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Music Industry Leaders Join Forces In Drive To Boost Diversity And Inclusion

As UK Music launches the 2020 Workforce Diversity Survey, leaders from across the industry explain why diversity is important to their organisations.

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17.06.2020: As UK Music launches the 2020 Workforce Diversity Survey, leaders from across the industry explain why diversity is important to their organisations.

The UK Music 2020 Music Industry Workforce Diversity Survey which launched today (June 16), tracks progress to boost diversity and inclusion in the UK’s music industry. 

Led by UK Music’s Diversity Taskforce and its chair Ammo Talwar, the survey collates data from across the music business including studios, management agencies, music publishers, major and independent record labels, music licensing companies and the live music sector.

UK Music will publish the results of the survey later this year as part of a report. Find out more here and fill out the survey here.

We asked music industry leaders why the survey is so important and why diversity is vital to the industry. 

 

 
We need to embrace educating ourselves on different lived experiences. Rather than be fearful and let egos get in the way. The music industry is full of egos but it’s made up of humans! We see the rise in different music cultures such as afrobeat, R&B and Hip hop and we see them thrive just the same way the rock era did and continues to. There is space for all to win within the industry whether that be professionally in careers and commercially in sales if we embrace and educate ourselves on true intersectionality.
Amanda Maxwell, Chair of UK Music Futures Group

 

 
Now is not the time for silence! We need major change at pace with impact in the music industry.  This survey helps to kickstart the change we all want & deserve. Our diversity is the source of our greatest strength.  Help us shape the new voices in the music industry by being part of the change. Vision without evidence and action is a dream.  Action without Vision is a nightmare. Help shape the future of the music industry to ensure diversity sit front centre and back. Saying little and doing less is not an option for the music industry post Black out Tuesday. No more slogans, just actions and this survey helps to shape that narrative.
Ammo Talwar MBE, CEO of Punch & Chair of UK Music Diversity Taskforce

 

 
We have a duty to our employees and to the music creators we represent to instigate change, to nurture an inclusive environment, and to build an organisation that upholds the same values we want to live by. The Workforce Diversity Survey is a much-needed initiative and catalyst for change, and we urge you to take part.
Andrea C. Martin, CEO of PRS for Music

 

 
MMF has made a strong Board commitment to growing diversity in our membership and ensuring that a wide range of voices are heard in our decision-making across gender, genre, ethnicity and geography. Our membership has grown at a rapid pace doubling in the past four years and is now 34% female, and 18% Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority with 68% based in Greater London and 28% the rest of the UK. Our Board rotates 1/3 of directors each year by election and is now 44% female. Our Music Manager Accelerator Programme, supported by YouTube Music, attracts managers from all genres in our 2020 selection over half the group are from outside London, 38% are female, and 52% are from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority backgrounds. We continuously review our ways of working to be more inclusive to the widest possible reach of music mangers and to tailor our support to our membership.
Annabella Coldrick, CEO of the Music Managers Forum

 

 
Diversity and inclusion is a key focus for The Ivors Academy which informs the strategic and campaigning aims at the heart of our organisation. As the leading trade body of Music Creators in the UK we take our responsibility to champion a more diverse and inclusive music industry very seriously.
We constantly strive to reflect the diverse nature of the modern society that we know exists, and proactively help to break down barriers to inclusion and involvement within the music writing community. Diversity brings such positive energy and the unlimited potential for creative excellence and innovation, that we wholeheartedly support the Diversity Taskforce’s core aims driving towards positive change.
Crispin Hunt, Chair of The Ivors Academy

 

 
Continuing to improve diversity and inclusion across our teams is a priority for us at Universal Music UK. We’ve long held the view that this is not just the right thing to do, but that it makes business sense – a diverse team drives fresh thinking, innovation and creativity, all of which are integral to delivering for our artists.
David Joseph, CEO & Chairman of Universal Music UK

 

 
The MU’s Executive Committee is clear that working to achieve equality and promoting diversity are priorities for the MU. We are constantly working to ensure equality of opportunity for all musicians through targeted positive action schemes such as the MU’s female mentoring scheme, our work to improve representation of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority musicians in orchestras and working with examining boards and publishers to ensure diversity of composers in music syllabi and grade exams.
David Lee, Chair of the Executive Committee at the Musicians’ Union

 

 
The FAC is a member organisation representing a broad range of artists. We are run by artists for artists and we strongly believe that diversity and equality are vital to our core principles. We better serve a diverse community if we are representative of that community. We have a proactive approach to inclusivity in all aspects of what we do, both within the organisation and externally, and we always encourage involvement from artists and individuals of all backgrounds.
David Martin, General Manager of Featured Artists Coalition

 

 
The music industry thrives because of its diversity. Our recently updated FAC Charter highlights the value of difference within our community; it’s what makes us unique.  Not only does the FAC welcome diversity, we celebrate it. We support initiatives and campaigns that work to improve inclusion, diversity and equality across the music world and in the wider creative industries.
David Rowntree, Artist in Residence, Featured Artists Coalition

 

 

Music is a vast pool of diversity, the music industry much less so.

