19.03.2026: A raft of music industry leaders, MPs and Peers gathered at the Speaker’s House in Westminster on Wednesday March 18 for a special event to mark the launch of UK Music’s ground-breaking Black Music Means Business report.

The landmark report, which explores the vast economic and cultural impact of Black Music over the past 30 years, is a first of its kind study in Europe. It was spearheaded by UK Music Diversity Taskforce Chair Ammo Talwar MBE,  Vice Chair Paulette Long OBE and UK Music Head of Diversity Eunice Obianagha.

The report’s findings reveal that Black Music made a commercial contribution of 80% and £24.5billion out of a total £30billion UK market across 30 years of recorded music. The report also shares eight recommendations on how the industry can drive further economic growth by supporting Black Music. You can read the report here.

The launch event in Speaker’s House saw powerful speeches from UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl, Dawn Butler MP, UK Music Diversity Taskforce Vice Chair Paulette Long OBE, MOBO Group Founder and CEO Kanya King CBE and Zoe Franklin MP.

Hailing the importance of the report, Tom Kiehl said: “We want to achieve a music industry that is genuinely representative of the full diversity of the United Kingdom. We have a firm commitment to ensuring that barriers that get in the way of opportunity are tackled and ensure that talent can flourish.

“This publication is a groundbreaking report. It was initiated by the UK Music Diversity Taskforce and commissioned by UK Music. Black Music Means Business is the first report of its kind in Europe and measures the unique commercial, cultural and community impact of Black Music across a 30-year period.

“On a personal note, British Black Music has had a huge influence on my own life – my love of politics and the opportunity that music presents to challenge injustice has heavily been heavily influenced by US acts such as Public Enemy, but also UK artists like Credit to the Nation. I’ve forged strong friendships throughout my life based on a shared love of Soul II Soul, Tricky, Stormzy, and many more. I owe a huge debt, personally, to Black Music for broadening my horizons.”

UK Music Diversity Taskforce Vice Chair Paulette Long CBE said: “We have to use [this report] – make it work for you. Get more funding from it. Strengthen your business cases. Mention it in meetings. Put it in your presentations. Add it to your portfolio, your blog, your bio. We need to speak about this. This is a great thing we’ve done here. Internationally, I can’t wait for them to see what we’ve done because I think there is going to be a ripple effect.”

MOBO Founder and CEO Kanya King CBE said: “This report is important. It’s fundamental. We all know the importance of Black Music and culture in this room, but now we can tell everybody else. We’ve seen its influence, we know its impact and today we finally have more data to prove it.”

Among the MPs in attendance a the launch event were Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee), Dawn Butler, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Zoe Franklin, Pete Wishart, Chris Law, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Alex Sobel, Jessica Morden, Abena Oppong-Asare, and Kate Osamor.

Peers included Baroness Keeley (chair of the Lords’ Communications and Digital Committee), Lord Evans of Sealand and UK Music Chair Lord Tom Watson.

You can view our photo gallery from the event here.

PHOTOS: Michael Tubi