Meet Matthew Rose | Executive Director/ Founder Michigan Music Awards

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Rose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I feel like I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. I never really settled or felt comfortable in the regular 9-5 type of deal. I like being the boss and having the freedom to work as much or as little as I want to. That also allows me to have time with my family. So with that said when I lost my job in January of this year, I decided it was time to start my own business and dive in head first. There was a void in the Michigan music industry and I decided to be the person to fill it. That’s why I started the Michigan Music Awards.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Michigan Music Awards is very new. We were just founded in November of 2024 and had our first award show on the 23rd of March this year. We are much more than an award show, that is honestly just a perk or benefit of what we are all about. We look to bring the entire state of Michigan’s incredible music talent together. It’s that “It takes a village” mentality. For too long there has been this undercurrent of extreme competition between artist in this state and that culture needs to change. We can all grow and succeed much easier when we come together and promote each other. That is the very simple idea behind what we do.
I feel that this mentality is something that sets us apart from other businesses here in Michigan. I am so proud of how quickly we have taken root and grown in a few short months. The support and the praise from the community has been overwhelming and humbling. This makes me very excited for whats to come in the coming years.
I have taken a long and rough road to get just to this beginning stage of business. I was always one of those people who had a great business idea but nothing took. Everything just fizzled out at some point. To my own fault of course, I didn’t know how exactly to promote or market my businesses or who they were even marketed toward. I was a father young as well. I had my first at 18 and that makes you grow up quickly. By 23 I was married with 2 kids working my tail off just to keep our heads above water and failing miserably at it. Then in my 30’s I had my 3rd child and really started to feel the weight of everything in my life. I absolutely love above all else being a Dad. My kids mean everything to me. However, I was getting older and had nothing to really show for it. I had nothing to leave my kids that they could be proud of.
When I hit 40, call it a midlife crisis or whatever, I made the choice to leave my wife and try to find my happiness. That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do was leave my kids. But looking back it was best for all of us. I have since started to believe in myself again thanks to my fiance Jessica. She gives me a level of confidence I haven’t had in years. So I would say it hasn’t always been easy but all the hard work and exhaustion has brought me here. I feel like for the first time I am right where I am supposed to be and doing what I was always meant to do.
If I could let the world know about my story or my brand I would want them to know that I, like many others, have had a rough road at times. But, when you pick yourself up by the bootstraps time after time, you learn to be resilient and tough. Keep going and don’t rest on your dreams. I heard a quote from Jelly Roll the other day and I thought it was so simple yet deep and I love it. Jelly Roll said “I don’t care who you are or what you have been through. If I can turn my life around than you can to. The windshield is bigger than the rearview for a reason.” I am paraphrasing but the last part really got me. I spent many years worrying about what I had done in my past rather than looking forward to the future. That is deep to me, keep moving forward never back.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Michigan is an absolutley gorgeous state with so much to do that people don’t even know about. Despite what people may think who have never been here, Detroit is not a bad place. It is one of the best cities in the U.S. and only getting better.
It’s tough to keep this to a week but I will do the best I can. I guess I would just stick to my personal favorite things. As far as things to do, if we are talking summer months, there are a ton of festivals to go to all over Michigan. All of them different and unique. I really enjoy going to Arts, Beats, and Eats, in Royal Oak. Its the whole downtown Royal Oak area full of music, art, and incredible food. There is literally something for everyone. I would also have to head up north to Traverse City. It is absolutely beautiful up there in the summer and the Cherry festival is a must for anyone visiting Michigan.
As for food, there are so many great places to eat. I try to go and find new places with my fiance all the time. One of my favorite places for pizza, if I don’t want a big chain type pizza, is Bommarito’s. They are located in St. Clair Shores and have a bakery with the best cannoli in the world hands down. My family has gone there for generations and I absolutely love it. There is always the Detroit staples, LaFayette Coney Island and Americas Coney Island. Both are Detroit legends.
Walking around downtown Detroit is always a good way to spend a day. Going in to all the different stores and restaurants could take weeks to do. Oh, and you have to go to Eastern Market and shop from all the local vendors. That is like a right of passage thing I feel like.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well I have to give some credit to my brother Brad Stuart for having the conversation that started this idea and giving me a few contacts to start with. In many ways he has been like a mentor in this industry for me. Besides the obvious support of family with this venture, the backbone of the Michigan Music Awards is undoubtedly my fiance Jessica Godziebiewski. She has been the most supportive throughout this whole process. She keeps me on task and makes me look the best I possibly can when meeting with artists and/or other business professionals. I literally couldn’t do any of this without her by my side. She is incredibly smart and motivated to make this business a success right along side of me.

Website: https://michiganmusicawards.com

Instagram: @mimusicawards

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569326004862

Image Credits
Photos by Donnovan Kelley