During the Music Week Women In Music Awards 2026, we inducted a host of trailblazing industry executives into the Roll Of Honour, in association with Live Nation Women.
They join a huge list of previous honourees, including some of the leading names from across the business like Kanya King, Emma Banks, Charisse Beaumont, Rebecca Allen, Stacey Tang, Laura Monks, Shani Gonzales and Mary Anne Hobbs, who have been selected since the awards began in 2014. The Roll Of Honour aims to shine a spotlight on the variety of individuals who are leading the charge in the music industry and consistently using their platforms to support women, or focus on empowerment and gender disparity.
Following the Women In Music Awards ceremony, Music Week is running Q&A interviews with all of this year’s Roll Of Honour inductees.
Jackie Joseph leads business affairs for Blue Raincoat Music and Chrysalis Records as general counsel, working across the teams in London, New York and Los Angeles. She arrived in the music industry in the same year that Napster launched, and has worked across the legal, commercial and creative sides of the business ever since.
What has kept her engaged throughout that time is the constant change in the industry, the incredible people she has had the opportunity to work with, and the challenge of finding ways to support creativity while ensuring the business works.
In Joseph’s current role, she advises on a broad range of legal, commercial and strategic matters, working closely with artists, writers, managers and creative teams. For the past six years, she has been immersed in Blue Raincoat’s growing roster of artists and songwriters and in the deep catalogue of Chrysalis Records. Supporting the management team with their Grammy, BRIT Award and Mercury Prize-winning artists and producers is particularly fun of her job – and is constantly challenging. No two days are the same and the evolving legal landscape will keep it that way.
Prior to joining Blue Raincoat Music and Chrysalis Records, Joseph spent 14 years across various Universal companies in the UK and Ireland including UMTV, Decca, Island and Globe. It was a time, she says, of “many genuinely quirky and creative deals” – nuns, army regiments and global superstar artists each with their own peculiar challenges – as well as film and TV production, and some novel synchronisation and branding deals.
On leaving Universal, Joseph founded her own consultancy, Halloween Jack. This has allowed her to work with labels, publishers, artist managers, production and tech companies, advising on everything from rights and licensing to new technologies and changing commercial models.
Joseph is proud to be a board member of the Association Of Independent Music (AIM). Supporting the independent music sector and contributing to conversations about the future of our industry is something that she cares deeply about.
Throughout Joseph’s career, she has greatly valued the people that she has had the opportunity to work with. Having been on the receiving end of great patience and incredible opportunities, arriving at Instant Karma with no knowledge at all of the business, guidance is something that Joseph is keen to pass on. Sharing knowledge and mentoring others is an increasingly important part of her work. It is a particular pleasure when former trainee solicitors or mentees cross her path.
Here, she reflects on a career that she really enjoys, the people who have influenced and helped her along the way, and the “exceptional” colleagues and great characters that she has been able to work with...
How do you feel about joining the Roll Of Honour?
“Having enjoyed attending the awards for many years now, it’s a real delight and surprise to be a part of it. The recent induction drinks event was a great celebration with old friends and was the chance to meet some people whose names I’ve known well but never previously met.”
Looking back, how do you reflect on your early years getting into the industry?
“I was insanely jealous of Coco Schwab’s [PA and confidant] job for David Bowie, which made me want to work in the music industry. Since she was already doing that, law school was my sideways approach in, working with the skills I had. In the end, it was an advert in The Times which got me into a room at Warner, and I was then hired by Rob Dickins [ex-Warner Music UK chairman] at the label Instant Karma, just after he had left Warner.”
Did you have a mentor at that stage?
“Rob was extremely generous with his time and knowledge, so I had the real luxury of learning on the job at Instant Karma. If I wanted to understand a producer agreement, I was taken to the studio to watch and understand the process behind the paperwork. Alasdair George at Sony and Rak Sanghvi at Sony/ATV were incredibly patient with me on the legal side. Jo Smith [ex-Warner Chappell; music industry lawyer; previous Roll of Honour inductee] and Cliff Fluet [partner, Lewis Silkin LLP] took a lot of phone calls too. There was a good network of business affairs people in the companies who got together and talked.”
