Envision a world where gender equality prevails and there is no room for prejudice, stereotypes or discrimination. Diversity, fairness and inclusivity are paramount, and differences should be acknowledged and celebrated. This sentiment helped inspire Women’s History Month at Sony Music Group this year.
Through various internal events and activities, we embraced equity and recognized our differences as a positive pillar for a more just and inclusive society.
Embracing Equity This Women’s History Month
We kicked off the month’s celebrations with an International Women’s Day panel discussion hosted by Sony Women in Music (SWIM)—a Sony Music UK Talent Advisory Group (TAG)—moderated by YolanDa Brown OBE, musician, broadcaster and Chair of the BPI. This panel, featuring women leaders from across the Sony companies, touched on the common challenges women face in the workplace as well as the different ways we can improve gender equality and equity.
To close out the conversation, each of the panelists were asked to share some words of wisdom they would tell their younger selves. Sonia Grant-Yendell, Sony Music Publishing’s Vice President of People eXperience UK & International, said, “Trust your gut, trust your instinct. When you’re focused you can achieve what you want. Trust your belief.” Learn more about SWIM’s International Women’s Day panel discussion here.
Sony Music U.S. TAGs The Village and WIN (Women’s Initiative Network) also held an interactive workshop, led by executive career coach and Co-Founder of EQUALibrium Rachelle Pereira, that focused on making space for career development when work/life harmony seems elusive.
A huge thank you to all our SMG teammates who attended and participated in our Women’s History Month events. Special shoutouts to Pereira, Brown and Kelly Austin, Psychology Coach and music industry veteran, for lending their time, wisdom and voices to support our celebrations this month. And a big round of applause to TAGs SWIM, WIN, The Village and Wellful for all the coordination efforts that went into this month’s events and activities. Thank you for making our Women’s History Month a true celebration of gender equity and diversity in the workplace.
Looking Ahead
Although Women’s History Month has come to an end, we will continue to embrace and advance gender equity in the music industry and beyond. That’s why, through our CSR, COVID Relief and the Global Social Justice Fund, we continue to support organizations serving women and girls around the world.
Learn about some of those organizations we have supported below:
This article is part of our Local Impact Report series: a collection of informal catchup-ups where we connect with different members of Social Justice Task Forces within Sony Music. These Task Forces were formed after launching our $100 million Global Social Justice Fund in 2020, to ensure each region in which Sony Music operates is successfully shepherding funds in their area.
As part of our company’s mission to foster connections with global communities and contribute in meaningful ways, Sony Music Group continues to work with our business divisions across 60 regions to partner with grassroot organizations that are breaking down barriers in communities around the world. We strategically pair with chosen organizations to implement on-the-ground activations and programs, in an effort to drive nonpartisan solutions in areas of civic and community engagement, criminal justice reform, diversity through impact and educational programs.
Most recently, we caught up with Carmen Spencer, Senior Director, People eXperience, from Sony Music Canada’s Social Justice Task Force. Spencer helps identify key organizations the group can support.
“We have a core team here in Canada that drives large initiatives, while keeping close contact with various organizations we’ve supported through the Global Social Justice Fund, and develops regional-specific strategies,” says Spencer. “We also have a larger group that comes together primarily when there is a new round of funding, and we explore new organizations for funding.”
For Sony Music Canada, determining which organizations to partner with is easier said than done—because the goal is far more extensive than just supporting these organizations financially. Together, the Task Force believes that time and expertise is equally as valuable to the community organizations as financial contributions. It’s why they follow these core principles:
There is never a shortage of organizations for the group to put forward for consideration. They also encourage everyone across Sony Music Canada to submit organizations throughout the year. It’s very much a team effort.
Let’s hear from some of the organizations that have been funded by Sony Music Canada’s Task Force:
Foodshare
“We leveraged Sony’s grant to coordinate and host a Digital Day of Action around the goals of the Right to Food campaign, which is about mobilizing community members to push for changes at the municipal level. The Digital Day of Action was basically a phone and email zap, with folks first meeting over Zoom to hear from leaders at community groups Dietitians for Food Justice and Birchmount Community Action Council speak on why updating Toronto’s food charter would be relevant to the work they do, and what the tangible impact would be in the communities they serve. 50 people attended the live Zoom event, with a total of 125 people using our email tool to send messages to their government officials.” – Sydney Hyatt, Development Manager
Support Foodshare here.
Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund
“This support [from the Global Social Justice Fund grant] allows us to achieve our goal of improving the lives of Indigenous people by expanding our educational programming and creating connections between all peoples in Canada.” – Sarah Midanik, President and CEO
Support Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund here.
