UK Music, the umbrella organization representing the interests of the UK’s commercial music industry, has appointed former Shadow Culture secretary and Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson as its new chair, it was announced Monday (March 30).
He succeeds outgoing chair Andy Heath.“UK Music speaks with a powerful voice for the whole of the UK commercial music sector.
And at the heart of the sector are the songwriters and musicians, many thousands of whom stand ready to serve in the national effort against the coronavirus,” said Watson in a statement.
He went on to note that “thousands of jobs are now in peril” due to the pandemic, threatening the “long-term bottom line” of the UK economy, including a commercial music sector that contributes.