George Ergatoudis

Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra

According to George Ergatoudis, ‘I became aware of the cultural significance of music when I was about 12 years old as the punk revolution exploded and I lay in bed at night listening to John Peel on Radio 1.’ He studied Architecture at the University of Sheffield, but says ‘my real energy went into starting a music fanzine, and once I realised I could create a career out of my passion for music I never looked back.’ He worked previously as a producer at Radio 1 and Kiss FM, where he won a prestigious Sony Gold Award, and is now head of music at BBC Radio 1, taking on 1Xtra in 2009. With 20 years of experience in the radio industry, Ergatoudis has an in-depth knowledge of contemporary music across all genres, and is ultimately the force behind which songs make it onto the Radio 1 playlist. He is to be honoured by the international music industry this year at Musexpo when he will be recognised as International Music Person of the Year.