Choosing to work in music comes with a host of highs, the highest of which is the gift of being involved in creating music—a source of life’s purest forms of joy. As you’d expect, that comes with a mountain of incredible moments you take part in, and wins that get celebrated loudly (as they should). But it also comes with a distinct set of challenges that aren’t often discussed. Those challenges multiply exponentially when you’re a Black woman; whether as an artist or an executive, navigating the halls of the industry can be less forgiving for us, more demanding and prone to gaslighting. Despite this, we have witnessed countless Black women excel in their artistry and executive prowess.

In the years leading up to 2020, there had been seemingly positive advancements, largely driven by Black music dominating the charts and culture moving the needle of what was needed in the central hubs of the industry. In 2020, British artists made up 33.6% of all rap and hip-hop singles streamed in the UK, and the economy of Black music and its success across all metrics drove significant change, including the hiring of Black women in senior-level positions across the industry. As we started the new decade, energy was high, and visions were set. Covid-19 and the police murder of George Floyd combined to create an unstable environment for the world as 2020 progressed, and as the music industry is simply a microcosm of wider society, we all felt it.

As lockdown descended and energy around the Black Lives Matter movement grew, Black women often found themselves being nominated to lead the diversity conversation, held in the light as a source of corrective knowledge for their peers which, combined with the stress of the pandemic and ongoing microaggressions in the workplace, wore many down—but didn’t take them out. In fact, many came together in forums, started groups and joined movements. Platforms like Tobi Oredein’s Black Ballad doubled down on enriching content to educate and ask questions and actively support the nations’ Black women. Sharmadean Reid’s The Stack World, a platform whose mission is to help women achieve their goals and connect with like-minded people, launched on IWD 2021 and amassed thousands of members in its first year alone; Black Lives In Music, The Black Music Coalition and The Debrief also became safehouses for creatives searching for community and support. All of these organisations are still thriving today, and are all founded and run by Black women.

In the music business, a number Black women hired at senior level by major organisations have moved to independent work structures in the last five years. Some have chosen a new path, others have exited due to restructures. In both scenarios, it’s become a gateway for them to start anew and pivot their careers in music. A combination of industry-wide challenges—from a data-driven artist development ethos, which has become prevalent over the last five years, to a dwindling live music and nightlife economy, which served as the backbone of exposure for Black British artists in the last twenty years, plus a lack of homegrown Black music played on daytime radio (see Elijah’s report on the issue here)—have created a precarious new landscape for professional contributions to the music business.

The theme for #IWD2025 is #AccelerateAction. According to their official website, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158—which is roughly five generations from now—to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum. We have great examples of Black women who have been ferociously accelerating action for themselves and their creative communities for years; Vanessa Amadi, Grace Ladoja, Jada Pollock, Mel Rudder, Jade Richardson, Radha Medar and Akosua Scantlebury, to name just a few. These pioneers of independence have paved the way for a new wave of women choosing to go it alone, lean into their expertise, and become powerhouses in their own right.

After an inspiring tenure as Marketing Director at Motown/EMI, Afryea Henry-Fontaine has pivoted on an exciting journey, finding joy in the flexibility that freelance work affords her. Now working in event production and marketing consultancy, she’s been working on Essence Festival in New Orleans, Red Bull Culture Clash and From Chef With Love, in addition to her work with The Black Music Coalition and The Debrief. Fay Hoyte, who after twenty years of working within major organisations, set up her own marketing agency, FH London, which launched in February 2024. Since launch, she has worked with artists, labels and management companies, tailoring her support to their needs (artists include Taves, Haile, Craig David, Äyanna and Odeal, as well as some new, developing talent).

Personally, I’ve been able to pivot and build Babychild Music & Creative Consultancy, a space cultivated to house exceptional talent—mine included. Alongside this, I am deeply motivated by my work with the Black Music Coalition and The Debrief, BPI Council, the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and the Power-Up executive committee. Many of the women who find themselves in this or a similar position are quietly mastering professional recovery. We’ve done our 10,000 hours ten times over, and although it may take time to transpire, we find ourselves more driven than ever, building opportunities for others and creating much deserved freedom. Black women can pivot with grace, embrace the future with confidence and #accelerate on our own terms.

In line with the aims of this year’s IWD and recognising the work yet to be done, let this also be a reminder that women can be supported and empowered through changes in direction in their professional journeys through the #AcceleratedAction of organisations and individuals who are aware of the causes behind such pivots and the abiding obstacles women can face. These obstacles are made clear in the stories of women being told every day, not just in March. The intentional actions of our allies will hopefully shorten the time it takes to achieve a more equitable landscape for women in the creative industries.

The Black Music Coalition (BMC) was established in June 2020, and is dedicated to eradicating racial inequality and establishing equality and equity for Black executives, artists and their communities within the UK music industry. Donation led, the organisation consists of an executive and wider committee, formed by Black professionals from the UK music industry. To become a member, head here, and if you’d like to donate or collaborate, you can connect via email. Follow and connect with us @blackmusiccoalition on Instagram and TikTok. To share your lived experience, complete our survey: ‘What’s Changed Since 2020’.

The Debrief began in 2019 as a quarterly event which creates a space to empower, connect and celebrate Black women and women of colour music executives in the UK. Simultaneously, we have cultivated our evolving digital platform with a suite of daily curated content intended to celebrate, connect, inform and inspire our followers. It’s a safe space and has enabled the community to forge powerful connections, networks and shared opportunities. Listen to our playlist of the latest new music from Black and women of colour artists, which drops every Friday, and stay locked into us on Instagram @thede.brief for forthcoming events.