Image Credit: Anthony DELANOIX

The U.K. music industry is better represented than ever with record numbers of black, ethnic minority, and female artists in the country.

A new diversity survey has revealed how much diversity within the music industry has grown in the UK in recent years. It shows that, in artists aged 16-24, Black, Asian and other minority ethnics make up a record 30.6% of the industry.

The same survey found that the proportion of women in the music industry in the UK has risen from 45.3% to essentially half at 49.6%. However for women aged between 45-64, they have actually dropped in number to only 35% of the music industry.

It is a result of continued work from the UK Music’s diversity task force, which has drafted a 10-point plan to increase representation in UK music. Among their goals are achieving 30% race diversity and 50% gender diversity on executive bodies and boards, not just in the artists space.

The task force’s chair, Ammo Talwar said: “Against a backdrop of global change, the diversity task force has been carefully listening, challenging and working behind the scenes to help shape a transformational and game-changing 10-point plan. No tokenistic statements, no short-term wins, but a truly collaborative long-term plan that reboots the sector and ensures diversity is front and centre of all major decisions.”

Their surveys take place bi-annually and the latest appears to show the success of their efforts, though believe much more will be done with their new plan.

Chief Executive of UK Music, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said: “If our music industry is to tell the story of modern-day Britain, then it needs to look like modern-day Britain too. This ground-breaking report is an important step towards achieving that.”