SHE IS THE MUSIC – extra funding and partnerships
Posted on: Friday 22nd of February 2019
The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Billboard Media Group and Universal Music Group (UMG) have committed extra resources and support for SITM, the non-profit which actively drives equality, inclusivity and opportunity for women in music.
Founded in 2018, SITM is a nonprofit focused on achieving equality, inclusivity and opportunity for women in music. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative will share its proprietary dataset of more than 400 credited female artists, writers and producers to help grow the SITM Database, which was announced in December 2018. UMG has announced a donation of $50,000 and Billboard will chip in $25,000, sums that will benefit the SITM Database and its mentorship program.
“She Is The Music believes in an industry that not only values women but demands equality and inclusivity for executives and creators alike. When our entire business unites to take action, we can drive historic change for good – and the revolution is already underway,” said Jody Gerson, SITM cofounder and global chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, in a statement.
“Along with our cofounder Alicia Keys and all of SITM, we deeply appreciate the generosity and support of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Billboard and Universal Music Group. We especially want to thank Sir Lucian Grainge who was the first person to say ‘yes’ and commit to supporting our effort. Partnerships like this enable us to provide women with opportunities that will drive creativity to new heights and make for a better music world.”
Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Founder and Director of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative added: “One of the most important ways to increase inclusion is to ensure that more women are considered and hired for positions behind the scenes. The She Is The Music Database is a critical tool to get more women into creative roles throughout the music industry. I am thrilled to support their efforts by sharing our data to expand their database and make She Is The Music the industry gold standard.”