It is only through embracing diversity that our industry can evolve in a way that will benefit everyone and ensure a culturally creative future that represents the vast richness of music the UK has to offer.  The Music Producers Guild is committed to help, represent and champion Producers, Mixers and Engineers from all backgrounds, working across all genres, whether they are just starting out in their careers or are already well established.
Executive Director Board of MPG

 

 
The BRIT Awards is the biggest night in British music and its highest-profile platform. Once it became apparent in 2016 that it needed to better reflect the increasingly diverse nature of UK artists, we took immediate steps to address this.  The Voting Academy that selects the nominations and eventual winners is now broadly gender balanced and Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority members make up around a quarter of its composition. The changes we made laid the groundwork to help refresh and re-energise The BRITs to become more in tune, and we hope that they have also acted as a catalyst for lasting change within the wider industry.
Ged Doherty, BPI Chairman

 

 
Promoting greater diversity and inclusivity across all parts of our industry, in line with the Creative Industries Council Diversity Charter, remains a priority for us all. The BPI will not relax its efforts to support this important goal and the work of the Taskforce, so that we can all build on the encouraging progress that has been achieved in recent years both by companies individually and collectively as a wider music community.
Geoff Taylor, CEO of BPI & BRIT Awards

 

 
Songwriters and composers create the music that the world loves, and it’s vital that we support, nurture and champion and every one of them. Music creators from every kind of background should be properly recognised and fairly rewarded for their work, have the same opportunities to develop their careers and hone their craft, and have their rights protected. The music industry needs to take great strides to provide equality of opportunity for all, and we look forward to supporting the Taskforce in its work.
Graham Davies, Chief Executive of The Ivors Academy

 

 
A diverse music industry is a dynamic music industry. The more voices it amplifies, the louder, and stronger, it is.
Greg Parmley, Chair of UK Live Music Group (UK Music

 

 
The MU believes greater diversity benefits everyone and will help the MU to become a more inclusive, forward thinking trade union. We have recently introduced a reserved seat structure to ensure Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority, LGBT+, disabled and female members are fully represented on our industrial committees. It’s essential for the continued success of the MU and the music industry that our workforces are truly reflective of society.
Horace Trubridge, General Secretary of Musicians’ Union

 

 
Music is such a vibrant and diverse art form, which has an unparalleled ability to unite people and a huge cultural impact. To thrive, our industry must reflect the diversity of artists and listeners and we have a duty to support and develop our executives at every level. We can all listen more, learn more and commit to doing better. At Sony Music UK we are taking meaningful steps toward lasting change, informed by our employee group HUE, which stands for Helping Unite Everyone.
Jason Iley, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music UK & Ireland

 

 
The UK Music Diversity Task force has a responsibility to lead, educate, and uphold the industry to the highest standards possible when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusivity. It is about us all maintaining a working culture that is fair and considerate to all. PPL strongly believes that having a more diverse workforce with difference perspectives and different outlooks, means we end up having a stronger company and ultimately a stronger industry.
John Smith, Chairman of PPL

 

 
It’s crucial that the UK music industry, and the fantastic live and recorded music we produce, genuinely reflects the rich diversity of society. Diversity not only gives us access to a wider range of talent, it is key to ensuring equality and maintaining the British music industry as one of the most vibrant and successful in the world.
Naomi Pohl, Deputy General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union

 

 
Music creators are the epicentre of our world – there should be no question or doubt cast over whether they are valued and represented equally, given the same opportunities, and access to career progression. We must do more, collectively, and individually, to ensure that is the case. PRS for Music actively supports the UK Music Diversity Taskforce and its mission to make our industry a fair and inclusive space for everyone, at every level..
Nigel Elderton, Chairman of PRS for Music

 

 
For Warner Music building an inclusive culture, where all our talent can shine, is key to driving our success. We know innovation, and innovators, thrive in a culture that embraces diversity of thought and true representation. Having great data is key to moving the dial on inclusion and diversity. What gets measured, gets done.
Nina Bhagwat, Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Warner Music UK

 

 
We all need to reflect, stop talking and start doing more. Inequality is not somebody else’s problem and intention was never enough; the music industry has to show leadership and change.

