Rob Stringer, the relatively new CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, is already receiving industry honors. It was announced today (June 9) that he will receive the U.K.’s prestigious Music Industry Trusts Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the music business.
The Music Industry Trusts Award supports two charities, the BRIT Trust and Nordoff Robbins, and will be presented this November at a gala ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel where its been held for the past 25 years.
Stringer's career spans more than three decades starting out in London where he began in 1985 at CBS Records as a graduate trainee. He quickly rose to become managing director of Epic Records in 1992 and chairman of Sony Music U.K. in 2001. The Clash, Manic Street Preachers, Jamiroquai, Sade and the late George Michael are just a few of the many U.K. artists he worked with.
The lifelong Luton Town FC fan was named chairman of Columbia Records in 2008 where he oversaw a slew of top tier acts including AC/DC, Bob Dylan, Celine Dion, Pharrell Williams and Bruce Springsteen as well as ground-breaking releases, including Adele’s 25, Beyonce’s visual album Lemonade and Blackstar, the final album by David Bowie who Stringer worked closely with.
More recently, the Sony Music exec helped guide the breakout careers of EDM-pop duo The Chainsmokers and former One Direction star Harry Styles. He was promoted to CEO of Sony Music Entertainment worldwide last October.
“Rob’s extraordinary perception of how talent and artistry develops has brought him to the pinnacle of achievement in the music business,” said David Munns OBE, chairman of the MITS Award committee and former vice chairman, EMI Recorded Music Worldwide, in a statement. “He is acknowledged and admired by colleagues, peers and competitors alike, while artists around the world value his integrity and support. This is what we aim to recognize every year with the Music Industry Trusts Award, and there’s no one more deserving of the honor than Rob”.
“With its longstanding history in recognizing British talent in the music industry and continued support of two brilliant charities in The BRIT Trust and Nordoff Robbins, it is a true honor to join such illustrious company and be given the MITS Award this year,” Stringer commented.
The BRIT Trust supports young people in music and education and bringing excellence to the performing arts. The BRIT School is the U.K.’s leading performing arts and technology state school, providing a free education for 1,200 students between 14 and 19-years-old. Nordoff Robbins is the largest independent music therapy charity in the U.K.
Previous recipients of the Music Industry Trusts Award, which this year is sponsored by Ingenious Media, PPL, SJM and Spotify, include Sir George Martin, Sir Elton John, Sir Lucian Grainge CBE, Michael Eavis CBE, Simon Cowell, Annie Lennox OBE, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ahmet Ertegun.
Stringer was previously honored with the UJA’s Music Visionary of the Year in 2013, presented by Adele; the "Strat" Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement from Music Week in 2014; and the Clive Davis Visionary Award from Billboard Magazine in 2016.