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.
Louisa Rainbird is a distinguished music and media executive whose career spans more than two decades across music publishing, licensing, catalogue management and creative leadership within the audio-visual industries.
As head of music, Europe, Amazon MGM Studios, Rainbird leads music operations across all European territories, overseeing a team of 11 music professionals who shape the creative and strategic musical vision for Amazon's original productions – encompassing scripted series, films and unscripted content. During her tenure, she has directly managed more than 100 titles, including The Girlfriend, All Or Nothing: Arsenal, Bait, and KSI: In Real Life.
Before joining Amazon, Rainbird served as director of UK sync and head of creative, TV, at Music Sales (2016-2020) in which she steered creative strategy for a catalogue comprising more than 350,000 compositions. Acclaimed film and television composers including Hildur Guðnadóttir, Volker Bertelmann, Joby Talbot, and Dustin O'Halloran worked in collaboration with Music Sales.
Earlier in her career, Rainbird held the role of music licensing executive at Sky UK (2011-2015), overseeing music for the broadcaster's commissioned programming slate as well as co-creating the live music series, Sky Arts Sessions.
Beyond her day-to-day role, Rainbird created and continues to manage the Prelude initiative, a programme developed in partnership with PRS Foundation and Prime Video's Public Policy team. Prelude supports early career, UK-based media composers from under-represented backgrounds through funding, mentoring, structured informational sessions and networking opportunities, helping to build a more diverse pipeline of talent in screen composition.
Rainbird’s contributions have been recognised with the Music Publishers Association's Richard Toeman Scholarship, inclusion in Music Week's 30 Under 30, and a listing on SheSaidSo's Alternative Power List.
How do you feel about joining the Roll Of Honour?
“I'm beyond thrilled — it's a privilege to join such an incredible list of inspiring women from across the music industry. I've attended the Women In Music Awards many times and always walked away feeling inspired by the breadth of talent celebrated in that room. It's one of the most uplifting and joyous events you can attend, so to be recognised as part of it this year makes it extra special.
Looking back, how do you reflect on your early years getting into the industry?
“In retrospect, it was a daunting experience. I knew I wanted to work in the music industry from a young age, but I had no idea about the roles that existed or any contacts who worked in the entertainment industry. I just tried to get as much work experience as I could and meet anyone from music when I was starting out so that I could develop my own understanding and build a network. This is one of the reasons I feel so strongly about advocating for industry opportunities for people who don’t have immediate points of access.”
Did you have a mentor at that stage?
“At that time, I wouldn’t say I had a mentor as such, but I have been lucky enough throughout my career to be surrounded by amazing women who have provided me with support and guidance. In the world of music for film and television, there are so many amazing women working as music supervisors, composers, agents and rightsholders, and I’m fortunate to work with them on a regular basis. I also get to work closely with fantastic female leaders in my role at Amazon MGM Studios who are a constant source of inspiration: Krista James, who is global head of music business affairs, and Laura Whibicks, director of music licensing. I have a group of girlfriends who work across the music industry and we serve as peer mentors to one another. They are the first people I turn to for advice, and they serve as equal parts agony aunts and cheerleaders!”
What is it about the world of music for TV and film that you find so personally rewarding to work in? What would be your advice to young women looking to follow in your footsteps into that world?
“I love how much music can impact an audience’s emotion and engagement with a character or a story. Try watching Jaws with the music off and you’ll see how much of the stress comes from John Williams’ masterful score. It’s always exciting to be part of shaping the music strategy to deliver something that will serve the story, to pull together the right team to deliver that vision, and to then see how audiences react to it once it’s out in the world. In terms of taking steps into the industry, there is a lot of information now available online about music supervision and sync. It’s also the easiest thing in the world to research by watching films and television shows. Most people working in the field are approachable, but I always recommend really honing in on what interests you and tailoring outreach to people whose work you admire. Many people think of music supervision as the primary role in this area but there are lots of opportunities related to this world beyond that role – from pitching catalogues for sync use, representing composers as agents, working as a music editor, and so on.”
