For the first time in its history, The Ivors Academy has equal gender representation on both its Academy and Trust Board. The Boards provide leadership to the UK’s professional association for songwriters and composers and its charitable Trust.

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 the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group said:

“I’m delighted that we have reached this point and I would like to thank all our Directors and Trustees for their commitment to championing equality at the Academy and across the music industry. Our members deserve and expect a gender-balanced, representative and inclusive Academy and Trustee Board to represent their perspectives and interests.

“This is one step of many that we are committed to taking to make sure we are fully diverse and inclusive across everything do. Diverse life experiences, identities and backgrounds bring diverse thinking and new ways of seeing the world, that creates a stronger Academy for all music creators.”

The milestone of achieving gender balance on the Boards is part of the Academy’s long-standing commitment to championing equality, diversity and inclusion. In July 2020, the Academy published a 12-point action plan that includes reaching a minimum 50% gender balance on its Boards, improving the protected characteristics data it collects, providing equality and diversity training to staff and Board members, and providing more support and guidance to improve accessibility when entering awards.

To support and empower younger music creators the Academy runs the Rising Star Award with Apple Music for 18-24 songwriters, which provides all nominees year-long mentorship from a well-established Academy member and leaders from Apple Music. Entries for the Award are open until 26 March.

The Ivors Academy Trust recently re-launched with a new line-up of Trustees from across the music industry, technology and politics and a fresh fundraising drive to provide more opportunities, support and training for songwriters and composers.

The Ivors Academy Board:

• Gary Carpenter
• Tom Gray
• Crispin Hunt
• Jin Jin
• Daniel Kidane
• Helienne Lindvall
• Emma McClarkin
• Julia Montero
• Hannah Peel
• Orphy Robinson MBE
• Kevin Sargent
• Emily Saunders
• William Sweeney
• Jo Thomas
• Martyn Ware
• Imogen Williams (shared under-25 role)
• Hope Winter (shared under-25 role)

The Ivors Academy Trust Board:

• Michael Adex
• Natasha Baldwin
• Michael Dugher
• Cliff Fluet
• Lucy Francis
• Sally Anne Gross
• Charlotte Harris
• Melanie Johnson
• Katie Lam
• Peter Leathem
• Danny Poku
• Oliver Vibrans