Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall celebrate PRS for Music’s centenary
Their Royal Highnesses Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall celebrate PRS for Music’s centenary with cream of British songwriting talent
Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall hosted a reception at Clarence House on Thursday 20 November to celebrate PRS for Music’s centenary.
The special celebration was held to recognise the songwriters and composers who have shaped the musical landscape of the last hundred years. It was attended by some of the most successful songwriters, composers and music publishers in the industry as well as politicians, key PRS for Music licensees and the PRS for Music senior management team.
The Performing Right Society, now PRS for Music, was founded on 6 March 1914 to protect copyright and provide an income for music creators and their publishers. Spurred on by the 1911 Copyright Act, renowned publishers William Boosey and Oliver Hawkes came together to license businesses that played music, passing the royalties onto songwriters and composers.
Fast forward a century and PRS for Music is still serving the same purpose: to help ensure its members receive fair payment whenever their music is played, performed or reproduced. Over the past 100 years, the society has gone from collecting £1,572 in year one, to £665.7m in 2013.
The UK has a proud tradition of creating wonderful music that is enjoyed the world over. Music contributes £3.8bn to the UK economy and the UK is one of only three net exporters of music in the world.
It was a true honour to see our centenary recognised by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. We are so proud of what has been written, performed and accomplished in the last 100 years. This special Clarence House celebration recognised the contribution of PRS for Music’s members to the cultural, social and economic fabric of the UK and the world.
The reception was attended by over eighty guests including, Lily Allen, David Arnold, Ray Davies, Howard Goodall, Gary Kemp, Howard Kretzmer, David Lowe, Brian May, Sir Paul McCartney, Laura Mvula and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
About PRS for Music
PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 165,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, it works diligently on behalf of its members to grow and protect the value of their rights. With a focus on innovation and integrity, PRS for Music is redefining the global standard for music royalties to ensure creators are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. In 2022, PRS for Music collected £964m and paid out £836.2m in royalties. prsformusic.com