Pour 3 Points
As a longtime recipient of the Global Social Justice Fund, “A heartfelt MERCI for your continued support of coaches, young people and a more just society!” – Meg Hewings, Philanthropy and Partnership Development
Support Pour 3 Points here.
Stella’s Place
On receiving the donation from the Global Social Justice Fund, “Gifts like yours help young people get well, stay well, stay out of hospital and live the lives they choose.” – Catherine Dyer, Director of Development
Support Stella’s Place here.
Looking ahead, the Task Force continues to see each partnership as the beginning of a new relationship. It gives their team the opportunity to witness the work being done in the communities around them. This includes organizing a symposium to bring together every organization they have supported through the Global Social Justice Fund and other initiatives.
Congrats to Sony Music Canada and the work they’ve done to support their community. More to come!
Read more stories about Local Impact:
Local Impact Reports: SME Mexico Social Justice Task Force On Making a Difference
Local Impact Reports: SME Brazil Social Justice Task Force On Making a Difference
Local Impact Reports: SMG Asia Social Justice Task Force on Making a Difference
This Black History Month, Sony Music Group proudly embraced the theme “History in the Making: The Future Is Now.” Throughout February, we held internal events that acknowledged, advanced and supported Black artists and creatives paving the way for a more inclusive future, while still reflecting and remembering our history.
Highlights From Our Black History Month Celebrations
As part of our month-long celebration of Black culture and the Black community, we hosted a virtual conversation with Greg Noire, award-winning live music and portrait photographer and Sony Alpha camera ambassador, moderated by Towalame Austin, Sony Music Group’s Executive Vice President of Philanthropy & Social Impact. Noire reflected on his journey as a Black photographer and shared his experiences capturing some of today’s most notable artists, like Doja Cat and Steve Lacy.
During his conversation with Austin, Noire highlighted that he often finds himself the only Black photographer in the photo pits he operates in, which prompted him to stress the significance of inclusive hiring practices. “If you look outside of who you already know, you would see that talent exists in other diverse [candidates],” Noire said. Austin added, “We all have a responsibility to make sure we are hiring diverse people, looking at credentials and the people themselves.”
Additionally, in a panel discussion held by HUE (Helping Unite Everyone)—a Talent Advisory Group (TAG) at Sony Music Group—and The Orchard, we listened as Niyi Osidipe, Sony Music’s Director of Artist Development & Global Strategy Africa; Tunde Ajaba-Ogundipe, Sony Music’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of African Music Strategy; and Ashley Hall, Associate Director of International Label Management at The Orchard, described the impact of Afrobeats on the global music scene.
Hall explained that one of the most important ways the music industry can champion African artists is by allowing them to maintain their authenticity. She added, “[The industry] must continue to provide vital resources into the market to bring their music to the forefront of what is considered mainstream, popular music.”
A big round of applause to all SMG employees who participated, contributed and attended our Black History Month events and activities. Shoutout to our special guests Noire and Mackenzie Palmer, yoga instructor and sensual movement leader, for lending their time and wisdom to enrich our celebrations. And, to our TAGs HUE U.S., HUE GSA and Wellful, thank you for spearheading the event programming and making this Black History Month at Sony Music Group so special.
Supporting the Black Community Beyond the Month of February
While the month has come to an end, we are committed to continuing our support for the Black community—and all communities around the world—through our Global Social Justice Fund (GSJF). With World Day of Social Justice also falling in February, we highlighted a few of our GSJF partners raising awareness and driving action to eradicate poverty, discrimination, inequity and unfairness in society, like Bridges for Music.
Bridges for Music is a South African-based nonprofit organization that provides young students in under-served communities the tools and skills to excel in creative industries. “In the face of an ever-increasing lack of education in our communities about what equal rights and opportunities really mean, ensuring everyone has equal economic, political and social opportunities is becoming an increasing challenge,” said Thulani Headman, Bridges For Music’s Co-Founder and Operations Manager. “Through our program (and its music) we have been able to change minds, and we consider that the most important tool for social justice.”
Learn more about Bridges for Music and our other partners impacting social justice in different communities around the world here.
Sony Music Group’s commitment to giving is at the heart of our philanthropic programs and activities across the globe.
Each year on February 20, World Day of Social Justice brings together diverse communities to raise awareness and drive action to eradicate poverty, discrimination, inequity and all forms of unfairness in our society.