It’s clear from your testimonials and background that you are very committed to sharing your knowledge with colleagues, as well as mentoring and advocating for fairness – be it to artists, managers or executives. Why is that important to you?
“Having been the beneficiary of so much goodwill and generosity from people who helped me on my way in, I see it as an absolute responsibility and privilege to share what I can now. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how well former interns and trainees have gone on to do and, increasingly, what they can now teach me.Fairness in dealmaking is at the heart of how Blue Raincoat and Chrysalis operate. Jeremy Lascelles [co-founder and CEO, Blue Raincoat; CEO, Chrysalis Records] has always made the happiness and success of our artists, writers, and managers a priority, and that approach has become a real calling card for us. Ollie Hodge, whose Some Action label has recently joined Reservoir and Chrysalis, is similarly committed to creating true partnerships where everyone has an opportunity to win. And of course, Golnar Khosrowshahi, who founded and leads Reservoir, is another great example. She consistently champions women, and sets the tone of collaboration across our business. The contract is really just the beginning of a relationship. If you’re building something that you hope will last for years, everyone should feel that they’ve entered into it and will continue with a genuine sense of partnership.”
The ability to adapt without losing sight of your core principles is increasingly important
Jackie Joseph, Blue Raincoat Music
Do you think the role of lawyers is fully appreciated in the music industry? How does their work underpin successful partnerships between artists, labels and distributors?
“Artist lawyers, in particular, have taken on an increasingly significant role in their clients’ careers in identifying and securing opportunities that may not have existed before.”
How would you say the role of lawyer has evolved over the course of your career? In 2026, do you feel it’s closer to the heart of industry than ever before?
“The most striking evolution has undoubtedly been around digital rights, and the emergence and now dominance of streaming and social media. Of course, AI has challenged many of the assumptions on which our industry was built. The work I get to do with AIM and the Impala copyright team often has legal principles at its heart, and as the organisations continue to engage on major questions around AI licensing and artist remuneration, they are helping to shape the policies, frameworks, and commercial models that will govern the independent music sector going forwards.”
What advice would you give to a young woman interested in pursuing a career in music law? Where should they begin?
“It’s become increasingly competitive to enter the legal profession generally, but there are more roles available, so do ask a lot of questions to work out what might be available. I recently hosted a roundtable for a group of aspiring music lawyers, and a few of them left with some new ideas about where a career in music law could take them, such as the collecting societies which have large legal teams dealing with interesting issues.”
Can you share what is your biggest achievement so far?
“Consecutive years as runner-up on Team Reservoir in the MPA music quiz means that the biggest achievement is yet to come! Team Kassner are, unfortunately for us, quite brilliant. Until then, it’s the relationships and friendships I’ve built throughout my career and of seeing the people and the talents I’ve worked with go on to do great things.”
What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?
“Ask all the questions, and don’t be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know.’ People are usually happy to share their knowledge and experience – and appreciate curiosity and a willingness to learn.”
And what is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“The best advice came with the lightest touch, and by observation. Clive Fisher at UMG delivered daily masterclasses in the art of negotiation ,which generally involved 25 minutes of chat and several Rothmans cigarettes (his), with the issues elegantly solved in the final five minutes. Everyone left the room feeling they’d done well out of it.”
Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?
“I am lucky to share an office with the Blue Raincoat artist managers, and Joolz Raaken, who is currently a day-to-day manager, consistently impresses me. She is devoted to her artists and makes a real contribution to the team. Her work on the recent Antony Szmierek campaign demonstrated her fantastic drive, creativity, and energy. I have no doubt that she will have a roster of her own very soon. The Chrysalis marketing team is also harbouring a couple of future superstars in Grace Campbell and Eva Davies, who keep me on my toes and are both doing fantastic work. We are surrounded by a lot of talented young women in our office.”
Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?
“Chrysalis artist Matilda Finn Frances has a really remarkable voice and there’s a genuine sense of excitement around her at the moment. We are all thrilled to see the support that she’s receiving from Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio.”
Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2026 so far?
“Whichever part of the industry you’re coming from, it’s important to remain nimble. The pace of change continues to be extraordinary, and the ability to adapt without losing sight of your core principles is increasingly important.”
