The Ivors Academy has announced the election of 40 songwriters and composers to its Senate, including Professor Keith Ayling, Associate Professor in Songwriting in Music Education at Leeds Conservatoire.
Professor Keith Ayling, Associate Professor in Songwriting in Music Education
Professor Ayling is also an award winning singer-songwriter, performer, designer and one of the foremost speakers on songwriting in the UK. He said, “I’m very pleased that I have been elected on to the Senate of The Ivors Academy. Alongside a host of respected songwriters, including Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, Jake Bugg), David Arnold, Paloma Faith, Tinie Tempah and Tom Gray (Gomez), we’ll be campaigning for the rights of music creators and strengthening the industry for emerging music creators.
“The Ivors Academy is a highly respected body of songwriters and music creators with a history of influencing the industry and working closely with PRS for Music and PPL. I’m very proud to be given this chance to represent them.”
Elected by members, the Senate plays an essential role in representing the interests and rights of songwriters and composers. Through the body, the views and priorities of its members will be central to The Ivors Academy’s governance, as the organisation works to protect, empower and champion the rights of its community.
Members of the Senate will provide critical insight and feedback on issues facing the industry. This includes shaping policy, public affairs and campaigns around topics such as Artificial Intelligence, fair creator remuneration, improvements to works data and identifiers, addressing unfair commissioning practices and the future of public arts funding. The Senate’s influence is intended to help make the music industry more accessible, fair and sustainable for all.
The Senate will now meet and elect up to 11 of their members to the Board of Directors.
Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, added, “I am delighted with the outcome of the election and also the member engagement throughout the process. Alongside other issues, our new Senate will strengthen our voice in addressing the potential threat of AI, with lobbying the new Government to fix streaming and ensuring media composers sign fairer contracts.
“Thank you again to the many songwriters and composers who put themselves forward in the election and for their continued commitment. It has never been more important to effectively advocate for the crucial role of songwriters and composers – they are the backbone of the music industry, yet remain undervalued. The Ivors Academy and our new Senate will ensure we empower our whole community, address their key issues and continue to champion and protect them until we have a fairer and more sustainable music future.”
