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Welcome to The Ivors Academy Summit – the first event of its kind and a landmark moment to kick off Ivors Week. Thank you for being here.
This is a big moment for The Ivors Academy and our community. For the first time, we’re bringing together songwriters, composers, music publishers, executives and supporters to provide the practical knowledge and connections to succeed in this industry. Today is a bold step forward together – reflecting who we are as an Academy: ambitious, inclusive, and focused on protecting, empowering and celebrating music creators.
At the heart of today’s Summit is empowerment. We’ve created the programme with our members and CMU to give you access to the people, knowledge and insight that can help you thrive in a fast-changing industry.
As champions of songwriters and composers, this week we’ve relaunched The Ivors Academy to be more open, more connected, and more impactful. Our new membership model has been created to meet you where you are in your career, and to make it easier than ever to get involved.
• If you’re a songwriter or composer, Discovery membership is free to join – providing updates, curated content and pay-as-you-go access to selected benefits.
• For full access to everything the Academy offers, Core and Professional membership provide enhanced support: discounts tailored to music creators, essential insurance, legal and business resources, exclusive events, mentoring and more – including discounted entry to our Ivor Novello Awards.
• And for those who are well established and want to give back, Patron membership is an opportunity to support the next generation and invest in our community’s future.
We’ve also launched a new way for people who love music to show their support.As a friend of The Ivors Academy, anyone can help us fund writing camps, mentoring, education and access to the industry for songwriters and composers at every level.
Everything we do is driven by a belief in the power and importance of songwriters and composers. This Thursday, we’ll celebrate that power at The Ivors – the most prestigious celebration of songwriting and screen composing in the world. It’s our opportunity to shine a spotlight on excellence, craft and creativity, and to show the world the value of what you do.
Thank you again for being here and for being part of this new chapter. Thank you to our sponsors ICE, PRS for Music, The MLC, MusixMatch and Credits Due, speakers and everyone who helped shape today’s programme. I hope you find inspiration, make connections and leave with a stronger sense of your place in this incredible community.
Together, we are building something bigger, bolder, fairer and more inclusive.

Roberto Neri Chief Executive Officer The Ivors Academy
9.45am Building and managing your business as a songwriter or composer
10.00am Andrea Czapary Martin in conversation
10.20am Collective licensing in the USA
10.45am The business of lyrics
11.10am Stevie Spring in conversation
11.30am Break
11.50am Credits Due and metadata
12.15am The business of classical
12.35am David Israelite in conversation
1.00pm Lunch
1.45pm Recap
1.55pm Publisher perspectives: effective rights administration
2.15pm David Arnold and Anne Nikitin in conversation
2.40pm Music and AI
3.10pm Peter de Monnink in conversation
3.30pm Publisher perspectives: creative and commercial opportunities
4.00pm Self Esteem and Guy Garvey in conversation
4.30pm Wrap-up and Q&A
5-7pm Drinks reception







MAXIMISE YOUR SONGWRITING REVENUE PRE-LUNCH SESSIONS
Pre-summit session
YOUR MUSIC, YOUR MONEY, COLLECT YOUR $$$
9.15am
Kickstart your summit experience with our pre-summit session hosted by The MLC.
9.45am BUILDING AND MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS AS A SONGWRITER OR COMPOSER
SPEAKER Roberto Neri, CEO The Ivors Academy
SPEAKER Chris Cooke, Founder + Managing Director, CMU
DESCRIPTION
Do you know how much you should be getting paid from your music?
Songwriters and composers are the backbone of the industry but are rarely paid equitably or accurately.
The Ivors Academy is empowering songwriters and composers to build and grow their businesses through our new toolkit and this Summit.
What are your key revenue streams? Outside The Ivors Academy, what platforms and partners can help you better manage your rights and revenues? How will they help you earn as much as possible and give you the best chance of identifying what’s missing? How do you make sure that you earn whenever your music is played, performed, synced, broadcast and streamed?
Our Summit starts that process by exploring and explaining the creative and commercial power behind songwriting and composing – the business skills that turn ideas into sustainable careers.
BUILDING AND MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS AS A SONGWRITER OR COMPOSER


SPEAKER
ROBERTO NERI CEO, The Ivors Academy
SPEAKER
CHRIS COOKE Founder + Managing Director, CMU
ANDREA CZAPARY MARTIN IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS COOKE PRE-LUNCH SESSIONS
10.00am
WITH CHRIS COOKE
DESCRIPTION
Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) are crucial business partners for music creators, helping to license and collect the music they write and compose. PRS CEO Andrea Czapary Martin discusses the role of the modern CMO in a truly global marketplace where licensing rights involves processing masses of data.
How has PRS evolved to meet the challenges of the modern music business? And how can music creators inform and benefit from the innovations that PRS is leading?
ANDREA CZAPARY MARTIN IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS COOKE


