NMPA: SIR GRAINGE SPEAKS, LIN HONORED, COHEN CROWNED

On 6/15 the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) held its annual meeting in person for the first time since the pandemic began.

NMPA CEO David Israelite hosted the invite-only Lincoln Center event, which honored 2022 Songwriter Icon Award recipient Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” and featured a keynote conversation with UMG boss Sir Lucian Grainge.

Beginning with a performance by Grammy winner Jon Batiste, the nearly three-hour soiree drilled down into what Israelite called the ongoing “battle” between streaming giants Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Google (YouTube) and Pandora and those who actually create the music—against a backdrop of 15.31% growth in industry revenue from 2021, amounting to more than $4.7 billion.

The NMPA topper applauded the Recording Academy for adding a Songwriter of the Year category to the annual Grammy Awards and announced the launch of the National Organization to Empower Songwriters.

During the Q&A with Grainge, Israelite noted the billions of dollars UMG has spent on artist’s catalogs over the last two years, including the $300 million purchase of Bob Dylan’s in December 2020, and asked how UMG determines which ones to buy.

“Class and quality and iconic works and iconic writers,” Grainge replied. “Works that are defiant and have moved the culture. Music that, when you listen to it, you know where you were, what you were doing, how old you were, when you first heard it... We’ve been more selective than a lot of people think we have. We don’t buy stuff. We don’t buy income streams. We leave that to others, obviously, and it’s something I’ve been doing, frankly, for decades.”

Grainge also spoke to the priority of elevating music from different parts of the world, saying, “I think this is the advantage of the technology and developments in music we’ve leaned into... There’s present-day thinking, and then there are people who think about the future. When you look at consumers, audience, demographics in India, Asia, Africa, for example—rhythms, beats, cultures, the amount of diaspora around the world—I think it’s incredibly compelling. I think it’s incumbent on us. It’s a great contribution that the technology and the platforms have made that we have been able to cross borders, and anything is possible now.”

Midway through the program, the NMPA Iconic Song Award was bestowed upon Cohen’s "Hallelujah,” a moment capped by singer Chris Mann’s moving rendition of the 1984 classic. Newcomer Madilyn Bailey performed as well. Wrapping up the live-music portion of the evening was Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Ryan Shaw, who did a medley of Miranda’s catalog.

Also presented was a panel focusing on Women in the Industry with Grammy-winning songwriter Autumn Rowe, UMPG Chairman/CEO Jody Gerson, Warner Chappell Music Co-Chair/COO Carianne Marshall and Reservoir founder/President Golnar Khosrowshahi. NMPA EVP/GC Danielle Aguirre served as moderator.

As the annual meeting came to a close, Miranda sauntered onstage, where he graciously accepted his 2022 NMPA Songwriter Icon Award, saying, “I was made aware that I am the first musical-theater writer to get this award, which is extraordinary.” Israelite then presented Miranda with a plaque commemorating his RIAA gold and platinum certifications, assuring him it would be shipped to his home, at which Miranda expressed relief, remarking, "I will look crazy taking that on the A train uptown. Thank you so much.”