NEW YORK – Wieden+Kennedy, the renowned independent, global creative agency founded in 1982 by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy known for decades of creative excellence for brands such as Coca-Cola, ESPN, McDonald’s, P&G, Anheuser-Busch, and most famously Nike, will be inducted into the Association of Music Producers’ Hall of Fame at the 2025 AMP Awards for Music & Sound, taking place on May 21 at Sony Hall. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased here.
The decision to honor W+K marks a shift for the nearly three-decade-old, not-for-profit trade organization representing the largest and most influential music and sound production entities and creators in the country, who have until now bestowed its Hall of Fame honors exclusively upon brands.
Past AMP Hall of Fame inductees include Adidas, Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, Budweiser, Pepsi, Mars, and Nike.
Expanding AMP’s Hall of Fame to include W+K reflects the agency’s singular power and influence to drive cultural conversations through music and sound across every brand the agency has touched over its four-decade existence. They’re one of the agencies that have consistently found innovative ways to use music and sound to enhance a brand message and push their creative partners to craft something memorable.
For Matt Nelson, AMP National President and Managing Director of Storefront Music, the fact that they’re the first agency to be inducted into the AMP Hall of Fame is a testament to their keen understanding of the power of music in the service of brand identity and consumer experience.
“W+K’s breadth of work continuously pushes our craft and creators to the limit, while also capturing audiences’ attention with unrivaled creative ideas and awe-inspiring use of music and audio as a narrative device,” Nelson said. “While researching the history of the agency’s creative output, I came away inspired and struggled to narrow down a shortlist of favorite work. For honoring our community with enduring respect for our craft, we cannot think of a better agency to be our first-ever agency Hall of Fame inductee.”
The Hall of Fame trophy will be accepted by Karl Lieberman, Global Chief Creative Officer of Wieden+Kennedy, and will be a high point of the 2025 AMP Awards ceremony, which includes live musical performances, special honors, presentation of winners across its 12 categories, as well as the coveted Best In Show Award. In attendance will be approximately 400 professionals from the worlds of advertising and music.
“Music plays a massive role in the work we do. When we get it right, it’s the music that creates the mood, sets the tone, and makes the difference between something that feels like just another ad and something that actually moves people,” Lieberman commented. “W+K’s sophisticated use of music and sound to shape the image of their clients has been consistently recognized by festivals and competitions around the world, from The Clio Awards and Cannes Lions to the One Show, D&AD, the AICP Show, and the AMP Awards.
Some of W+K’s best known work featuring standout music and sound includes Nike, from the classic 1980s “Bo Knows” and 2016’s “Da Da Ding” to the recent “So Win;” McDonald’s Cactus Plant Flea Market collaboration and Super Bowl spot “Can I Get Uhhhhh”; ESPN’s “Curling” (featuring David St. Hubbins from Spinal Tap); Amazon Prime’s “Tache;” Coca-Cola’s “Open That Coca-Cola” (a brand collaboration with Tyler, The Creator); and HP’s “Orchestra.”
AMP Sponsors:
The AMP Awards would not be possible without the generous support of its sponsors and partners. This year’s Platinum Sponsors are: APM Music, Marmoset, Music Alternatives, and Reservoir. The Gold Sponsors include: Art of Sound, BMG, Concord Music Publishing, Empire, Extreme Music, Primary Wave Music, Republic Collective, Sound Goods, and Sound Stripe. The Supporting Sponsors include: ABKCO, Believe x Sentric, Bodega Sync, Clio Music, Concord Label Group, Crucial Music, De Wolfe Music, FGMK Insurance, Spirit Music Group, The Orchard, Third Side Music, Warner Music Group, and West One Music Group. Production Partners include: Groove Guild, Hang The DJ, Storefront Music, and TiNY. Beverage Partners include Flying Embers + JuneShine, and Peroni.
Known as the ‘loudest show in the industry,’ the Association of Music Producers is a not-for-profit organization representing the largest and most influential music production entities and creators in the United States. It sponsors the AMP Awards, the ad industry’s only juried, not-for-profit competition dedicated to the recognition of excellence in music and sound for advertising, branding, and media.
