The 2026 MITS Award
Paul Sexton Interview
14.09.2026
The Paul Sexton Interview
Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music (WCM), the global publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has been announced as this year’s recipient of the prestigious Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS), recognising a distinguished 30+ year career defined by creative vision, a “songwriter-first” philosophy, and a lifelong commitment to music’s power to educate, heal, and transform lives.
The award will be presented to Moot on Monday 9th November at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in support of two UK music charities: The BRIT Trust, a core funder of The BRIT School, one of the UK's most celebrated performing arts institutions, and Nordoff & Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, with a unique approach shaped by more than 60 years of practice. The MITS honours individuals who have made a significant impact on the music industry while continuing to champion its future.
Moot began his career in the music industry working in record shops before moving into A&R roles in 1984 at ATV Music and Chrysalis Records. In 1987, he joined SBK Music Publishing, which merged with EMI Music Publishing, marking the beginning of a defining chapter.
Rising through the ranks at EMI, with an unwavering belief that championing the creative community is the foundation that everything else is built on, Moot was appointed EVP of A&R for the UK and Europe in 2003, before becoming UK Managing Director and President of European Creative in 2005. Under his leadership, EMI was named Music Week Publisher of the Year for 14 consecutive years. During this era, he signed and worked with some of the most culture-defining talent of their generation, including Amy Winehouse, Anne-Marie, Arctic Monkeys, Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, Jamiroquai, Jorja Smith, Lana Del Rey, Mark Ronson, Paul Epworth, Salaam Remi, Scissor Sisters, and Sean Paul.
In 2012, Moot played a key role in leading the Sony and EMI merger in Europe. He was named President of Worldwide Creative in 2017, and when Sony completed its full acquisition of EMI in 2018, he continued in this role, overseeing signings including Arcade Fire, Charli xcx, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Sia, and Stargate.
In 2019, Moot was appointed Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music. Under his leadership, and alongside Co-Chair and COO Carianne Marshall, the company has doubled the size of the business, consistently outperforming market growth. Since then, WCM has signed and retained both established and emerging artists, songwriters, and producers, including Amy Allen, Anderson .Paak, Cardi B, Celeste, Coco Jones, Dua Lipa, Laufey, Lizzo, RAYE, ROSÉ, Saweetie, Stromae, Teddy Swims, and Zach Bryan, as well as some of music’s most iconic legends and their catalogues, among them David Bowie, George Michael, Madonna, Quincy Jones, and Tom Petty.
Moot is recognised for his rare ability to marry a deep, "ears-first" creative instinct with the strategic rigour required to lead a global powerhouse. A fixture on the Billboard Power 100 and the Variety 500, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential and respected figures in the music industry globally.
Ahead of the award ceremony, Moot visited The BRIT School in Croydon to meet students and hear first-hand how music education is shaping the next generation of creators. The visit deepened an already personal connection to the cause. Founded in 1989, The BRIT Trust has dedicated over three decades to developing talent and creating lasting careers in music, a mission that mirrors Moot's own. He has been a tireless advocate for creating pathways into music for young people from all backgrounds, mentoring emerging talent, investing early, and backing songwriters for the long term. He will also visit Nordoff & Robbins, whose work demonstrates the profound impact music can have on people facing illness, disability, and isolation.
Guy Moot says: "To be the first publisher to receive the MITS Award is a real honour, and one that I hope serves as a celebration of songwriters and the extraordinary value of their music. I’ve spent my whole life championing creators and finding the next generation of talent who deserve a pathway in. The BRIT Trust has a proven track record of building careers and opening doors for young people who might never otherwise get the chance. And Nordoff & Robbins reminds us why music matters in the first place — its profound ability to reach people in a way that nothing else can. I'm proud to support both, and humbled to receive this recognition."
Toby Leighton-Pope, Co-chair of the MITS Award Committee, adds: “Few people in our industry have had a career as extensive and influential as Guy’s. His impact reaches far beyond the UK, making this year’s recognition especially significant. From his early days in a record store to becoming one of the industry’s most senior executives, his commitment to music has never wavered, matched by a depth of experience that truly sets him apart. Congratulations to Guy on this well-deserved MITS Award and on an exceptional career to date.”
Dan Chalmers, Co-chair of the MITS Award Committee, concludes: “Guy has long been a steadfast champion of songwriters, something that remains vitally important in today’s music landscape. His commitment to integrity and core values has helped shape the careers of many of the industry’s most respected artists. Guy is a hugely popular figure across the business, and we are delighted to honour him as a MITS Award recipient for 2026 an accolade he so clearly deserves.”
Guy Moot will join the ranks of previous MITS recipients including Annie Lennox OBE, Kylie Minogue, Rob Stringer CBE, Emma Banks, Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Sir Lucian Grainge, Michael Eavis CBE, Pete Tong MBE, and Roger Daltrey CBE, Jamal Edwards MBE, Lucy Dickins, Jason Iley MBE and last year’s recipient Ashley-Tabor-King CBE.
