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PRS For Music publishes list of UK’s top 100 most successful female songwriters
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 6 March 2020
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)