At this year's Women In Music Awards, we celebrated the achievements of 13 game-changing executives and artists as the industry came together to honour their work. Music Week has spoken to all 13 winners to tell their stories.
Words: Yemi Abiade
Charisse Oyediwura is the CEO of Black Lives In Music (BLIM), an organisation dedicated to promoting equality for Black musicians and music industry professionals.
She founded the organisation in 2020 alongside Roger Wilson, with a mission to advocate for equal opportunities in the UK music industry and fight against racism. In amongst a multitude of achievements over the past for years are highlights including appearing at the Women and Equalities Committee Misogyny In Music parliamentary inquiry after BLIM released its survey findings on the experiences of music industry professionals, with a specific focus on misogyny affecting Black women.
Oyediwura has also played a key role in developing the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) and works with the organisation to influence legislation to eradicate discrimination, bullying and harassment in music. Alongside this, she has spearheaded BLIM’s forthcoming Anti-Racist Code Of Conduct.
In 2023, BLIM released the Unseen Unheard report (and accompanying podcast series) with Attitude Is Everything. Last month, meanwhile, Oyediwura gave evidence to the London Assembly’s Economy, Culture and Skills Committee.
Interviewed in Music Week alongside Wilson earlier this year, she reflected on the BLIM mission so far.
“Yes, we are seeing some organisations diversify the look of their C-suite but nowhere near the amount that people said they were going to do initially,” she said. “Our Being Black In The UK Music Industry report said 88% of Black people believe there are barriers to progression, while 67% have experienced direct racism. If we don’t exist, it’s definitely going to get worse.”
Here, to look ahead to what’s next for BLIM and find out what it takes to be a campaigner in the music business in 2024, Music Week goes face to face with Charisse Oyediwura…
How does it feel to win the Campaigner award at the Women In Music awards?
“I’ve said in previous interviews with Music Week that I don’t look for recognition, I just keep my head down and do the work. But I went to the Women in Music Awards [in 2021] and I saw Carla Marie Williams win it and I knew I wanted it too. So it was really good to come behind various other campaigners and receive such an honour. In this campaigner space, we are close knit, so to be marked as Campaigner of the year amongst so many other people who are working really hard for change, means the world. It does feel like a light in the dark and it encapsulates all the work that we're doing at Black Lives In Music.”
You're already a Roll Of Honour inductee, what does this event mean to you personally? And what does it mean to the music industry?
“I love it. I think I speak for many women when I say we want to be, and want to see, women uplifted. We want to see women get their flowers and dues. You can just see the array of women from all kinds of backgrounds at the Awards and it feels really good. I’ve been going for four years now and it’s always been really welcoming and a beautiful atmosphere and environment to be in. They say it's the best event in the UK music industry and I’m pretty sure it is. It allows the music industry to recognise the women working in it, recognise their own members of staff and reward them with the things they deserve. It shouldn't take an outside organisation to do that, but sometimes you need that to give the rest of the industry a nudge.”
This award feels like a light in the dark and it encapsulates all the work that we're doing at Black Lives In Music
Charisse Oyediwura, Black Lives In Music
From a BLIM perspective, what is the current reality facing women and women of colour in the business?
“I think there's still a way to go. There’s been some elevation and promotions amongst Black women in the industry. We've seen people like myself receive awards. Black Lives In Music is doing a lot of work as an organisation to lift up Black women in various different sectors, whether they are execs, whether they’re sound engineers. We're trying to bridge gaps and we've partnered with 110 companies to help us. But we’re just one organisation. Then you look at the onslaught of what is actually happening, Black women being the first to lose their jobs when redundancies come around. We're the ones who still don't get promotions on the whole. We already have an issue where Black women are leaving the industry in droves. It's a complete exodus. It's been going on for the last three, four years. There's a lot of work to undo all of this, to level the playing field. If we know better and we can do better, then we must do better.”
The work BLIM has done is well documented, but what is your proudest achievement or biggest win so far?
“The biggest achievement is our team. Everything we do is a first. We're not about ticking boxes here. We're about getting it done. We're creating a legacy and I'm really grateful for the work that we're doing. So every day we work is my favourite because every day we deliver.”
