Sony Music Entertainment CEO Rob Stringer is to be honoured with the prestigious Music Industry Trusts (MITs) Award this year in recognition of his contribution to the industry.
With a career spanning over three decades, Stringer has worked closely with a wide range of high-profile acts, including the likes of The Clash, Manic Street Preachers, Jamiroquai, Sade and the late George Michael.
Speaking at last night's launch event at the Groucho Club in London, David Munns, chairman of the MIT Awards committee, told Music Week: "Rob is a champion of British music in America. He’s been responsible for a lot of artists making headway and breaking in America and around the world. And he’s a very kind and charitable guy.
"He’s really at the peak of his game now and he deserves some recognition. It’s a good moment for Rob this year - he’s just got promoted to this massive job and we’re very proud of the Brits who make it in America."
Stringer started his career in London at CBS Records as a graduate trainee in 1985. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming managing director of Epic Records in 1992 and chairman of Sony Music UK in 2001. In 2008 he was appointed chairman of Columbia Records in the US, which boasted a roster comprising such acts as AC/DC, Bob Dylan, Celine Dion, Pharrell Williams and Bruce Springsteen. He also presided over several key releases for the US major, among them, Adele’s 25, Beyonce’s Lemonade and David Bowie’s Blackstar, before being made CEO last year.
Commenting on his MITs success, Stringer said: “With its longstanding history in recognising British talent in the music industry, and continued support of two brilliant charities, The BRIT Trust and Nordoff Robbins, it is a true honour to join such illustrious company and be given the MITs Award this year”.
Now in its 26th year, the MITs have honoured some of the biggest names across the music industry. Previous winners include Sir George Martin, Sir Elton John, Sir Lucian Grainge, Michael Eavis, Simon Cowell, Annie Lennox and last year’s winner Roger Daltrey.
Speaking to Music Week at last year’s ceremony, Daltrey, who received the award for his extensive music charity work with organisations such as Nordoff Robbins and Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “It feels like a really big honour because it’s our industry. It’s really special. Nordoff Robbins and charities like Teenage Cancer Trust are small charities and they do incredible work in the community.
"We were one of the founders of Nordoff Robbins in the early ‘70s when a lady wrote to us and said, I’m going to do this charity to teach autistic children through music, will you support it? And we did, so I’m very happy to see it still here but equally I’m aware that they need events like this to make the public realise they are there. Otherwise people are left stranded. We need these kind of functions.”
Stringer was awarded the Music Week Strat in 2014. Revisit the interview we conducted with him at the time here.
