Entertainment

There has been a massive shift towards equality, says female record label boss

Islands Records’ Olivia Nunn said she saw more women in positions of power.
Islands Records’ Olivia Nunn said she saw more women in positions of power. Islands Records’ Olivia Nunn said she saw more women in positions of power.

A leading record label boss says the music industry has made a “massive shift” towards equality between men and women in the past five years.

Co-managing director of Island Records Olivia Nunn said she saw a “good balance” of women in senior roles.

She said the situation had become noticeably better, but stressed the women she knew in positions of power had all earned the roles.

“There are a lot more women in the top leadership positions than there were,” she said.

“Certainly, there’s been a massive shift in the last five years.

“Our president is male but beneath him there’s myself and another lady, and we are co-MDs together. We were brought through the label and we’ve been supported.”

Nunn, who has worked for the Universal Music Group-owned label for 13 years, was speaking on a panel entitled “Where are all the female bosses?”

She added: “We’ve got the jobs because we’ve done the jobs well for a lot of years. I really believe we are not token, because we do the job well. You have to believe that.

“There’s a good balance, and in the last five years especially it’s really been recognised that a shift is happening. There are more of us in those senior roles.”

The panel was held as part of Annie Mac Presents London Conference Day at the Moth Club in Hackney, east London.