SPEAKER
ANDREA CZAPARY
CEO, PRS for Music
SPEAKER
CHRIS COOKE Founder + Managing Director, CMU
10.20am
MODERATOR Rachael Heeley, Associate at Simkins LLP
SPEAKER Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP
SPEAKER Indi Chawla, Head of International Relations, The MLC
DESCRIPTION
Collective licensing in the biggest music rights market in the world works differently to the UK and the rest of Europe. In the US, multiple competing performing rights organisations exist, music creators and publishers are highly regulated and subject to compulsory licences, and Americ copyright law presents its own unique challenges. This session unpacks how the US system works and explains what it means for managing your rights in the States, and how you can build direct relationships with key organisations in the American market.



MODERATOR
RACHAEL HEELEY Associate at Simkins LLP
SPEAKER
ELIZABETH MATTHEWS Chief Executive Officer, ASCAP
SPEAKER
INDI CHAWLA Head of International Relations, The MLC
10.45am
MODERATOR Dr Charisse Beaumont, Chief Executive, Black Lives in Music
SPEAKER Rio Caraeff, Co-President, Musixmatch
SPEAKER James Duffett-Smith, Global Head of Music Publishing, Amazon Music
DESCRIPTION
The Ivors Academy exists to protect and champion your rights and the value of your intellectual property. We’re putting the business of lyrics in the spotlight. Lyrics play an important role in music discovery and provide additional, and often un-monetised, revenue opportunities. We will explore how digital platforms interact with, utilise and license lyrics, what songwriters and composers can do to ensure their lyrics are properly managed, protected and monetised, and how we shape a better licensing model for the future.




MODERATOR
DR CHARISSE BEAUMONT
Chief Executive, Black Lives in Music
SPEAKER
RIO CARAEFF
Co-President, Musixmatch
SPEAKER
JAMES DUFFETT-SMITH
Global Head of Music Publishing, Amazon Music
STEVIE SPRING IN CONVERSATION WITH ROBERTO NERI PRE-LUNCH SESSIONS
11.10am
WITH ROBERTO NERI
DESCRIPTION
The Ivors Academy CEO Roberto Neri talks to Stevie Spring CBE about her career in media and business, and her current roles chairing the board of PRS for Music and the mental health charity MIND.
Having started her career in law, Stevie has been CEO of two international media companies, has served on public, private, private equity, membership and charity boards, is an investor advisor to two tech companies, and recently finished her extended term as Chairman of the British Council.
STEVIE SPRING IN CONVERSATION WITH ROBERTO NERI


SPEAKER
STEVIE SPRING CBE Chairman of the PRS for Music Board
SPEAKER
ROBERTO NERI CEO, The Ivors Academy
11.50am
MODERATOR Maria Forte, Managing Director, Owner, Maria Forte Music Services Ltd
SPEAKER Michelle Lewis, CEO, SONA & The SONA Foundation
SPEAKER Paul Clements, CEO, MPA Group
SPEAKER Mick Hayes, Chief Product and Technology Officer, ICE
DESCRIPTION
Do you know if your contributions are accurately reflected within the value chain? Are you being credited externally for your work?
If you have missing or incorrect metadata attached to your work, you could be losing out on significant income. That’s why The Ivors Academy has been leading the charge with its Credits Due campaign - advocating for higher global metadata standards and stronger systems, so you’re paid what you’re due.
Credits Due exists to solve two fundamental problems in the industry: to ensure complete and accurate song metadata is attached to all recordings at the point of creation, and to raise the profile of songwriters by ensuring they are publicly credited for their work.
In this session we will explain what data matters and your role – and that of your business partners - in getting that data into the system, ensuring you receive the royalties and credit you deserve.




MODERATOR
MARIA FORTE
Managing Director, Owner, Maria Forte Music Services Ltd
SPEAKER
MICHELLE LEWIS
CEO, SONA & The SONA Foundation
SPEAKER
PAUL CLEMENTS
CEO, MPA Group
SPEAKER
MICK HAYES
Chief Product and Technology Officer, ICE
12.15pm
MODERATOR Orphy Robinson MBE, Board Director & Deputy Chair, The Ivors Academy
SPEAKER Naomi Belshaw, Composer, artist manager & consultant
SPEAKER Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Singer-songwriter, Cellist, Composer, Pianist, Radio presenter
DESCRIPTION
We understand that the traditional income models that support songwriters are different to those which support our classical composers. The Ivors Academy is campaigning to create a secure future for classical composers – one where funding is sustainable, education is properly supported, and new music is commissioned on fair and transparent terms.
Commissioning sits at the heart of a thriving contemporary classical sector. We’ll consider the role that publishers and agents play in supporting and working effectively with composers, and explore trends and new opportunities in the printed music market.
How do you extract the most value from your commissions? What should your publisher be doing to help support this? And how can they better champion your work and negotiate fairer, more transparent commissioning deals?