Since launching our $100 million Global Social Justice Fund in June 2020, we’ve supported over 400 organizations worldwide. Over 56% of our partners are led by a person of color or a member of a historically under-resourced population.
We consider each partnership incredibly valuable and influential—and we take the time to ensure every organization supported is the right fit.
There is a rigorous submission process to become a Global Social Justice Fund partner, and each potential organization is thoroughly vetted. While this review process is important, it’s also equally important that the organizations align with our Company’s mission and values and operate programs around our three core pillars: Civic Engagement, Criminal Justice Reform and Education. (You can read more about that here.)
Below, learn more about some of our partners and the impact they’re having on social justice in different communities around the world.
Partner Task Force: SMG Africa
“In the face of an ever-increasing lack of education in our communities about what equal rights and opportunities really mean, ensuring everyone has equal economic, political and social opportunities is becoming an increasing challenge. Through our program (and its music) we have been able to change minds, and we consider that the most important tool for social justice.”
– Thulani Headman, Co-Founder and Operations Manager, Bridges For Music
Partner Task Force: SMG Australia
“For us, social justice work means we work with and for communities. We share our resources, knowledge and creativity to support the hopes and aspirations of every young person that we connect with. Our program, Real Youth Music Studio (RYMS) is a platform for local young people to showcase their talents, learn new things, meet positive peers and just have fun.
RYMS continues to celebrate our local young people with a number of recordings, showcases and live performances over the past year. The program is in the process of evolving to a mobile Caravan of Sound, aimed at ensuring young people from across the different Inner Melbourne public housing estates can access opportunities to write, perform and record.”
– Karen Fields, CEO, Drummond Street Services
Partner Task Force: SMG Asia
“Gender justice will be achieved when girls and women will be able to exercise their human and constitutional rights and live a life with dignity, free from violence, discrimination, abuse and exploitation. Our work aims at ensuring that girls continue and complete their secondary education, challenging norms that maintain the patriarchal status quo to unlock their potential.
From the girls we work with, the results of the programming have been very encouraging: 58 percent pursue higher education, 85 percent of the girls we work with report improved adolescent health outcomes, 99 percent have delayed their age of marriage, and over 80 percent are able to prevent and defy gender-based discrimination and violence.”
– Dhirendra Pratap Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Milaan Foundation
Plansverige (Plan International Sweden) & Sisters Create
Partner Task Force: SMG Continental Europe
“The project has provided a place for young girls and non-binary people where they can be themselves. Young people from different socio-economic backgrounds have been able to meet and this has helped them to gain an increased understanding for each other. For myself, the project has helped me to feel more assertive in a music studio, which is an environment often dominated by men.”
– Isabella, Sisters Create group leader and young musician
Partner Task Force: SMG Canada
“We believe that with the right training, sports coaches can become mentors and community leaders. Pour3Points has grown into a community of over 100 certified coach-mentors and civic leaders who make a difference in the daily lives of the young people they coach in low-income communities across Québec. Today, Pour3Points’ programs support coaches as they accompany thousands of young people each year as they fight for social justice, racial justice and equality in their communities, and reshape the sport and education sectors.”
– Fabrice Vil, Founder, Pour 3 Points
Partner Task Force: SMG New Zealand
“Sistema Aotearoa provides rare opportunities and creates pathways for students and tutors. As well as developing the students musically and socially, it has created a safe space for people like me to feel a sense of belonging in such a competitive field. As one of the Polynesian tutors, it is an absolute privilege to be part of the journey of unleashing the limitless talent in the youth of South Auckland, New Zealand.”
– Anne Filimoehala, Lead Tutor, Sistema Aotearoa
Partner Task Force: SMG UK
“Small Green Shoots champions under-represented young people, supporting them with opportunities and access into the music industry. Working around London, we have successfully placed 150 young people in permanent jobs in music and creative businesses, thanks to our incredible partnerships with various organisations, including Sony Music.”
– Makeda McMillan, Managing Director, Small Green Shoots
Partner Task Force: SMG U.S.
“The Tennessee Innocence Project is leading efforts across the state around wrongful convictions, giving voices to individuals who have been unheard for decades, and educating thousands of Tennesseans about our justice system. Since opening our doors in 2019, we have achieved four exonerations – individuals who collectively spent 95 years wrongfully incarcerated. We fight every day for our clients’ freedom, to bring them home to their families, and to make our community more just. We could not do this without the support of partners like Sony Music!”
