Equality

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION 

Equality, diversity, and inclusion matter to The Ivors Academy. As the professional home for all music creators we take our responsibility to champion a more diverse and inclusive music industry seriously. 

We strive to reflect the diversity of the UK creative music community in our organisation and seek to proactively help to break down the barriers of inequality so that anyone from any background can successfully pursue a career as a music creator.  

Cultural diversity brings unlimited potential for excellence and innovation. Having a diverse and inclusive songwriter and composer community underpins a strong and healthy society. 

We want to see a music industry that is free from discrimination and prejudice, where all music creators are treated equally and have the same opportunities for their talent to succeed irrespective of their identity or background. 

While championing equality, diversity and inclusion is a long-standing priority at the Academy we recognise that much needs to change and we are committed to making progress.  

It is the Chief Executive’s responsibility – with support from the Academy Board, Committees, EDI Steering Group and employees – to create policies and take actions that support equality, diversity and inclusion. We have a dedicated group, including members of our Board and Committees who are tasked with ensuring that we are listening and taking action wherever possible.  

PROGRESS 

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion has been fundamental to the Academy’s work for several years. Recent progress includes: 

• Publishing the Academy’s twelve-point Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.
• Creating the role of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager. 
• Forming the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group as a sub-committee of The Ivors Academy Board. 
• Launch of The Ivors Academy Youth Network and Youth Council. 
• Launch of a discounted under 25 membership category. 
• Appointment of two under 25 members to the Board in a shared role.
• Launch of the new Rising Star Award with Apple Music Award at The Ivors targeted at under 25s. 
• Creation of an Ivors Academy Trust bursary scheme to provide financial support to those from low socio–economic status to join the Academy and enter our awards. 
• Commitments made to the KeyChange initiative, which seeks greater gender equality in the music industry by 2021. 
• Publishing Academy Award Access Guidelines. 
• Publishing the 2020-2022 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion twelve-point action plan. 

As part of our commitment to the KeyChange initiative in 2019 the Academy is committed to two key goals which are intended to increase the extent of diversity and inclusion in our membership and activities: 

• Increase the extent to which the Academy Boards and Committees are representative of the diversity of the UK creative music community.  
• Increase the extent to which the Academy presented awards are representative of the diversity of the UK creative music community.  

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STEERING GROUP  

Our creator-led Steering Group is formed from members of the Academy Board and Committees supplemented by other members and experts. The Steering Group continues to grow and adapt to better reflect all aspects of diversity and inclusion. Similarly, its agenda must respond to events and the intersectionality that comes from reflecting issues from across the diversity of social categorisations.  

The Steering Group maintains the Academy’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies.  

RESEARCH 

The Academy seeks to represent the views of all songwriters and composers in the UK. To do this effectively we must constantly and proactively seek the views of the creative community.  

Our approach is to gain views from across the music sector through research, led by creators and involving representatives from these different communities.