Best of 2020 - Hopes for 2021...

We asked executives from various parts of the world the three following questions:

1 - Their highlight(s) of 2020?  

2 - What are you looking forward to in 2021?

3 - What music/artist made you groove in 2020? And which artist should we pay attention to in 2021? 

> Michele Ballantyne, Chief Operating Officer, Recording Industry Association of America 

1 - I was moved by the way our entire music community came together in this really tough year. When the virus hit, everyone immediately got to work making sure aid made it to people who needed it most in our industry: working artists, songwriters, and live venues. Then, when George Floyd was killed, even though we already felt stretched to the limit, we knew we had to dig deeper and join the nationwide movement for justice. At RIAA, we pulled together a massive coalition of hundreds of artists, label employees, and organizations seeking reform – something that would normally take weeks came together in days, simply because of the power of the moment and the commitment of people in our industry to making things better.   

  

2 - I look forward to the eradication of Covid-19 and the revival of the economy so that millions of Americans, including those who work in music, can restore some semblance of their pre-Covid lives and livelihoods. I’m also looking forward to live music, traveling – I miss my family in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and friends and colleagues in Nashville, Miami, New York and Los Angeles – and hugs!!   

3 - 2020: There was a lot of dancing at my house in 2020, especially to Latin music. J. Balvin tops the playlist – his music is so uplifting and fun.  Our dance parties will continue in 2021 with these amazing female artists: Anitta, Becky G, H.E.R., and Dua Lipa. 2021: We should pay attention to Mickey Guyton– beautiful voice and powerful lyrics – she tells it like it is. There’s so much to look forward to!

> Daniel Glass, Founder & CEO, Glassnote Music

1 - Enjoying all meals daily with our family. Andrea Bocelli concert from the Duomo in Milan.  

2 - Hugging my Mother and Mother in law. Safely going to shows, Broadway theater as well as Yankees and Knicks games.  

3 - 2020: TheWeeknd. 2021: Dylan Cartlidge.

> David Israelite, President and CEO, National Music Publishers' Association

1 - Honoring Garth Brooks at our Annual Meeting with the NMPA Songwriter Icon Award. Groundbreaking Agreements with Peloton and TikTok.

2 - Winning the CRB Appeal for the 44% rate increase we won in 2018, and starting the fight to improve upon it in the next CRB which starts in January. Continuing the process with the DoJ to amend the consent decrees and give freedom in digital licensing. Convincing apps and digital companies that are built on the backs of songwriters to license and pay properly – or face the consequences

3 - 2020: AC/DC, Taylor Swift, Luke Combs. 2021: Evanescence​.

> Peter Leathem, CEO,  PPL

1 - The single biggest highlight for myself and PPL this year has been paying out more than £260 million to performers and recording rights​ ​holders. We have also donated more than £1 million to hardship funds and are pleased that our revenues have been able to support so many in the music community during these challenging times.

2 - Like most people, I want to see the industry emerge strongly from lockdown – whether that’s ensuring that musicians can perform live and go on tour again, studios can host recording sessions or businesses can fully reopen and play music to their customers. As PPL often says, music makes the world a better place and so we need to work together as an industry to ensure that labels and music businesses can keep investing in music and performers and musicians can keep doing the job they love.

3 - 2020: Biffy Clyro’s ‘A Celebration of Endings’ was my favourite album of the year. I have seen the band live a number of times and have been a fan for some time. They have now produced quite a few albums and this album is as good as any of them. My favourite track from 2020 is ‘Hell of a View’ by Eric Church. With his recent 2020 CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year (at which Awards show he performed this song) I am clearly not alone in being a fan.  

2021: I’m most excited about Arlo Parks and what 2021 holds for her. I’ve been keeping an eye on her career and was looking forward to seeing her perform at SXSW earlier in the year thanks, in part, to PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund to which PPL contributes. I also thought she did a great performance at this year’s AIM Awards which we were proud to support as a Platinum Partner of AIM. With her new album coming out in January, she is definitely one to watch.

> Jeffrey M. Liebenson, Founder and principal, Liebenson Law and Chair, IAEL

1 - Seeing so many people maintain their spirit, despite everything around us  Hosting our first virtual IAEL Legal Summit with participants around the world. Advising Roblox on its first virtual concert with Lil Nas X, one of the most viewed concerts in history.

2 - Vaccines, conferences, concerts, future digital music developments, and seeing what "the new normal" will be.

3 - 2020: Not to sound dated but we had dance parties at home with classics like the B-52's and Republica. 2021: The Beatles will return in Peter Jackson's 'Get Back'.

> Merck Mercuriadis, Founder and CEO, Hipgnosis Songs

1 - Welcoming Richie Sambora, Chrissie Hynde, Mark Ronson, Lindsey Buckingham, Debbie Harry& Chris Stein, No ID, RZA, Rodney Jerkins, Barry Manilow, RedOne, Rick James, LA Reid, Chris Cornell, Stefan Johnson, Bonnie Mckee, Ian Kirkpatrick, Pusha T, Nate Ruess, Kevin Godley, Eric Stewart, Walter Afanasieff, George Benson, Nikki Sixx, Elliot Kennedy, Stev eRobson, Enrique Iglesias, 50Cent and many more to the Hipgnosis family! 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' going to #1 in the UK and US for the first time in it’s 26 year history was pretty awesome too! The addition of Ted Cockle, Amy Thomson, Kenny MacPherson, Casey Robison, Dave Ayers, Jamie Cerreta, Pete Robinson and Nick Jarjour to our executive team.    

2 - Continuing the fight for songwriters to be given a bigger slice of the pie. Concluding many exciting deals that will transform Hipgnosis even further. The DCMS hearings in the UK having a positive effect. Spotify and Amazon ultimately losing their CRB appeal! The new CRB process and rulings.   

3 - ​2020: ​The Weeknd made the best music of 2020 – absolutely incomparable but Andrew Watt, Stefan Johnson, Benny Blanco, Jack Antonoff, PooBear, The-Dream and Starrah all delivered incredible songs. 2021​: It​ will be the year when Andrew Watt not only continues to be a leading light as an artist and producer but also comes to everyone’s attention as an artist!

> Helen Smith, Executive chair, IMPALA

1 - Solidarity and mobilisation in the music sector, e.g. #BlackOutTuesday, #LoveRecordStores.Culture formally recognised by the EU as priority ecosystem for European recovery.

2 - Brexit reaching a reasonable outcome, European tours again, the Biden-Harris administration introducing performance and broadcast rights in the USA for artists and labels, in line with the rest of the world; even China has better protection now.

3 - 2020: David Walters, Sault, Ghostpoet, Nova. 2021: Nova, a young female rapper who won the Scottish Album of the Year award.