Women in the Music Industry to receive Primavera Award

Mujeres de la Industria de la Música (MIM), a Spanish association set up to raise the visibility of women working in music, is to receive the Primavera Award at Primavera Sound 2018, in recognition of its work to promote gender equality in the music industry.

Previous winners of the award, first presented at Primavera Sound 2014, include ITB co-founder Barry Dickins, online music magazine Pitchfork and Danish festival Roskilde.

Commenting on the decision to award the 2018 prize to Mujeres de la Industria de la Música (Women in the Music Industry), Primavera Pro director Almudena Heredero explains: “MIM does not work only by complaining about and denouncing situations of inequality, but dedicates its efforts to proactive work – to finding ways of making projects managed by women viable and working on in integrating them into the music scene, not only on stage, but in all sectors, including […] those which are apparently the most inaccessible, such as technical and programming jobs.”

“We see this award as a homage to all the years of work by many, many women in the music industry who have found themselves very isolated in a predominantly masculine sector”

MIM was established in 2016, and now has around 240 members. It produces training courses, studies and reports and organises collaborations “that help to ensure that the [role] of women in music is not limited to their being objects of desire or the butt of contempt in song lyrics”, according to Primavera.

MIM chair Carmen Zapata (pictured), who is also manager of the Catalonian Concert Venues Association (ASACC), says: “At MIM we are very happy to receive the Primavera Award, which we see as a homage to all the years of work by many, many women in the music industry who have found themselves very isolated in a predominantly masculine sector, and who have fought, and are still fighting, for equality.”

The Primavera Award 2018 will be presented at Primavera Pro in Barcelona on 30 May.

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