Gomez member and streaming campaigner Tom Gray appointed Chair of the Ivors Academy

nme.com:

Gomez‘s Tom Gray has been appointed as Chair of the Ivors Academy.The musician is the founder of the #BrokenRecord campaign as well as running the Academy’s #FixStreaming campaign, which are calling for better streaming revenues for artists and helped spark the Economics of Music Streaming inquiry.Earlier this month, Radiohead‘s Ed O’Brien thanked Gray and others involved in the inquiry after the government outlined a “complete reset” of the streaming model that “enshrines in law [acts’] rights to a fair share of the earnings”.Today (February 1), the Ivors Academy announced that Gray has become the new Chair of The Ivors Academy after songwriter, musician and producer Crispin Hunt stepped down last week after five years in the role.In a statement, Gray said it was “extraordinary and humbling” to be elected, adding that he “intend[s] to do what is expected of me” as Chair.“In this moment, songwriters and composers feel the need for strong advocacy and representation,” he continued. “The Academy’s excellent campaigning has been a source of hope for many.

We are a brilliant and joyful community who wish to be our better selves without any grievance, but these are challenging times.”Gray added: “I look forward to working closely with the Academy’s dedicated staff, not least because our awards are so meaningful to creators and equally so to our partners whom I warmly hope to celebrate with.

Where we might not always benefit in more practical ways, the recognition of our peers can prove a sincere motivation to keep striving; to make something beautiful; to get up in the morning and, once again, invest in our work.“I am a working songwriter and composer.