LONDON – Jason Ileythe long-time Chairman/CEO of Sony Music UK and Ireland, has been announced as this year's recipient of the UK Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS) in recognition of his contribution to the UK record business.
Iley, who was appointed head of Sony Music UK in 2014 after a brief stint as chairman of Roc Nation Records in New York, will receive the award on November 4 at a gala ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. The event will benefit UK charities The BRIT Trust, which is a key founder of The BRIT School, and music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.
In a statement, Iley said he was honored to be recognized by the MITS awards committee and credited the talented artists I have been fortunate to work with throughout my career.
Co-Chair of the MITS Awards Committee Toby Leighton-Pope said that “Iley's influence on the music industry is extraordinary”. Co-Chairman Dan Chalmers said the widely respected faculty was long overdue for the MITS award.
“As Sony Music UK's longest-serving chairman, he was responsible for breaking some of the biggest British acts of all time. His innovative leadership and steadfast commitment, his incredible work with the BRIT Awards and his overall passion for this industry make him a truly well-deserved honour,” said Chalmers.
Past recipients of the annual MITS award include; Lucian Grainge, Ahmet Ertegun, Simon Cowellfounder of the Glastonbury festival Michael AvisElton John and Bernie Taupin, Annie Lennox, Roger Daltrey, Rob Stringer, Emma Banks and broadcaster and DJ Pete Tong.
Last year's MITS prize was awarded to Lucy Dickinsglobal head of contemporary music and touring at William Morris Endeavor (WME) and agent for Adele, Mumford & Sons and Olivia Rodrigo.
Over three decades in the record business, Iley has served in senior roles at Polydor, Island Records and Mercury Records, where he was president from 2005 to 2013 and has worked closely with U2, Jay-Z, Elton John, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Kanye. West and Mariah Carey, among others.
In 2013, Iley took over as chairman of New York-based Roc Nation before returning to the UK and Sony Music, the label where he started his career in 1994, the following year.
Since then, Iley has led the UK arm of Sony Music to sustained chart success and oversaw the company's acquisition of leading independent electronic music label Ministry of Sound Records in 2016, as well as last year's relaunch of Epic Records UK (the imprint where he started Iley his music career) as a front-line company.
In 2023, Sony Music-signed or affiliated artists topped the UK Official Singles chart for a total of 28 weeks, including Miley Cyrus' 10 weeks at No.1 with 'Flowers' – the UK's top song last year with 198 million streams, according to the Official Charts Company.
Other artists on the label's roster include homegrown acts Calvin Harris, Paloma Faith, Mark Ronson, George Ezra, Robbie Williams and Central Cee, as well as internationally signed artists Beyoncé, Adele, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Pink and Foo Fighters.
Sony Music UK initiatives pioneered under Iley's leadership include a female-focused A&R Academy and a childcare support scheme aimed at increasing the proportion of women in senior roles. In addition, all senior management in the company are trained in managing mental health issues.
In 2020, Iley was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honors List for his services to music and charity – an honor he described as a career highlight “beyond any expectation I could have had.”
