The Guest List Podcast: Racism in the Music Industry

Episode three of our new podcast series asks what can be done to tackle institutional racism within the UK music industry

Last updated: 10th Jul 2020

Originally published: 30th Jun 2020

The killing of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests that have erupted across the world have triggered an industry-wide reckoning over the treatment of black people and other people of colour in music.

On June 2nd, the Blackout Tuesday movement, started by two black female music executives (Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas) in the United States saw major music companies, labels and artists across the world cease business-as-usual in order to reflect on and protest racial inequality and police brutality.

Days later representatives from Sony, Warner, Universal, BMG, Spotify and more formed The Black Music Coalition, calling for industry-wide reforms and an end to systemic racism as hundreds of millions was pledged towards anti-racist and equal rights causes.

In the latest episode of our new podcast series, The Guest List, Skiddle's David Blake is joined by three champions of black UK music and culture - Amanda Maxwell (Shesaid.so/Freelance Queens), Kwame Kwaten (Ferocious Talent/consultant/producer) and Kitty Amor (DJ/Motherland) - to discuss what is being done to tackle racism in the UK music industry, and what more needs to be done.

You can listen here, via Apple Podcasts or by Spotify right here...