– Hayley Levy, Director of Development, Tennessee Innocence Project
Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
Partner Task Force: SMG Latin Iberia
“At the Young Center, our mission is to advocate for children who are forced to navigate our country’s immigration system alone, whether they traveled to the U.S. by themselves or were forcibly separated from their families. A tremendous amount of work remains ahead to advance the rights of all immigrant children, but our team remains committed to fighting for the justice immigrant children and their families deserve.”
– Gladis Molina Alt, Executive Director, Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
Visit the United Nations website to learn more about World Day of Social Justice, here.
We have all seen the tragic situation unfolding in Turkey and Syria, following an earthquake which caused the deaths, injuries and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in both countries. Among those most directly affected are our colleagues based at Sony Music Turkey. Our thoughts are with all the people of Turkey and Syria who are impacted by this catastrophe, and we continue to monitor developments closely.
Our priority has been to ensure that friends and colleagues based in Turkey are safe and given the help they and their families need during this difficult time. Local leadership and our People eXperience teams have been working closely with our global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider to ensure all employees in Turkey have 24/7 access to support that includes counseling, financial and legal assistance.
Additionally, Sony Music Group is donating funds to the Turkish non-government organization, AKUT, which is on the ground helping with disaster relief efforts and fuel long-term recovery efforts in both Turkey and Syria.
On behalf of all Sony companies, Sony Group Corporate is donating 31 million yen in emergency aid to the Emergency Disaster and Recovery Fund for Children, UNICEF, UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, and Médecins Sans Frontières. And, Sony Corporation of America is providing funds to non-profit partners including All Hands and Hearts, American Red Cross, Direct Relief, International Medical Corps, Save the Children, UNICEF, and World Central Kitchen.
Employee Match Donation Initiative
From now through March 20, 2023, employee contributions made to a Sony Music Group-approved organization will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $2,000 USD (or a local currency equivalent). You can also use a credit card or make an offline donation and upload your receipt. Donations will be used to provide food, clean water, and medicine as well as wellbeing support to survivors, shelter and temporary housing to people who have lost their homes. The contributions will also support economic relief and long-term recovery efforts.
For more information on Sony Music Group’s support for communities globally and locally, please visit our Giving Back site.
Throughout November and December of 2022, Sony Music Group supported every local community that we conduct business in—totaling nine regions—through our Season of Giving program.
Season of Giving is an annual campaign that represents our ongoing philanthropic commitment to forge partnerships and support communities that need it most, inside and outside the music industry. Every global organization selected to receive funding was determined by members of our global internal task force.
This year, the program primarily focused on providing aid in four key areas: food insecurity, homelessness and refugee support, music industry relief and educational programs for communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within those two months, notable Sony Music artists and Sony Music Publishing songwriters volunteered at in-person events with local partner organizations. (See a full list of those organizations here.)
Simple Plan, Canadian rock band distributed by The Orchard, explained how and why supporting the Simple Plan Foundation was so important to them. “Over the last two years, we were not able to play any shows, so it’s been tough not being able to organize any fundraising events,” said Chuck Comeau, the band’s drummer. “This donation is going to make a huge difference—it’s going to kickstart the Foundation again and get us motivated to give more and help as much as we can.”
Want to get a closer look inside our Season of Giving program? Check out our recap video below.
Throughout 2022, Sony Music’s Artists Forward initiative delivered more benefits and services to on roster and legacy talent around the world—from new and expanded services to increased engagement on key issues that make a difference to creators.
As part of these efforts, we’ve enhanced the range of wellness offerings available to SME talent under our Artist Assistance Program and helped greater numbers of our artists worldwide make use of our free counseling services. We’ve expanded the criteria of our Legacy Unrecouped Balance Program, allowing more long-term creators around the world to qualify for pay through on future earnings. We’ve delivered more critical data analysis to help our talent identify audiences anywhere and everywhere and lean into a range of creative and commercial opportunities. We’ve also grown global adoption for our Cash Out and Real Time Advances features, which SME participants have used to quickly and conveniently access millions of dollars in earnings.
To learn more about the growing array of services and solutions available to Sony Music artists with Artists Forward, as well as the progress we’ve made in enhancing our offerings over the last year, click here for our 2022 recap.
Sony Music commits to creating a dynamic, safe and inclusive environment for all its employees. A driving force behind it? Talent Advisory Groups.
Talent Advisory Groups (TAGs)—or, commonly known as Affinity Groups, Employee Resource Groups or Business Network Groups—are employee-led communities that help foster a safe environment and provide growth opportunities to all employees within a company. At Sony Music, TAGs are created around common interests, identities and experiences. Whether employees identify as a community member or an ally, all are welcome to get involved.
