“The energy in this room is amazing!”
So noted Laura Segura, the new executive director of She Is The Music (SITM), as she surveyed the packed audience gathered for the organization’s second annual Women Sharing the Spotlight event on Wednesday evening (Feb. 18) at Los Angeles restaurant Delilah.
Standing in the spotlight this year in recognition of their ongoing support of the inclusion and advancement of women across every sector in the music industry were multiplatinum singer-songwriter Megan Moroney and music executive pioneer Sylvia Rhone. Leading into the presentations, music superstar and She Is The Music co-founder Alicia Keys said, “Tonight’s event is about being able to say, ‘Wait, I do have this position and I can open the door.’ It’s one thing when you’re banging on a door to be let in; it’s another thing when someone opens the door and says, ‘Come in and join me.’”
Moroney and her all-female team were honored during the evening’s Artist Spotlight segment. In introducing Moroney, Keys noted, “Megan and her team are breaking new ground with achievements in an industry where female-led teams are still the exception rather than the norm. We are so honored to have her and her team with us tonight.”
Moroney — whose third studio album Cloud 9 drops Friday (Feb. 20) — first thanked SITM before adding, “I think sometimes we’re taught, subtly or not, that there’s only room for a few women at the top. But music and creating art isn’t a competition for oxygen. I’m positive that when one of us wins, it stretches the ceiling higher for the next girl watching.”
Universal Music Publishing Group chairman & CEO and SITM co-founder Jody Gerson then introduced veteran music industry executive and most recently Epic Records chairman & CEO Sylvia Rhone. “She paved the way for me as she has for so many women in this room and beyond,” said Gerson. “She earned her seat at the table and then she made sure that table got bigger. She has worked tirelessly to keep that glass ceiling broken and to ensure the path that she forged remains open and clear for the women coming up behind her.”
In accepting SITM’s Trailblazer honor while accompanied by a standing ovation, Rhone said, “When I first heard the word trailblazer, I smiled. Because the truth is, none of us cleared a path alone. We pushed. We nudged. We reached back. We whispered to one another to pull up a chair. And somewhere along the way, the trail became a road. And now it feels more like a gathering place.
“Creativity adapts, and women, especially women, innovate under pressure,” Rhone continued “And as I look around this room, I’m not anxious about the future of our industry. At all. I’m energized by it. Music is in very good hands. So let’s keep opening doors wider than we found them. Let’s protect our industry while embracing what’s next. Let’s mentor generously, negotiate boldly and lead with wisdom. And yes, always with grace.”
Women Sharing the Spotlight also once again welcomed a new class of Vanguard honorees from across various industry sectors including record labels, publishing, management, songwriting and production. And those impactful women in turn brought a guest with whom to share the spotlight. Among the honorees spotted inside Delilah were Caroline Yim, Ethiopia Habtemariam, Diane Warren, Ty Stiklorius, Michelle Jubelirer and Danyel Smith.
“We call them Vanguards because they are the leaders of our women’s movement in music,” said Segura.
This year’s sponsors for Women Sharing the Spotlight included Spotify EQUAL, Live Nation Women and TuneCore. The Hollywood Reporter served as the event’s exclusive media partner.
