First featured in Music Week in our Rising Star column back in October 2017, Parris O’Loughlin-Hoste is blazing a trail for young executives in the UK music business.
Last Friday (November 9), at the fifth edition of the Music Week Women In Music Awards, the 25-year-old stepped on stage as the first winner of the day.
O’Loughlin-Hoste proudly accepted the Rising Star Award from RCA promotions guru James Bass, who served as her mentor when she first arrived at Sony for the major’s internship programme after university.
You can read an interview with RCA’s senior urban artist manager in the new issue of Music Week, out now (subscribers can read it online here). But for a flavour of O’Loughlin-Hoste’s personality and her journey so far, look no further than her Women In Music winner’s speech, which we present in full right here…
“Firstly, I want to say thank you to God. Thank you to Music Week for the recognition and RCA, an incredible team and label, that has a roster that’s not only important to music, but to culture.
“I want to thank the men who have been an amazing part of my journey so far. Jason Iley for always understanding the vision. David Dollimore for always understanding and trusting in me, Adrian Jolly and Andre Carroll.
“And the incredible and amazing women. Stacey Tang for always being a superwoman, Sabrina Kristiansen, Sarah Hall, Precious Omoregie, Cassandra Gracey, Davina Merchant, Praveen Bhati, Janette Quaye, Nikita Chahaun, Rachel Campbell, Jackie Eyewe, Daisy Greenhead and Safiya Lambie-Knight, for not only being role models and examples, but also some of my best friends.
“A special thanks to James Bass, the best mentor and boss a person could ever ask for and hands down the best radio plugger in the game. Sorry if I’ve offended you but it’s true! Not only that, he’s somebody who has constantly guided, protected and fought for me, even if it’s to his own disadvantage. A gem in this industry and a friend for life, thank you for everything you do for me daily.
“Joanne Heron, thank you for being by my side through this mental and very, very insane year, not only forgiving me for having my phone on 24/7, but also for showing incredible grace, support and providing me with stable clarity even when I couldn’t see it.
“Semtex, my OG, my mentor, my rap fairy godfather and most importantly, my friend. You’ve shown me nothing but tough love, support, guidance, protection and undisputed training to become the best senior executive at the age of 25 that I could be. You’ve shown me it’s Ok to care about, fight for and love what I believe in. The words ‘thank you’ would never suffice for Semtex, so I’ve just got to get on and do it.
It’s not only important that we have incredible women in msuic, but also in senior positions of power
Parris O'Loughlin-Hoste
“And my mum – the most important person in my life, who always told me I could be and do anything I ever wanted.
“Lastly, one day, we’ll look around rooms, not only like this one, but in workplaces, offices in streaming companies, record companies and management companies and faces like mine won’t be so unusual. It’s not only important that we have incredible women in these companies, but also in senior positions of power, making decisions, leading teams and executing greatness.
“Men, listen to your female counterparts. It’s on you to guide and protect young women like myself coming through, make space for us to grow, be heard and succeed, even if that means giving up some of your own privileges to do so.
“The future of the music industry is diverse, passionate, dedicated, representative and it’s most definitely female.”
FOLLOW 
