When Music Week revealed that David Ventura and Tim Major were taking over Sony/ATV UK back in May 2019, no one knew what lay ahead for the world’s No.1 music publisher.
They were amongst the first moves made by new global chairman/CEO Jon Platt, who has been reshaping the company since his arrival in April 2019. And, despite having to deal with the turmoil of a global pandemic, the pair have just crowned their action-packed first year in charge with a win as Publisher Of The Year at the 2020 Music Week Awards.
“We’ve signed some incredible songwriters this year, re-organised some of our departments, such as the UK sync team with two promotions, and moved into an amazing new office,” co-MD Major told Music Week as he looked back at the highlights of their time at the helm. “It’s been a challenging year for the industry and the world, but we have really appreciated and enjoyed seeing how quickly the company employees have adapted to this new way of working.”
“On day one of lockdown everyone really dug in, so we could keep working seamlessly for our songwriters,” added Ventura, president and co-MD. “For example, at one point we had 700 people across the company connected worldwide, working together, which highlights how well the company immediately adjusted to this new mode of working.”
Music publishing has not been immune from the effects of the pandemic, with coronavirus restrictions hitting income from the live business and sync as many productions remain shut down. But, with writers such as Ed Sheeran, Ella Mai and Skepta on Sony/ATV's books, the duo said they remain optimistic about the future…
“We have some incredible songwriters who have been spending time this year really getting to the core of their creativity and not giving up,” said Ventura. “In some ways, there has never been a more creative time for the songwriter community and we are so inspired by their ability to adapt, create and have success in a challenging time. Similarly, our team has successfully transitioned to this new way of working, so we’re excited and confident about the future.”
“No matter the circumstances, we will continue to strive for excellence, providing best in class service for our songwriters,” declared Major.
* To read the full interview with Major and Ventura, see the new, special Music Week Awards celebration edition of Music Week, available now, or click here. To subscribe to Music Week and never miss a vital music biz story, click here.
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