade and a long serving board member of Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), both of whom she campaigned tirelessly for during the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Maria's dedication and impact have been recognized through various industry accolades, including her induction into the Music Week Women in Music Roll of Honour, multiple features on Billboard’s International Power Players list and a recent cover feature in IQ Magazine celebrating the achievements of her career spanning 30 years.
Beatport CEO Robb McDaniels says “Maria May has been a transformative force in electronic music for over three decades. Her work behind the scenes has helped shape the careers of some of the most iconic artists in our culture. At Beatport, we’re proud to recognize her contributions and leadership, especially her tireless advocacy for women in our industry. Maria has not only opened doors, she’s helped rebuild the very rooms where decisions are made. She embodies the spirit of this award.”
IMS and AFEM Co-Founder Ben Turner says, “I have enjoyed watching Maria’s career grow from my first meeting with her in the offices of ITB in 1994, seeing her develop with her acts into a global force of nature when it comes to agenting talent. Her role behind the scenes in affecting how the industry operates may not be seen by so many, but is felt by everybody. She challenges the industry to think and be better. She cares as much today as she did as an passionate agent in her early 20s on the dancefloor at Liquid in Miami listening to Frankie Knuckles and David Morales - which is how I will always visualise her! Both IMS and the clubbing industry of Ibiza are truly proud of her achievements. Electronic music is in a better place because of the person that is Maria May.”
Maria May says “To receive this recognition is both humbling and very exciting. Not merely because of what it represents for my career, but because of what it stands for in the wider culture of electronic music. The first woman to be publicly recognised for her efforts with an award of this gravitas has been a long time coming. Watching electronic music evolve from underground rebellion to a global movement and being one of the many architects of the global business phenomenon that we have created and now being recognised for these efforts is something I never imagined when I went to my first rave.
I really hope that this means the playing field is becoming more even and that the path to the top is wide open. Hopefully, we all will finally recognise the efforts of all the women in dance music and their roles in shaping the business to where it is now. Above commercial success, the most meaningful work for me has been building bridges between cultures, genres, generations, and genders. Fighting the fight when no one else would or could or cared.
Doing the right thing always no matter what the consequences. When I began this journey, the dance music industry wasn’t built with women in mind. Despite this, we were always there. Behind the decks, behind the scenes, on doors , artist management, agencies and in promoting and security. Doors did not automatically open unless we pushed them ourselves. Our community didn’t recognise our work. I stand on the shoulders of women who worked twice as hard as me to be taken half as seriously. Their tenacity, and their refusal to shrink has carried me forward every day. It has been my mission not just to succeed within this space, but to reshape it. I have worked to ensure that women, especially those without connections, without privilege, who come from places like I did are seen, heard, and supported to thrive.
Because representation is not a trend, it is a responsibility. That purpose has guided my journey, whether through my day-to-day at my amazing agency CAA or supporting initiatives like Lady of the House, I have worked hard to bring more women into the room, and more importantly, to keep them there, empowered, paid equitably and respected.
This award is not just about me. It’s for the women who came before me, the ones who were overlooked but laid the groundwork anyway. It is for the women beside me now, fierce, brilliant, relentless who continue to strive. And it’s for the women still coming — who I hope will never have to ask for permission to belong here. Thank you to all the amazing artists I have worked with. Thank you for the music. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Thank you, IMS. The journey is far from over and I’m still dancing. See you on the dancefloor.”
Maria May's contribution to dance music is undeniable, and she joins an esteemed list of previous recipients of the IMS Legends Award, including: Underworld, Nile Rodgers, Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, Simon Dunmore from Defected and others who have left a lasting legacy on the global electronic music landscape.
Tickets to The Beatport Awards, held on Thursday 24 April at Atzaró Agroturismo, are available to purchase here.
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