MODERATOR
ORPHY ROBINSON MBE
Board Director & Deputy Chair, The Ivors Academy
SPEAKER
NAOMI BELSHAW
Composer, artist manager & consultant
SPEAKER
AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON
Singer-songwriter, Cellist, Composer, Pianist, Radio presenter
DAVID ISRAELITE IN CONVERSATION WITH ERIN MCANALLY PRE-LUNCH SESSIONS
12.35pm
WITH ERIN MCANALLY
DESCRIPTION
Songwriter and artist advocate, and Co-Executive Director of Songwriters of North America, Erin McAnally talks to David Israelite, President and CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association in the US.
His leadership of NMPA over the last two decades has resulted in numerous successes on behalf of US music publishers, including the largest Copyright Royalty Board rate increase in history, groundbreaking industry collaboration on royalty rate agreements, landmark settlements and model licences with streaming platforms, and crucial work to modernise US copyright laws culminating in the Music Modernization Act.
He continues to advocate for publishers, and fight to protect the value of music rights, in an ever-changing marketplace.
DAVID ISRAELITE IN CONVERSATION WITH ERIN MCANALLY


SPEAKER
President & CEO, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA)
SPEAKER
ERIN MCANALLY
Executive Director, SONA

1.45pm
A rapid-fire recap of the conversations so far and key insights from the Summit with practical tips to help you manage your rights and revenues more effectively. We’ll also look at how to choose the right platforms and partners to support your work as a songwriter or composer.
1.55pm
MODERATOR Paulette Long OBE, Consultant, Artist Manager, Chair MPA
SPEAKER Chris Meehan, CEO, Sentric
SPEAKER Sarah Williams, CEO, IMPEL
DESCRIPTION
As music is played, performed, synced, broadcast, and streamed across the globe, tracking its use across more than 20,000 different sources – and ensuring every songwriter and composer is properly paid – is an enormous administrative task. In this session, we’ll explore how publishers or rights administrators manage this process, and how new technologies are both creating new complexities and innovative solutions.
We’ll look at how songwriters and composers, including self-published writers, can take steps to ensure their rights are effectively administered.
PUBLISHER PERSPECTIVES: EFFECTIVE RIGHTS ADMINISTRATION
MODERATOR & SPEAKERS



MODERATOR
PAULETTE LONG OBE
Consultant, Artist Manager, Chair MPA
SPEAKER
CHRIS MEEHAN CEO, Sentric
SPEAKER
SARAH WILLIAMS CEO, IMPEL
2.15pm
DESCRIPTION
In the first of our music creator in conversations, Anne Nikitin will discuss music-making and the business of being a composer with David Arnold.
Best known for his work on blockbuster movies including ‘Independence Day’, ‘Stargate’, ‘Shaft’, ‘Narnia’ and no less than five James Bond films, David has worked extensively across film, TV and stage. He is also a highly esteemed artist, record producer, songwriter and conductor, having worked with the likes of Queen , The Who, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, Shirley Manson and Shirley Bassey.
Anne is a composer whose distinctive sound can be heard on TV series like ‘Hijack’ and ‘One Day’, as well as in films including ‘American Animals’ and ‘Scoop’. She also recently collaborated with Tom Hanks on ‘THE MOONWALKERS’, which transformed London’s LIGHTROOM into an epic immersive voyage to the moon based on past and future NASA voyages.
DAVID ARNOLD AND ANNE NIKITIN IN CONVERSATION SPEAKERS


SPEAKER
DAVID ARNOLD
Multi Award-winning British Film & TV Composer, Fellow & Board Director, The Ivors Academy
SPEAKER
ANNE NIKITIN
Two-time Ivor Novello and Emmy nominated composer
2.40pm
MODERATOR Jack Jones, Partner, Sheridans LLP
SPEAKER Dr Julia Niebler-Kaiser, Deputy General Counsel, GEMA
SPEAKER Ed Newton-Rex, CEO, Fairly Trained
SPEAKER Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport; Chair of the Culture, Media & Sport Committee, House of Commons
DESCRIPTION
AI is one of the biggest challenges our community has ever faced. While it has potential as a tool to support creativity and improve efficiency in the industry, it must be developed in a way that protects copyright, provides transparency and values human creativity.
That’s why The Ivors Academy has been leading the fight against exploitative AI practices that undermine the livelihoods of songwriters and composers. What responsibilities do AI companies have when using existing music to train their models? What commercial, creative and business efficiency opportunities does AI offer to composers and songwriters?
We’ll hear from those at the heart of the debate around music and AI, reviewing the political dimension, key legal cases, and the campaigns that are seeking to ensure that tech companies work with, rather than against, creators.




