UK Music: 'Much more can and should be done to tackle racism'

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was established in 2020 in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. It aims to investigate race and ethnic disparities in the UK.

UK Music have stated that the report has not gone far enough in recognising the extent of structural and systemic racism across the country. 

'There are missed opportunities in not making ethnic pay gap reporting a legal requirement,' a spokesperson from the organisation said. 'The report also missed the chance to adequately reflect the lived experience of ethnically diverse communities in the music industry and across society.'

UK Music highlighted what it called 'a clear way forward' in its Ten-Point Plan, a blueprint for committing to ethnic diversity and tackling structural racism, which was published last year. 

UK Music's Ten-Point plan is reproduced here:

1. Urban classification to be replaced in all reports and communications – either by genre such as Soul or Rap; UK Music members will commit to support those who wish to use the term “black music”. Members to stop using the acronym BAME – use Black, Asian or ethnic minority background rather than acronym.

2.  UK Music members to compile a database of persons accountable & responsible for diversity across organisation

3. UK Music members to commit and spend an allocated amount of their annual recruitment budget to ensure a diverse candidate pool.

4. UK Music members to allocate a certain amount of their annual training budget on a 12-month diversity Continuing Professional Development / training programme to ensure fair career opportunities for all.

5. UK Music members to allocate budget and implement a programme to increase diverse representation in middle and senior management.

6. UK Music members to help UK Music implement better transparency around Gender and Ethnic pay gap – move towards lower reporting rate of 50+ employees.

7. Each UK Music member to identify a socially engaged organisation whose work relates to gender or race whom they can invest in on a long term basis.

8. Each UK Music member to develop diversity policies and internally set diversity targets for core staff. Targets to be published & reported to UK Music and updated annually in order to assess progress. Member bodies to promote diversity and inclusion to partners and stakeholders ensuring industry standards are met. 

9. UK Music members to amplify their work with UK Music Diversity Taskforce to increase the response rate and ultimately the data collected in the Biennial UK Music Workforce Diversity Survey with both their own employees and membership. Aim to have 80% of core staff respond to next survey.

10. Each UK Music member to work towards increasing diversity on its executive bodies and boards – 30% diverse (race) and 50% (gender). Progress towards these goals is to be reported to UK Music as part of annual progress audit.

UK Music concluded by urging the government to 'work with us to achieve meaningful and sustainable change to ensure our society is as diverse and inclusive as we are striving to make the UK music industry.'

For more information on the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities click here.

For more information on UK Music's Ten-Point Plan click here.