Author: Mark Taylor
Over 2,000 songwriters and artists have signed an open letter to all record labels, calling for writers to be paid a minimum daily allowance of £75 / $120 to each songwriter working with an artist to cover expenses and give writers at least four points on the master from the label share. The letter is […]
In a letter to the Prime Minister an incredible list of music makers including Annie Lennox OBE, Paloma Faith, Chris Martin, Paul McCartney, Rebecca Ferguson, Bob Geldof, Boy George, Noel Gallagher and Kate Bush CBE, have written “on behalf of today’s generation of artists, musicians and songwriters here in the UK”. In an unprecedented show […]
Music for Dementia is a national campaign to bring music into the ears and lives of people living with dementia. The evidence confirms that music is transformative for people living with dementia, but not everyone has access to it, on a regular basis, in the ways they want to experience it, and this has to […]
The Ivors Academy and Musicians’ Union have launched a new campaign, Composers Against Buyouts, to oppose unethical business practices that damage media composers’ rights, earnings and careers. Composers for TV, film and advertising are increasingly being asked to sell their work for an upfront fee, a buyout, which means they lose out on royalties over […]
AS COMPOSERS WE ASSERT THAT Copyright rests with the author. This is enshrined in copyright law and is the moral starting point of every negotiation. Music creates unique emotional connections and financial value in an audiovisual production. Composers should receive a fair share of the value they create. Only composers should decide how much of […]
At the latest Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) hearing into the economics of music streaming today, Minister of State for Digital and Culture Caroline Dinenage supported a referral of music streaming to the Competition and Markets Authority, one of the key asks of the #FixStreaming campaign. A position welcomed by both The […]
Supporters include MNEK, Amy Wadge, Ross Golan, Fred Gibson, Mikkel Eriksen of Stargate, Paloma Faith, Savan Kotecha, Jess Glynne, Natalie Hemby, Jimmy Hogarth, Liam Howe, Giorgio Moroder, Digital Farm Animals, Dan Bastille, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jin Jin, Plested, Ina Wroldsen, Tre Jean-Marie, Rick Nowels, Tiffany Red, Iain James, Dyo and Jessica Agombar. 300 writers, along […]
This comes as entries open for six categories at The Ivors 2021 to recognise works written by British and Irish songwriters and composers – Best Album, Best Contemporary Song, Best Song Musically and Lyrically, Best Original Film Score, Best Original Video Game Score and Best Television Soundtrack. Entries are open until 30th April. Anyone can […]
By Graham Davies, CEO at The Ivors Academy and Susanna Eastburn MBE, Chief Executive at Sound and Music. On a call together in November 2020, we shared our great concerns about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on composers. Through conversations we’d both been having, we were picking up not only the acute impact of […]
THE ROLE On 5th February 2021 we re-launched our charity under its new name, The Ivors Academy Trust. Simultaneously, our boards have approved a One Academy business plan that lays the groundwork for this short-term assignment. During the past few months an external consultant has been helping the team and trustees develop an initial fundraising […]
At yesterday’s hearing, the latest in the DCMS Select Committee’s inquiry into The Economics of Streaming, Paul Firth (Director of International Music at Amazon), Horacio Gutierrez (Head of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer at Spotify) plus Elena Segal (Global Senior Director of Music Publishing at Apple Inc), gave evidence during a lengthy and robust […]
This comes with the appointment of composers Hannah Peel and Kevin Sargent to the Academy Board, as Mark Ayres and Marc Sylvan’s terms on the Board come to an end. Charlotte Harris, Music and Entertainment Partner at Harris and Trotter LLP Chartered Accountants, has joined the Trust Board. Emily Saunders, Board Director and Chair of […]
Worryingly, almost all respondents (95%) do not believe the Government has a clear plan on how to get them back to work safely. The research goes on to detail how almost half of musicians and music creators have not received any financial support whilst shielding and over half are facing financial hardship because they are […]
The winner will receive a dedicated Ivor Novello Award and join a roll call of greats that includes Adele, Stormzy, Cathy Dennis, Annie Lennox, Sir Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Joan Armatrading. Recognised as a pinnacle of achievement since they were first presented in 1956, The Ivors Academy presents Ivor Novello Awards for exceptional songwriting […]
The Committee of MPs quickly acknowledged how the live sector being closed for almost a year has presented an enormous problem for musicians. However, in keeping with the artists who had given evidence at earlier hearings, the organisations’ leaders emphasised how recorded music should also provide an acceptable and equitable income stream for musicians, writers […]
It is an important call to action for increased support for the songwriters, composers and musicians hit hardest by the pandemic and a lack of opportunity. The re-launch comes after two years of work to establish the Academy and its charity within Ivors branding. Working together, the Academy and Trust have begun a major fundraising […]
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou, Face of LGBT+ History Month 2021 Following the refreshingly honest and relaxed discussions at the first meeting of The Ivors Academy’ LGBTQI+ Working Group, there was collective agreement for the need to show more […]
Recognised as a pinnacle of achievement since they were first presented in 1956, The Ivors Academy presents Ivor Novello Awards for exceptional songwriting and composing. The awards are particularly important to the music industry as they represent peer recognition. 2020 winners included Dave, Little Simz, Inflo, Jamie Cullum, Mysie, Labrinth and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man. Joan […]
Robert Mitchell, Chair of The Ivors Academy Educational Publishing Working Group, composer, musician and Piano Professor, said: “I welcome the statement, but we didn’t need to be here. The reinstatement of Jazz and Courtney Pine should be immediate. We are very keen to contribute to broadening the music A-level syllabus for Edexcel. The same goes for […]
The announcement from the examination body Pearson Edexcel that they are cutting Courtney Pine CBE, both the only black composer and Jazz, from their A-level Music syllabus-right at the start of 2021 is appalling. It is a tragedy for young students taking an exam that might determine their long-term futures in the arts. This comes […]