MODERATOR
JACK JONES Partner, Sheridans LLP
SPEAKER
DR JULIA NIEBLER-KAISER Deputy General Counsel, GEMA
SPEAKER
ED NEWTON-REX CEO, Fairly Trained
SPEAKER
Member of Parliament for Gosport; Chair of the Culture, Media & Sport Committee, House of Commons
PETER DE MONNINK IN CONVERSATION WITH CHARLENE BROWN
3.10pm
WITH CHARLENE BROWN
DESCRIPTION
Charlene Brown, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Howlett Brown, speaks to Peter de Monnink, CEO of ICE, the leading integrated hub for digital licensing, processing, and rights management for creators, publishers, and societies.
Serving over 330,000 rightsholders, ICE has processed trillions of music streams and paid over €5 billion in royalties since 2016. During Peter’s three years as CEO, ICE has scaled up in all areas and has achieved the milestone of distributing €1 billion to rightsholders in a consecutive twelve-month period.
Prior to joining ICE, Peter spent over 15 years as CEO at several prominent European media companies, including Talpa Network, Sanoma, and Reed, where he oversaw digital innovation, operational excellence, and strategic growth.


SPEAKER
PETER DE MONNINK CEO, ICE
SPEAKER
CHARLENE BROWN Co-founder and Managing Director, Howlett Brown
PUBLISHER PERSPECTIVES: CREATIVE AND COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
POST-LUNCH SESSIONS
3.30pm
MODERATOR Tom Gray, Songwriter & Chair of The Ivors Academy
SPEAKER Golnar Khosrowshahi, Founder and CEO, Reservoir
SPEAKER Pixie Pickering, VP, Creative Sync, Sony Music Publishing
SPEAKER Amber Davis, SVP, Head of A&R, Warner Chappell UK
DESCRIPTION
We talk to key global players to look at what additional services music publishers can provide and the further value they can add.
We’ll get perspectives from three leading figures from music publishing about the evolving role of the music publisher, challenges and opportunities facing the sector, and what makes a successful, long-term partnership between a publishing company and a songwriter/composer.
PUBLISHER PERSPECTIVES: CREATIVE AND COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
MODERATOR & SPEAKERS



MODERATOR
TOM GRAY
Songwriter & Chair of The Ivors Academy
SPEAKER
GOLNAR KHOSROWSHAHI
Founder and CEO, Reservoir
SPEAKER
VP, Creative Sync, Sony Music Publishing

SPEAKER
AMBER DAVIS
SVP, Head of A&R, Warner Chappell UK
4:00pm
DESCRIPTION
In the second of our music creator in conversations, Guy Garvey will discuss music-making and the business of being an artist and songwriter with Self Esteem.
Songwriter, musician and actress Self Esteem, aka Rebecca Taylor, recently released her latest album ‘A Complicated Woman’. Featuring guest appearances from Nadine Shah, Sue Tompkins, Julie Hesmondalgh and Meatball, the new record is the follow up to 2021’s much praised ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ and also follows a critically acclaimed run as Sally Bowles in Rebecca Frecknall’s production of ‘Cabaret’.
Guy - composer, lyricist, singer, producer and broadcaster - has created ten studio albums with Elbow, winning numerous awards and much critical acclaim along the way. He has also co-written and performed soundtracks for TV and film, collaborated with artists like Massive Attack, Craig Armstrong and Nitin Sawhney, and in 2015 released solo album ‘Courting the Squall’.
SELF ESTEEM AND GUY GARVEY IN CONVERSATION SPEAKERS


SPEAKER
Musician, Songwriter & Actress
SPEAKER
Singer Elbow, Presenter BBC Radio 6 Music
4.30pm
To end the day, we will share our new The Ivors Academy toolkit designed to help you build momentum, and turn ideas into real impact.
This is your chance to ask questions, share thoughts, and get your voice heard.





AND TO OUR ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS FOR HELPING TO SHAPE TODAY’S PROGRAMME
Keith Ayling
Mark Ayres
Gary Crosby OBE
Cheryl Frances-Hoad
Kal Lavelle
Dru Masters
Shelly McErlaine
Sandy Nuttgens
Bankey Ojo
Shalini Rani
Orphy Robinson MBE
Kemi Sulola
Jill Thomas
Olli Wells
Matthew Whiteside
Imogen William






