LONDON (CelebrityAccess) – PRS for Music is the home of the UK’s Performing Right Society (PRS) and the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS). Their mission (per the official website) states:
“We pay royalties to our members when their work is performed, broadcast, streamed, downloaded, reproduced, played in public, or used in film and TV. We support them by influencing policy, supporting and hosting awards and events, and investing in new technology to ensure we’re fit for the digital music age.”
The Music Managers Forum (MMF) is a UK-based professional community of music managers, created in 1992 and boasts 1200 managers in membership with a broader network of over 2700 managers in the US. Their core purpose (per the official website) is to:
“Educate: We support managers’ continuous professional development within an evolving music industry. Innovate: We create and highlight opportunities to develop and grow artist businesses. Advocate: We provide a collective voice and leadership to affect change for a transparent and fairer music industry for artists and their fans.”
PRS for Music held its annual general meeting (AGM) on May 19 at IET London: Savoy Place, where CEO Andrea C. Martin spoke about their initiatives on diversity, data, and making change across the whole music industry spectrum.
“I believe that diverse companies, organizations that embrace and celebrate diversity of thought and background, are more successful companies. Better at attracting talent, increasing employee satisfaction, and improving decision making. We also recognize that PRS for Music needs to reflect the broad church of the membership. We continue to make progress on this journey.” – Andrea C. Martin, PRS for Music.
Also announced at the AGM were the most recent council election results. The Members’ Council comprises 27 directors, led by a Chair (publisher) and a Deputy Chair (writer). Principal voting members can stand for election to the Members Council.
The Council is (per the official website) “focused on making sure that PRS is in close touch with the views, concerns, and needs of its members.” And it is precisely what the MMF has criticized.
Once the Council election results were revealed, MMF came down on PRS for Music’s “outmoded and outdated system of governance” and “disappointing” election results in a statement released by MMF’s leadership, Paul Craig (chair), Kwame Kwaten (vice-chair), and Annabella Coldrick (chief executive).
“Today’s PRS election result is disappointing. Last week at The Ivors, we all celebrated the diversity of the UK’s songwriting talent, and it’s evident that those voices need to be properly represented on the Council of our collecting society. That this hasn’t happened is no reflection on the candidates, it’s the result of an outmoded and outdated system of governance at PRS, which is in clear need of root and branch reform to ensure the value of people of color in songwriting and publishing is not just acknowledged but properly represented.
Added to this, it’s extremely disheartening to hear today’s confirmation of funding cuts to the PRS Foundation’s budget. We’d urge PRS to rethink this decision and to consider redistributing unallocated ‘black box’ royalties in order to support emerging and grassroots talent.”
The newly appointed PRS Member Council Members are listed below.
The Publisher Council Members appointed following the ballot are:
Nigel Gilroy – Novello and Company
Daniel Lang – @warner_chappell
John Minch – @officialconcord
Richard Paine – @FaberMusicMedia #PRSAGM pic.twitter.com/WMtDUyJ122— PRS for Music (@PRSforMusic) May 25, 2022