I feel very strongly about removing barriers to entry for people coming into the music industry, knowing how challenging it was for me
Louisa Rainbird, Amazon MGM Studios
You’re involved with Amazon MGM and PRS Foundation’s Prelude initiative. What impact has that made so far, and why was it so important to you personally to lead that change?
“I feel very strongly about removing barriers to entry for people coming into the music industry, knowing how challenging it was for me. In many ways, I came to the industry with a lot of privilege. The focus should be on who is the best person for the job, not whether they know the right contacts or live in the right place. There has been progress made but there is still a way to go in promoting inclusive hiring opportunities across many areas, including less discussed topics like socio-economic barriers or childcare considerations. So far, we’ve supported eight people through Prelude, offering financial support alongside a tailored programme aimed at increasing knowledge, skills and network. I’m working internally on developing further opportunities for our previous participants while also looking forward to the 2027 edition.”
What’s your biggest achievement so far?
“Prelude is the achievement I’m most proud of. I’m glad to play even a small part in bringing about positive change in the industry, and I have personally learned a lot as part of the experience. In terms of productions, I’ve been lucky enough to work on amazing and varied projects across my career, but a particular recent highlight was the series Bait with Riz Ahmed, which we launched earlier this year. Beyond the incredible soundtrack in the show, we created a Music From & Inspired By Soundtrack, which contained 17 original songs featuring major talent including Riz Ahmed, Jorja Smith, AJ Tracey, Jay Sean, Talwiinder, Casisdead and many more, with tracks from the show, tracks that incorporated samples from the in-show music, and dialogue snippets, to creatively tie the album back to the series. Lily Girdlestone from our Music BA team and I worked closely with Riz, Ciara Elwis (music supervisor), and Zubin Irani from the record label partner, FAMM, on this release, which is the perfect example of how music can make such a difference to a show and have a life beyond the screen.”
What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?
“My main advice would apply to anyone wanting to work in this industry: work hard, take real ownership of your responsibilities, be willing to learn from your mistakes, and treat others as you would like to be treated. This industry can still be difficult – it involves long hours, differing opinions and urgent deadlines, so remember to be kind to yourself and find a group of people in the industry who will show up for you on the good days and the bad.”
And what is the best advice you’ve ever had?
“When I was just starting out, I applied for any and every entry-level job I could find. I was eventually offered a role while still waiting to hear back from another interview and, under pressure, I accepted it. Shortly after, the other company came back with an offer too, and I turned it down because I'd already committed elsewhere. I was gutted. My instinct was telling me I'd made the wrong choice, but I didn't want to let anyone down. I remember my dad saying that if I went back on my word, I might feel bad for a short time, but if I didn't do what was right for me, I'd feel worse for much longer. So I did end up taking the other role, being completely transparent with both companies about what had happened – and it turned out to be the right decision. I gained incredible experience in that job and was promoted twice within a year. It was an important life lesson in trusting your gut and advocating for yourself.”
Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?
“Inna Lytovka, who works in my team as music coordinator for the UK & Nordics. Inna has been with the company for just under a year and has already made such a positive impact. She's been instrumental in supporting productions including Bait and Your Fault: London, has stepped in to support the wider European team during periods where we've been short-staffed, and is constantly looking for ways to improve how we operate. I'm really excited to see everything I know she'll go on to achieve.”
Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?
“I am a huge fan of Hania Rani, a Polish artist and composer whose musical output is beautiful. I knew from the moment I heard her music she would be perfect for scoring and she has since worked on several productions, including The Lost Flowers Of Alice Heart for us and, more recently, Sentimental Value, which has a stunning score.”
Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2026 so far?
“My dad passed away earlier this year, and it has been the hardest thing I've ever been through. There is no starker reminder of how short life is, and to make the most of every moment.”