In addition to the sense of togetherness that TAGs offer to employees, they also play an integral role as a partner to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), and the People eXperience (PX) team. This mutually beneficial, advisory partnership ensures that Sony Music is always reflective of its employees.
“Our TAGs are integral partners who help us drive cultural change at Sony Music Group,” says Madilyne Nguyen-Acosta (Specialist, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion). “They directly inform us about what their communities are experiencing, and we use those insights to implement policies and initiatives that feed back into their groups and further foster a culture of safety, belonging and inclusion.”
From hosting networking and community building events to spearheading diversity initiatives, Talent Advisory Groups ensure that every voice is heard and appreciated. Being part of a TAG means you get to enhance the employee experience through collaborative work that drives cultural awareness across the company.
To help meet their goals, every TAG has an executive board (think: president, vice president, communications director, treasurer and more) who work together with TAG committees and members to organize initiatives and events open to all employees. In addition to the boards, each TAG also has an executive sponsor—AKA a senior leader who plays an advisory role. Executive sponsors tap into their years of experience and knowledge of the business to help shape TAG strategies, and champion their efforts.
Eva Amesse (Associate Director, Learning & Development) finds value in being involved both as a TAG member and leader. “I’m part of the Emerging Professionals board, and really enjoy meeting employees from all areas of the business and creating opportunities for us to learn from each other,” says Amesse. “Also, I recently returned from parental leave and members of The Village have been so supportive during this period of transition. I’m so grateful to have found two wonderful communities within Sony Music Group.”
The most important characteristic of Talent Advisory Groups? They know no boundaries when it comes to creating new spaces for their members. They are globally available to every Sony Music office and offer endless opportunities to create new groups or chapters.
Talent Advisory Groups are a fundamental part of the company culture experience at Sony Music Entertainment. (Not part of the Sony Music team, but now you’re thinking it sounds pretty awesome? Visit our careers page to browse open positions.)
Click on each TAG logo below to learn more about each group and their unique missions.
ABLE fosters and nurtures a disability-inclusive environment for both the employees and customers of our products. We are determined to remove any stigma around physical/mental disabilities, inspire accessible innovation and create an environment where everyone feels free to be their whole selves.
HUE’s (Helping Unite Everyone) mission is to empower, celebrate and build community among the diverse and intersectional community of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) at Sony Music Group and beyond. HUE focuses on harnessing the collective power of our communities to shape global culture throughout the entertainment industry.
OutLoud is a group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) folks, and LGBTQIA-friendly employees. Raising awareness of important LGBTIQA+ issues and culture, networking opportunities and finding opportunities to extend support to the larger community.
SOMOS (translated to “we are”) promotes awareness of and acts as an advocate for the Hispanic and Latinx communities both inside and outside of Sony. SOMOS aims to focus on social contribution and employee development, ultimately in support of Sony’s diversity strategy and community involvement goals.
Sony Emerging Professionals is a highly motivated, diverse group of employees committed to the personal and professional development of all Sony employees. Through educational events, peer-to-peer mentoring and community outreach activities—all designed to expand internal and external Company networks—we strive to find innovative ways to equip, engage and empower our cross-divisional member base.
The Village’s mission is to create a space for working parents and caregivers to come together to share diverse experiences, resources and solutions in a supportive and non-judgmental way to ensure our employees and their families thrive. We want to support employees through their parenting and caregiving journey from pregnancy, delivery, time away from the office, return to work and beyond.
Wellful is committed to inspiring, encouraging and educating members to maintain and grow healthy lifestyles through educational events, stress-reducing activities, community outreach and team building. We strive to create an employee network that is goal driven, healthy and strong while creating an environment that helps strengthen both employees and the company, contributing to the overall success of both.
Women’s Initiative Network’s (WIN) mission is to unite and support Sony women of all levels and backgrounds, to promote their professional development and opportunities within the company, and to foster community in the Sony universe as well as with other external women’s groups.
This article is written by Akhilaa Lakshminathan and is part of the 2022 SMG Impact Fellows Mix Tape Series, a collection of first-person essays written by the 2022 Sony Music Group Impact Fellow cohort. Read more about the SMG Impact Fellows Program here.
After finishing my first year of college last summer, I clearly remember telling my family that I hoped I would get to intern at Sony Music Entertainment in the near future. Coincidentally, one year later, I am an International Marketing Intern and part of the second class of Sony Music Group Impact Fellows!
