ICMP has announced that Misa Watanabe will receive the 2018 ICMP Ralph Peer II Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Music Publishing.
In 1962, she and her late husband Shin Watanabe founded Watanabe Music Publishing, the first company in Japan to offer full copyright administration services to every title in the country. Watanabe was also instrumental in breaking Queen in Japan, and overseeing the licensing of the Queen, David Bowie, and Deep Purple catalogues.
She will be honoured on June 5 at an invitational gala dinner during the Midem music industry conference in Cannes.
Watanabe said: “This accolade brings back fond memories of my time founding the MPAJ, as well as meeting Sal Chianti, Leonard Feist and others at the Majestic Hotel in Cannes to help them lay the foundations of the International Federation of Popular Music Publishers. I would like to thank all the members of ICMP and wish the confederation all the very best.”
Watanabe was selected from nominees submitted by ICMP member organisations in over 70 countries and is being honoured for her enormous impact on music publishing in Japan, France, and worldwide. Previous winners of the Ralph Peer II Award include Irwin Z. Robinson in 2015.
Ralph Peer II said: “Misa has distinguished herself by bringing the Japanese music publishing sector to the world stage in an eminent and gracious manner. She has tirelessly advocated on behalf of Japanese publishers and composers through her work with diplomats and politicians at home and abroad.”
By Allie Miller
