Jin Jin, Tom Gray and Daniel Kidane join The Ivors Academy Board

11 September 2020 - Press release

Three of the country’s most exciting songwriters and composers - Jin Jin, Tom Gray and Daniel Kidane - have become Board Directors of The Ivors Academy, taking senior positions at the UK’s professional association for music creators.

The Board provides strategic leadership of the Academy, which is proudly led by music creators. The Academy campaigns for creators’ rights, celebrates outstanding music creation through Ivor Novello Awards and supports songwriters and composers throughout their careers by welcoming music creators into membership of the Academy.

An award winning songwriter with multi-platinum hits, Jin Jin has her own publishing and management company Jinsing and holds a Senior A&R position at Parlaphone Records. She said:

“I feel extremely honoured to have been elected for inclusion on such a prestigious board. I am hoping to provide a voice to those who may feel invisible or excluded within the music industry.”

Tom Gray, songwriter and composer is a member of the band Gomez, a Director of PRS for Music and is the founder of the #BrokenRecord campaign for streaming reform. He said:

“I’m joining the board of The Ivors Academy in the hope that I can help it gain even greater reach as a national campaigning organisation for the rights of songwriters and composers. For too long corporations have failed the interests of our sector with unethical practices and unsustainably diminishing revenues. It’s time for all that to change.” 

Acclaimed composer Daniel Kidane’s works range from solo pieces to large orchestral works which have been premiered by orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. He said:

“I am delighted to join the Ivors Academy Board of Directors. Having been part of the Classical Committee for several years, I look forward to broadening my contribution to the Academy and upholding the great work that the organisation already does to champion the interests of music creators. As a classical composer of diverse heritage, I actively strive to promulgate fairness and openness within the community and I understand that there is still much work to be done with regard to everybody being seen, listened to, heard respected and valued.”

The Board positions arose after Rupert Hine sadly passed away in June 2020, and the decisions by Paul Hartnoll and Stephen McNeff to stand down from the Board ahead of elections in April 2021, to support the Academy’s commitments to championing equality, diversity and inclusion. These three appointments follow Hope Winter and Imogen Williams taking up a shared role as under-25 Directors to empower younger creators. The Academy is currently co-opting up to two music creators to each of its four Genre Committees for the remaining term.

Crispin Hunt, Chair of The Ivors Academy, said:

“It’s a huge honour to welcome Jin Jin, Tom and Daniel to the Academy Board. As an Academy we are committed to representing and championing all music creators. And I’m thrilled to have such wonderful new colleagues on the Board to help us do that. I would like to sincerely thank Paul Hartnoll and Stephen McNeff for their contributions to the Academy, and for their continued involvement as advocates of music creators.”