Celebrating its 34th edition this year, the Music Industry Trusts Award is recognised as one of the benchmarks of achievement in the UK music business and continues to benefit hugely deserving causes year after year. The MITS Award supports two important charities, the BRIT Trust and Nordoff & Robbins, and is sponsored by Legends Global, PPL, SJM Concerts and YouTube.
www.mitsaward.co.uk
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The BRIT Trust
The BRIT Trust is the principal charity of the UK recorded music industry, and was set up by UK record labels and the BPI in 1989 with the key aim of improving lives through the power of music and the creative arts. To date, the Trust has distributed more than £30 million in grants to causes around the country that promote education and wellbeing, including, as the main beneficiaries, The BRIT School – the UK’s leading performing and creative arts school that is free to attend – and Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy provider.
Other charities supported include East London Arts and Music (ELAM), the full-time Industry Academy for those aged 16-19 years keen to pursue a career in music, film & TV production and games design; Music Support, the addictions and mental health charity; and Key4Life, which seeks to help young men in prison or at risk of going there to find more positive life paths by drawing on their passion for music.
The BRIT Trust is funded largely by regular proceeds from The BRIT Awards and the Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS), but it also owes a huge debt to the many artists who performed at the legendary Knebworth concert in 1990 that helped to generate much of its initial funding, such as Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Sir Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, and Sir Cliff Richard, among others.
The work of The BRIT Trust is enabled by a Board of Trustees chaired by Tony Wadsworth CBE, who donate their time and industry networks on an entirely voluntary basis. A series of monthly BRIT Trust Diaries in association with Music Week helps to explain and promote this work and to shine a line on the many causes The Trust supports. To learn more about the applications process for BRIT Trust funding, please visit the Grants page of its website.
About Nordoff and Robbins
Nordoff and Robbins is the UK’s largest music therapy charity, with a unique approach shaped by more than 60 years of practice. Through the power of music, it breaks through the barriers caused by life-limiting illness, disability and social isolation. The charity does this through providing music therapy to people across the UK, whilst also training the music therapists of the future and funding research to measure and improve the impact of its work.
Music therapy is the act of supporting people to connect and communicate through music who otherwise are unable to; such as those living with dementia to autism, learning difficulties to brain injuries, life-limiting illnesses to mental health issues, grief and trauma. Nordoff and Robbins music therapists use the power of music to create space for people to express themselves and find connection in society.
Nordoff and Robbins has specialist centres in London (Croydon and Kentish Town), Dunfermline, Glasgow and Newcastle that provide one-to-one and group sessions for children and adults, alongside providing sessions in various settings including schools, hospitals, care homes and more. Its music therapy training is validated by Goldsmiths, University of London, and is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
From adults with dementia reconnecting with their family, to autistic children finding their voice, Nordoff and Robbins believes that everyone who needs it should have access to music therapy, because it can, quite simply, transform people’s lives.
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The BRIT School
The BRIT School is the UK’s first and leading performing and creative arts state school, providing a unique and free education for over 1400 students aged between 14 and 19. The BRIT School was set up by The BRIT Trust and the DfE and opened in 1991.
The BRIT School nurtures emerging creative talent through its transformative education; from fashion designers, illustrators, playwrights, performers, stage managers, composers, teachers, community group leaders, choreographers, film-makers, game developers to entrepreneurs, creative thinkers and innovators of the future.
About Warner Chappell Music
Warner Chappell Music, the global music publishing company of Warner Music Group, is home to a wide array of legendary songwriters and a rich catalog of contemporary hits and influential standards. With offices in more than 20 countries, Warner Chappell provides deep expertise across a range of creative services and the most innovative opportunities for songwriters and copyright holders.
Warner Chappell, which has a history dating back more than 200 years, currently publishes and administers music from A-Lin, Angèle, Anderson .Paak, Aya Nakamura, Bruno Mars, Capital Bra, Celeste, Cole Porter, Coco Jones, Dave, David Bowie, David Tao, Dua Lipa, Duran Duran, Fraser T. Smith, Gamble and Huff, Gene Autry Music Group catalog, George Gershwin, George Michael, Grateful Dead, Juanes, Justin Tranter, Kacey Musgraves, Katy Perry, Kool & the Gang, Laufey, Led Zeppelin, Lin Xi, Lizzo, Madonna, Marco Antonio Solís, Maria Becerra, Mitski, MNEK, Morgan Wallen, Oscar Holter, Pablo Alborán, Quevedo, Quincy Jones, RAYE, ROSÉ, Saweetie, Stormzy, Summer Walker, Teddy Swims, Tom Petty Catalog, Tones and I, WeiBird, Wyman Wong, Zach Bryan, and 831, among many others.
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