Publisher of the Year

GUY MOOT, Managing Director,
EMI Music Publishing UK

With more than twenty years of working in music publishing, Guy Moot is one of the most experienced and accomplished figures in the industry today. After starting his career in the music business in 1984 with A&R roles at both ATV Music and Chrysalis Records, he joined SBK Music Publishing in 1987 ahead of its merger with EMI two years later.

Over the next sixteen years, Guy rose through the ranks of EMI Music Publishing, before being appointed executive vice president of A&R for the UK and Europe in 2003. Two years later, he succeeded Peter Reichardt as Managing Director of the UK business. During his time at EMI Music Publishing, Moot has signed some of the biggest songwriters around, including the White Stripes, Amy Winehouse, Scissor Sisters, Eminem, Jamiroquai, Stargate, The Feeling and Sean Paul. EMI Music Publishing is an incredibly creative music publisher with more than one million copyrights including some of the best known songs ever written. Its current hit-making writers and producers include Arctic Monkeys, Natasha Bedingfield, James Blunt, Cathy Dennis, Gorillaz, Calvin Harris and My Chemical Romance.

This is the fourth time that EMI Music Publishing has been named ASCAP's Publisher of the Year in the UK. The company has also been Music Week's Publisher of the Year for the last twelve years. Its bands and solo songwriters were victorious in a record six out of twelve categories at the 2007 BRIT Awards, and dominated this year's Ivor Novello Awards with six awards including Songwriters of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Song and the Outstanding Song Collection. With EMI now under new ownership, the future promises to be even brighter for EMI Music Publishing in its new offices in Kensington. The company is more active in discovering and signing artists than ever, with recent signings include hotly anticipated songwriters including Natty, Reverend & The Makers, Scouting For Girls and Jack Splash. EMI Music Publishing UK's hit-rate is at an all-time high, and its songwriters are responsible for some of the biggest records of the year.

Commercially, the company also goes from strength-to-strength. The business established a brand new media department earlier this year, providing a one stop customer-focused music service to build brand alliances, create new revenue streams and develop new business models with both traditional and new media clients.

Guy Moot commented, "We're obviously very proud to be named ASCAP's Publisher of the Year, which is recognition for the incredible work of our songwriters. For Stargate to pick up seven awards including Songwriter of the Year is particularly pleasing in a year that has seen them make a huge breakthrough in the US. With other wins for Yusuf Islam, Phil Collins, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Lenky, it's good to see the diversity and breadth of our catalog being acknowledged.

"Music publishing is still the most exciting and creative sector of the music industry, and I'm pleased that within that sector, EMI Music Publishing still leads the way. But we're not going to rest on our laurels, and we'll continue to work hard to provide the best possible service to both songwriters and to our clients. With new owners who recognize the value of music publishing, and who want to work with us to grow our business even further, the next year promises to be just as vibrant and successful for EMI Music Publishing."


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