We will work together to establish how we play our part in proving that Black Lives Matter is a call to action, not just an intention. All demands for diversity and inclusion in our society must be met within our industry family. Let us coalesce behind important campaigns for success and ensure that these phrases are realities. The hardest work is still to be done but, anything less is unacceptable.
Paul Clements, Chief Executive Officer of MPA

 

 
The MMF are committed to keeping diversity at the centre of what we do and the members we support. Following Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas's call for an industry-wide blackout via #TheShowMustBePaused, we have reinforced that commitment by establishing MMF Unite, a dedicated forum where our members and colleagues can come together to discuss racism and injustice in a safe space, in addition to planning and actioning positive change in our industry. In that context, there has never been a more pertinent time to gather information on music industry inequality. Which is why UK Music's Diversity Survey is so important. It will provide the solid evidence base from which we can all push for greater accountability and transparency and build a more equitable and representative music industry.
Paul Craig, Chair of MMF & CEO of Nostromo Management

 

 
It should be easy to agree on strength through diversity – of enrichment through a variety of voices, perspectives and ideas.  It should be easy to voice support for initiatives and programmes that foster that diversity.  But we need real and fundamental change and that kind of change is hard. We must accept that no matter what we have done up until now, it is not enough.  We must pledge that going forwards we will listen more and do more.  We must accept that this will require challenging but honest conversations, difficult but important decisions – and most of all a sense that we must all choose our side – for progress and equality of opportunity, or regression and a poorer future for us all. I am proud to know which side I am on and to be part of the community at AIM that shares these values.
Paul Pacifico, Chief Executive Officer of AIM

 

 
Whilst we know there are issues surrounding ethnicity and gender within the music industry workforce, if we want to bring about a change in those areas of underrepresentation we need to use the power of data to help us better understand the challenge, and navigate a way forward.
Paulette Long OBE, Deputy Chair of UK Music Diversity Taskforce

 

 
The UK Music Diversity Taskforce needs to continue to facilitate and drive change through initiatives. It needs to work with the industry to collectively build a more diverse workforce that is based on skill and ability. This is about trying to do things well, to have good recruitment, good training, and ultimately having a diversity of views. It’s about how PPL and the industry hire, develop and promote the best people regardless of background or any protected characteristic.
Peter Leathem, Chief Executive Officer of PPL

 

 
The FAC is a member organisation representing a broad range of artists. We are run by artists for artists and we strongly believe that diversity and equality are vital to our core principles. We better serve a diverse community if we are representative of that community. We have a proactive approach to inclusivity in all aspects of what we do, both within the organisation and externally, and we always encourage involvement from artists and individuals of all backgrounds.
Peter Quicke, Chair of the Association of Independent Music (AIM)

 

 
We have a privileged role in championing diversity and inclusion by supporting our clients to do what is right. Talent is far more than just attraction, it is ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their goals. Alongside providing access to diverse talent pools we have launched a number of programmes to create long-lasting impact. From our Creative Breakthrough Mentoring Programme that supports Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority professionals, to our Future Female Leaders Development experience, we want to support inclusion by ensuring that securing a promotion or new role never leaves an individual feeling like they are being set-up to fail.
Peter Tafler, Managing Director of Handle Recruitment Ltd

 

 
Our workforce should be as diverse as the millions of fans who enjoy the incredible work produced by our world-leading industry. A key part of ensuring we reflect that diversity is our commitment to tracking improvements and changes in our industry so we can make further progress. Our Music Industry Workforce Diversity Survey is a crucial part of this work and we would urge everyone in the music industry to complete the survey to help identify areas where there is more work to do. Government and Parliament is listening and we will be working with them to ensure the policy landscape is fit for purpose so diversity in our sector can flourish.
Rachel Bolland, Head of Diversity at UK Music

 

 
We are told we are in a “New Normal”. Let the word normal not mean, the usual, typical or expected. Now is a time for correction. Words are no longer enough and action must now be implemented to ensure we are all equal in the “New Normal”. A change must come.
Roberto Neri,  Chair of the MPA

 

 
The music industry’s economic contribution is £5.2 billion and is central to UK culture but more needs to be done to overcome barriers to entry and retention amongst our workforce. The UK music industry needs to properly reflect our communities and society. By contributing to this survey you will be supporting this goal and helping us shape how we can progress diversity in the music industry.
Tom Kiehl, Acting CEO of UK Music

 

 
It is not enough to call for change. We have to work to bring about positive change. Our UK Music survey plays a crucial role as it provides the data we need to make more progress in boosting diversity and inclusion in the music industry. If you work in the music business, please play your part and complete the survey.
Tom Watson, Chair of UK Music
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