Alumnus of the Year Award for music industry data pioneer

The University of Essex is naming Jeremiah Gogo its Alumnus of this Year for his impact on the music industry and commitment to supporting others to break into the creative industries. Jeremiah is Head of Data, A&R Analytics & Business Development at Virgin Music UK and recognised as a leader in the Music Industry – having worked with leading artists from Dave to Ed Sheeran.

Determined to use his position to support others, Jeremiah is passionate about increasing access to the music industry.

His passion for supporting people from underprivileged backgrounds, led him to develop the Open Desk Programme, with the goal of developing internship opportunities for people who might not normally get a chance in the industry. Initially at Warner Music Group he worked on the programme in partnership with Rosie Stone, Senior Manager in Talent Acquisition, and received support from CEO Tony Harlow. He has continued to build the programme as he has built his network within the industry.

"It was clear the need for improved social mobility still existed"

Jeremiah said: “When I started out in the music industry, it was clear the need for improved social mobility still existed, I have been lucky enough to be able to create some of that change and see young people establishing careers in the music industry having started on the programme.

“In partnership with Rosie Stone we created an internship programme that specifically targets and supports young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to access internships in the Music Industry.

“Working with different charities, including The Social Mobility Foundation and Small Green Shoots, we were able to find talented young individuals, and give them opportunities that they might not previously have had access to, or known about.

“It has been amazing to see the way it has impacted the lives of the interns. The programme has become more successful than I ever initially imagined.

“The importance of diversity in the workplace is a cause that has always been close to my heart. So, from an idea, to seeing real lives changed through these internships, I couldn’t be prouder.”

Jeremiah completed his BSc in Mathematics and Economics in 2016 with the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science and then went on to join the MSc Financial Economics course in the Department of Economics in 2017.

Prior to joining the music industry, The Social Mobility Foundation gave him the foundations to build and maintain professional relationships and demonstrated the importance of these relationships in providing opportunities in spaces which were traditionally closed.

Initially appointed as a data analyst with the Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, in January 2022 Jeremiah went on to accept the role as Head of Data and A&R Analytics at Atlantic Records – credited for pioneering the use of statistics research and methodology in the A&R field, where traditional A&R is combined with statistical techniques to discover new artists. Then in 2023 he moved to his current role at Virgin Music UK.

"Essex brought much more than a degree to my life"

Head of the Department of School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science Professor Spyridon Vrontos, taught Jeremiah and oversaw his undergraduate capstone project during his time at Essex. He said: “During his time at Essex he demonstrated strong leadership and communication skills. I am delighted to see him evolve as a data scientist and become Head of Data, A&R Analytics & Business Development at Virgin Music Group.”

During his time at Essex, Jeremiah got fully involved in campus life as a Student Ambassador, a Resident Assistant, Communications Director for the Enterprise Society, and President of the Mathematics Society.

Jeremiah said: “My time at the University of Essex brought much more than a degree to my life. Essex provides a space that allows us to develop skills, relationships and character that stays with us and proves useful later in life. The ability to meet people from all parts of the world and walks of life gave me a well-rounded world view. This combined with the skills developed from interacting with people from a wide variety of backgrounds proves today to be very useful in the way I navigate large, global corporations and present analysis to a wide variety of people from different backgrounds.

His advice to new graduates is to look to use their Essex experience to have a positive impact on the world: “Life after graduation is a journey and one that continues to present challenges. When you approach this with love, kindness and empathy, the journey is an enjoyable one that ultimately leaves our communities and the wider world a better place.”

Tributes from the industry

Virgin Music UK President Vanessa Bosåen said: “We first connected over our love of music, maths, and data and how data can help us understand what music people love and how to get that music to them. It’s been an incredible time together so far and I know we’re going to achieve so much more in the future. I hope you enjoy every second of your day - you deserve it.”

Tony Harlow, CEO at Warner Music, said: “This is a great achievement. Thank you for everything you did at Warner, we loved having you with us, Congratulations for everything you did for our world of data, we’re still using a lot of what you did today.”

Senior Vice-President Commercial Affairs at Universal Music Group Ross Foster worked on the Open Desk Programme with Jeremiah: “I think I had taken on one person by the time Jeremiah had taken on about 10. That shows his ability to get things done. He is brilliant at his job, and he will only get better as he gets older. So, congratulations Jeremiah - have a brilliant day!”

Atlantic Records co-president Briony Turner said: “Massive congratulations on your huge achievement. We are so proud of you. We’re so happy to have had you in our Atlantic Family for a few years. You did amazing work across the board, and we couldn’t be more grateful for everything you did for us. Also thank you for bringing so many brilliant, amazing, talented people into our world and business which we wouldn’t have met otherwise you have an incredible ability to be a bridge for people from more disadvantaged backgrounds and we were inspired by the people you brought through in your time,”

Atlantic Records co-president Ed Howard said: “It was brilliant to work with you. You always made data comprehensible for artists as well as everyone in the building – an incredible skill. I remember working with you on Burna Boy, Mahalia, Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX and many, many more from across the roster. It was always a pleasure. We were hugely inspired you. You are a great presence and a brilliant person.”