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PRS For Music publishes list of UK’s top 100 most successful female songwriters

By | Published on Friday 6 March 2020

PRS For Music

Ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday, PRS For Music has published a 100 Women Changing Music chart.

The list features 100 of the most successful and influential female songwriters and composers in the UK. It’s based on streaming, download, broadcast and performance data collected by the song rights collecting society for its female members.

With the society’s membership still skewing largely male, the list aims to promote and celebrate the growing number of music-makers who identify as female who are now PRS members. Despite this growth – with nearly 2000 registering in 2019, a 60% year-on-year increase – PRS For Music’s female membership is still only 18.4% of its total.

Claire Jarvis, PRS’s Director Of Membership, says: “While it’s encouraging to see an increase in female songwriters and composers joining PRS For Music, this number is still dwarfed by 5580 male songwriters joining in the same year, which means there is still work to do”.

“As the music industry works together towards a more equal gender balance across every aspect of its landscape”, she adds, “we will continue to work with our members, peers and sister organisations to encourage and support songwriters and composers from every background”.

The organisation also notes that the top ten female songwriters and composers within its membership generated 67% less income than their top ten male counterparts, demonstrating – PRS says – that “even at the top of their field, [female music-makers] receive [fewer] opportunities than men for their music to be heard and performed”.

Among the names on the list are Cathy Dennis, Jessie J, Florence Welch, Mable and Annie Lennox. Here, in alphabetical order, are all the women who made this year’s list:

Adele

Alannah Currie (Thompson Twins)

Alison Mosshart (The Kills, The Dead Weather)

Aluna Francis (AlunaGeorge)

Amanda Ghost

Amy Macdonald

Amy Wadge

Amy Winehouse

Angie Gold

Anne Dudley

Anne Nikitin

Anne-Marie

Annie Lennox

Arlissa

Becky Hill

Birdy

Björk

Carly Paradis

Cathy Dennis

Charli XCX

Chrissie Hynde

Corinne Bailey Rae

Debbie Wiseman

Des’ree

Dido

Dua Lipa

Duffy

Dyo

Elena Tonra (Daughter)

Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins)

Ella Eyre

Ella Henderson

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Rowsell (Wolf Alice)

Emeli Sandé

Emma Bunton (Spice Girls)

Enya

Evelyn Glennie

Florence Welch (Florence And The Machine)

Frances

Freya Ridings

Gabrielle

Gala

Galia Megan Durant

Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls)

Gillian Gilbert (New Order)

Grace Chatto (Clean Bandit)

Hannah Reid (London Grammar)

Helen Jane Long

Imogen Heap

Ina

Isabella Summers (Florence And The Machine)

Isobel Waller-Bridge

Jade Bird

Jess Glynne

Jessie J

Jessie Ware

Jin Jin

Joan Armatrading

Jorja Smith

Josephine Vander Gucht (Oh Wonder)

Kamille

Karen Poole

Kate Bush

KT Tunstall

Lauren Mayberry (Chvrches)

Lily Allen

Linda McCartney

Lisa Stansfield

Louise Dowd

Lucy Taylor

MIA

Mabel

Marina Diamandis (Marina And The Diamonds)

Mel B (Spice Girls)

Melanie C (Spice Girls)

Miranda Cooper

Miriam Nervo

Nainita Desai

NAO

Olivia Nervo

PJ Harvey

Rachel Portman

Raye

Rita Ora

Róisín Murphy

Romy Madley Croft (The xx)

Ruth Barrett

Sade

Sarah Blanchard

Sarah Class

Shania Twain

Sharleen Spiteri (Texas)

Shaznay Lewis (All Saints)

Stefflon Don

Tanita Tikaram

Tracey Thorn (Everything But The Girl)

Victoria Beckham (Spice Girls)

Wendy Elizabeth Pigott

Zeriiya Zekkariyas (formerly Linda Womack)



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