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.
Shrina Patel has amassed a wealth of experience in the music industry, currently serving as VP of business & legal Affairs at Merlin, a digital music licensing partner for independent labels and distributors across the globe.
Patel began her career at a law firm supporting the team that advised Universal Music Group (UMG) on the sale of assets following its acquisition of EMI. Following that, she moved to the BPI, providing legal advice on the BRIT Awards, the Mercury Prize and the Official Charts, while also working on legal issues faced by the recorded music industry.
Prior to joining Merlin, Patel was part of Universal Music UK’s digital team, working closely with the global licensing team to implement digital strategy and licensing deals across the UK business. This was at a time when new deal structures beyond established streaming models were entering the market.
Over the past six years, Patel has become a key dealmaker at Merlin, leading global negotiations with digital services including YouTube, Meta, SoundCloud, Twitch and other established and emerging platforms. In that time, she has built long-standing partnerships across the industry, working alongside services as they introduce new products and royalty structures into the market, and securing premium deals and protections for Merlin members.
In her role as VP of business & legal affairs, Patel also contributes to other initiatives through which Merlin supports its community of independent rightsholders, including Merlin’s recently announced partnership with Pipeline to provide financial advances to members. Additionally, she assists with Merlin's strategy for tackling illegitimate activity and protecting content integrity across the music industry.
Through her work at Merlin, Patel is committed to enabling independents who shape culture to compete at the highest level, with artistic freedom and commercial independence intact...
How do you feel about joining the Roll Of Honour?
“It’s an honour to be part of a group of accomplished women who are leaders in the music industry. When life is busy, it’s easy to focus only on what’s in front of you, so it’s been really nice to reflect on what it’s taken to get here. I feel a lot of joy and pride in having built a career working in music, and in being firmly rooted in the independent music sector.”
How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?
“I’m proud of my younger self for leaving the corporate job that I’d worked really hard to get, only to leave just a few months into it to see if I could build a career in music. In that first year, I worked for the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize. Looking back, it was an incredible introduction to the music industry. It was definitely a case of learning by doing and it gave me the opportunity to interact with artists, managers, labels, PR companies and the surprisingly small but mighty teams across the industry that make it all happen.”
Did you have a mentor at that stage?
“I didn’t really know anyone in the music industry when I first started, so it was more a case of making any connections I could and learning from those people along the way. My first taste of the music industry (and opportunity to meet someone working in it!) was as a trainee lawyer in the team that advised Universal Music on the sale of assets following its acquisition of EMI. I was the most junior member of staff, but I’m especially grateful to Alex Doherty who took the time to speak to me, answer my questions and give me advice about moving into the industry.”
Being able to empower others to do their best work is an important part of leadership and a lesson I’m continuing to learn
Shrina Patel, Merlin
Does the wider industry underestimate the indie sector in terms of the impact it makes in the digital sphere?
"That may have been the case in the past, and that’s why Merlin was founded: to use the collective market share of our members to secure premium deals with digital services. Today, the success of our members and the independent artists they represent speaks for itself. Over the past 18 years, Merlin has built strong relationships across the industry and we’re part of the conversation on what comes next in digital music – not an afterthought to it. Companies looking to use music increasingly prioritise deals with Merlin because they recognise the value that independent music brings to their services."
What does working in the independent music sector mean to you?
“It’s important to me that artists across the world have the freedom to make the music they want to make, and that the structures exist to support and monetise the creation of that art. That’s what the independent sector is to me. I’m proud to play my part by negotiating premium commercial deals with digital services, enabling Merlin’s members to compete at the highest level while staying independent. I also feel privileged to work with our members – the entrepreneurs and innovators across the independent sector that partner with artists to make it all happen.”
Is there one issue is the independent sector that isn’t talked about, which should be?
“Issues of content integrity and illegitimate activity are already widely discussed, and rightly so, given how important they are for the health of the music industry. What's discussed less is the work being done to address the issues and the real results that are being delivered. I'd like to mention Sarah McNabb [director, content integrity], who heads up Merlin's efforts in this area, and the cross-functional team who work on this every day with our members and DSP partners across the industry. That work has led to real results – reducing content integrity issues and illegitimate activity across Merlin's members, and playing our part to ensure earnings from digital services don't end up in the wrong hands.”
What’s your biggest achievement so far?
“The work I do at Merlin. The independent sector is filled with small teams punching above their weight and competing at the same level as organisations with more resources, and Merlin is no different. I couldn’t make it happen without the teams around me. But I’m proud that in negotiations with global DSPs when it’s usually only me across the table from a team of negotiators, I hold my own and, importantly, get deals done that put Merlin’s members in a better position than they would have been individually. Though negotiations can often be tense and challenging, the relationships I’ve built with digital services are crucial. I’m thankful to Charlie Lexton [CEO, Merlin] for trusting me to take ownership of deals from my first day. It has been a steep learning curve, but over the last six-and-a-half years I’ve become a better negotiator and leader. Being given the space to grow and develop has allowed me to do that.”
Can you share some key advice to young women about enjoying a successful career in music?
“It sounds simple but: speak to people and be yourself. As a concept, ‘networking’ can sound very soulless and unappealing. But really, it’s about getting to know people, and relationships are at the heart of the industry. Though the journey can be harder for some people than others, and you may not always see people who look like you or share your life experience, I do think there’s a place in the music industry for different types of people, who each have their own personality and set of skills. Rather than needing to be a certain way to be successful, what’s more important is having confidence in yourself and your abilities.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Learn how to plan and prioritise effectively. It’s something we all have to do in our personal and professional lives, but it gets harder as companies and industries grow and become more complex. Digital music certainly has during the years I’ve worked in it. In practice, that means having a clear focus on what I’m trying to achieve, especially when my to-do list feels never-ending. It’s also what lets me look back and recognise how much I’ve actually achieved, even when it doesn’t always feel like that day to day.”
Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?
“I’m grateful to be part of an incredible team at Merlin. It’s the best part of my job and there are a number of incredible women in that team. One person who comes to mind straight away is Alice Moss [director, partnership operations], who joined the Merlin team almost three years ago. It feels longer because she has a wealth of knowledge in DSP and member operations. And, especially over the last year, she’s become an invaluable support to me as I negotiate licensing deals with DSPs. I’d also like to mention my peers and fellow leaders, Marta de la Hoz [VP, reporting, insights & business analytics] and Emma Robinson [VP, partnerships]. I’m always learning from them and I’m grateful for our friendship as we navigate the exciting future of Merlin together.”
Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?
“I’m excited about the new album coming out this year from Sheherazaad on Erased Tapes. I love discovering artists who mix languages and musical styles, and the blend of modern and classical makes her music exciting and unexpected. It’s the type of music I would’ve loved to find as a young person playing both Western and Indian classical instruments, when those worlds felt quite separate to me at the time. One of my favourite shows last year was seeing Sheherazaad at SJQ, a beautiful independent venue in London.”
Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2026 so far?
“Since starting my role as VP of business & legal affairs at the beginning of the year, I’m learning how best to support colleagues in my team and around the organisation who rely on my input to do their jobs. Though that sounds like an obvious part of working in any company, being able to empower others to do their best work is an important part of leadership and a lesson I’m continuing to learn! From a personal perspective, I’m prioritising travel with friends and family. Even when the timing isn’t perfect, those trips with loved ones and time away from work are always worth it.”