I came to Sony Music Group from a program called Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) hosted by the 4A’s Foundation. Because I wanted to intern in the music industry, I reached out to past Sony Music interns via LinkedIn, some of whom were coincidentally SMG Impact Fellows and introduced me to the program. After crafting my application, interviewing, and making it through three rounds of selection—I was matched with Sony Music Entertainment! I almost couldn’t believe it. In addition to all the support I now have at Sony Music, I also have the resources and a network of thousands of professionals of color through MAIP.
Working in the International Marketing department is so incredible and resonates with me given my Indian-American identity. I love that my job involves thinking about audiences all around the world that are enjoying American and/or Western artists, because that is really the epitome of globalization and the exchanging of cultures and stories.
Music has always felt like home to me: watching the GRAMMY Awards, staying up until midnight like it’s New Year’s Eve for an album drop, or composing and songwriting, music always makes me feel more like myself. Throughout the years music would bring so much joy into fruition, including my journey with Sony Music.
Throughout middle school I performed in choir and bands, and became a big fan of many artists. In high school, I started writing, producing, recording, and releasing my own music. Now in college, I am continuing my musical journey, working on the label side, minoring in music, and developing my own artistry. Adele, signed under Columbia, was the first artist I connected with deeply. Her authenticity, lyrics, and delivery will always have an impact on me and my personal creativity. It really is a full circle moment that I get to work at Sony Music, the home of so many artists I have looked up to for many years.
I’m an avid reader of music news, love listening to industry podcasts and interviews, and am always down to analyze the latest releases and trends. This is why sitting in on the RCA and Arista marketing meetings have been so fun for me! During my first meeting with RCA I was taken aback by how fast the conversation went. Almost like a tennis match, my colleagues were bouncing ideas and opinions off each other, effortlessly throwing in numbers and statistics and highlighting different international markets, then seamlessly transitioning to the next artist or topic to be discussed. I began to understand the different terms, goals, and overall details of the discussion. Sometimes it feet surreal to be in those rooms, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been at a job where I got to do something I genuinely enjoy and looked forward to everyday.
I am also extremely grateful to work with such amazing people on the International Marketing team. I’ve learned so much through observing the workflow and learning about each of my colleagues’ experiences.
When we listen to a song or album, it is hard to comprehend how many people went into making that release a success. It’s an amazing feeling that even through my small contributions as an intern to my respective team, I am helping music and stories reach people who will cherish them across the globe.
5 songs I’m enjoying this summer
For more stories on the SMG Impact Fellows second cohort:
Sony Music Africa is proud to announce its new partnership with Culture Management Group, the parent company of Afrochella, and media streaming service Audiomack, to expand the flagship ‘Rising Star Challenge’ competition for unsigned and emerging artists in Africa.
Up to 10 prize winners chosen from a shortlist of 25 unsigned and emerging artists who enter the competition will benefit from global distribution deals from Sony Music Africa, bringing their music to the world. Five of these prize winners will also be chosen to perform on Afrochella’s Rising Star Stage alongside the festival’s powerhouse headliners and electric musical line-up on December 29th, 2022.
One artist from the Rising Star Challenge will be selected for the Grand Prize: an exclusive recording agreement with Sony Music Africa for a single release. In addition, the Grand Prize winner will receive:
To enter, artists upload an original song to Audiomack and create an Instagram Reel that includes an introduction about the artist, their approach to music and music-making process, and what they want their potential audience to know about their style of music.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Sony Music Africa to help expand our “Rising Star” challenge and to further catapult the growth of Africa’s up and coming talent.” says Abdul Karim Abdullah, CEO & Co-Founder of Afrochella. “With the strong backing of Sony Music, we now have the exciting opportunity to make an artist’s dreams come to life by providing them with a distribution deal and sustainable resources to help jumpstart their musical career.”
“It’s exciting when we get an opportunity to work with partners who are at the forefront of music culture in Africa, and working with Afrochella to surface exciting new talent fits right into our arc,” added Sean Watson, Managing Director, Sony Music Africa. “Abdul and his team are passionate about being closely connected to the creativity in their environment and so are we at Sony Music Africa. We are excited to partner on the Rising Star Challenge to provide a platform for the best new artists we can find together.”
The “Rising Star Challenge” is now underway, and winners will be chosen during the Afrochella Festival. For more information on the Afrochella Rising Star challenge, please visit https://afrochella.com/risingtalent and for the latest events and news on Afrochella, please visit https://afrochella.com/ and follow @afrochella on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more details.