When you last spoke with MW you said, "I feel that, being a woman and being Black, my own voice is still a little bit hard for them to hear. So, in terms of racism or prejudice, I still experience it.” Do you feel that this is shifting in light of the work you and others are doing?
“It's hard to be heard as a Black woman. So, bringing it back to the Women In Music Awards, I'm really grateful that the recognition allows us to be heard. It's actually a problem across every sector with Black women and their voices not being heard. But I've been championed by many white people because they've listened to me, and supported what we’re doing. So, to a certain extent, we've seen a lot of progress because of their willingness to partner with us. They understand and they're willing to listen and see the problem.”
Everyone who has been with Black Lives In Music from day one has wanted to see one agenda, which is equality in the music industry
Charisse Oyediwura, Black Lives In Music
You also told us, “Data is a language that those in the position to action change understand”. Why is this and how has BLIM used data to its advantage?
“Black people have lived the experience of discrimination for 400 years. We’ve been in the music industry for over 40 years and it's taken data and a reckoning for people to finally understand what's been happening. We understand the power of data now. So we capture data on bullying, harassment, being Black and disabled in the music industry, the lived experience of Black people and we're able to utilise it to create frameworks for change.”
You have previously spoken about the 'back-breaking' work you and your BLIM colleagues do and suggested that is driven by the promise to deliver on your aims. What does it take to run an organisation like BLIM?
“Finances for a start! But everyone who has been with Black Lives In Music from day one has wanted to see one agenda, which is equality in the music industry. Change for Black people. It takes that heartfelt, genuine dedication and belief in this mission for change. You may see me and Roger Wilson front and centre, but there are 20 people behind us. I'm so grateful that we have an amazing team that is in this with us to make change. It makes things a whole lot easier.”
And what does it take to be a campaigner? Is it something that is in-built, do you think?
“I think about this all the time. You put your own money into this as a campaigner. Your blood, sweat and tears, your ideas, and it's always coming from a place of personal experience. Wanting to do something, finding the solutions to do something then realising you have to do it yourself.”
What's the biggest challenge or threat to your own personal success as a campaigner?
“The sad thing is that a lot of campaigners burn out. Self-care isn’t even on the radar. So it's really important, as a campaigner, that we begin to take care of ourselves. We believe the cause is worth it, but it's never worth your health. That's why it's important that the music industry, or for whatever we're campaigning in, listens to us. Black Lives In Music has to battle every day and while it's deep, it's not deep enough for you to neglect your mental and physical health.”
What is BLIM working on next?
“Our next project is a data-led enterprise called EquiTrack, which lands on October 23. It's a piece of tech we've been developing for the last 18 months, which will capture the diversity and inclusion goals of each organisation working in the UK music industry. We're utilising data for the music industry to see how they're progressing. We're also launching an anti-racist code of conduct, which has 14 points on how organisations can become anti-racist. With that data and reporting, we'll be able to publish reports for organisations for them to see how they're progressing. Working with those organisations allows them to have access to our learning resource centres and training videos in order for them to get better. We've got Turn It Up as well, our programming for empowering Black people of all genders, getting them jobs in the industry. We've got Equaliser where we're training audio engineers with the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican. We've got Recruiting Classical next April where we're going to see 150 brass players audition for six of the top orchestras in the UK, and they’ll say there's no Black people that play classical music! So join us, support us and let's see the work that we can begin to do together.”
Can you name the one thing you want to make sure people in the industry hear, remember and act upon?
“Support us, that’s it. If you really want to see change, we're the ones creating the change. You see us. You can't say you don't see us. So help us and watch what more we can do.”
Finally, how do you see the fight against racism and discrimination evolving over the next five years?
“It can go one of two ways. You can either have it stay as it is, where people pretend [racism and discrimination] isn’t happening, or just don't care enough to do anything about it. Or they do care enough to do something about it and partner with organisations like Black Lives In Music. Learn how to make sure that this industry is more progressive and anti-racism is on the agenda. I won’t say things will become racism free but we would have a better, more thriving and more profitable music industry.”
Click here for more from Women In Music 2024.
