During this year’s Women In Music Awards, we inducted a host of trailblazing industry executives into the Roll Of Honour, in association with TikTok.
They join a huge list of previous honourees, including some of the leading names from across the business like Kanya King, Sarah Stennett, Emma Banks, Charisse Beaumont, Rebecca Allen, Stacey Tang, Shani Gonzales and Mary Anne Hobbs, who have been selected since the awards began in 2014. The Roll Of Honour aims to shine a spotlight on the variety of individuals who are leading the charge in the music industry and consistently using their platforms to support women, or focus on empowerment and gender disparity.
Following the Women In Music Awards ceremony, Music Week is running Q&A interviews with all of this year’s Roll Of Honour inductees.
Once an aspiring artist, Charlene Brown is the chair of the Ethics Committee of the Ivors Academy and the co-founder and managing director of Howlett Brown.
Over the past 15 years, Brown has built up a wealth of experience in the music industry and beyond, working across investigations, legal, culture, ethics and dispute resolution, focusing on anti-racism, sexual harassment, misogyny, wellbeing and discrimination.
As a trained coach and mediator, Brown also provides strategic guidance on the workplace, employment law and conflict resolution. Her work is aimed at building better, safer, more inclusive environments.
As part of her role at Howlett Brown, she conducts training courses relating to human resources, DE&I, intersectionality, microaggressions, bias and protected characteristics.
She is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and contributed to the McGregor-Smith Review and the Ethnicity Pay Gap consultation. Meanwhile, in 2016, Brown was named the Black British Business Awards Financial Services Rising Star and in 2017 she was named the Legal Diversity Rising Star. Also in 2017, she was also recognised as a Future Leader by EMpower and the Financial Times. For two years running, she has been named as part of the top 20 Diversity Professionals In Industry in the Global Diversity List.
To celebrate her joining the Roll Of Honour at the Women In Music Awards, Music Week meets her for a look back on her story so far…
First up, how do you feel about joining the Music Week Women In Music Roll Of Honour?
“I feel very honoured and grateful. Music has always been more than sound to me – it was my first passion, love and choice of career. To be recognised alongside others who have contributed to the industry is a privilege. It reminds me of the responsibility we carry in the industry no matter our role, to keep creating space for creativity and keep lifting others, whilst ensuring every moment experienced is safe and supportive, and to set the platform of this standard for the next generation. I’m excited, proud, and thankful!”
How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?
“I look back on those years as a training ground for the work I do now. In my early years, I was a young northern singer songwriter trying to make it, going to studios until all hours, working with people from around the world. Whilst I was a smart kid, I was green. I didn’t fully comprehend the dynamics that can occur in studios and in the industry – both the great and the ugly. All my experiences gave me a deeper understanding of what a lot of women still experience to this day in the industry, and now my work in handling ethics concerns, complaints, investigations and developing strategies for safer spaces, culture and diversity, has a different edge. It has a different weight and a different impact on the people who need it the most.”
Have you had a mentor who inspired you at any stage?
“I am inspired by so many people in the industry. From campaigners to creatives, I have met many people and many women who boldly own who they are and create change. Because of the work I do, I sit across different industries – not only music, but law and consulting. I love that the music industry is the most expressive and the most freeing.”
The Women In Music Awards shines a light on inequality and deep-seated issues around this area in the music industry. Can you share any personal experiences or points of view on this topic?
“Whilst the music industry is more expressive, inviting and free than many other industries, in my professional opinion, it is also one of most siloed and unsafe industries out there. There are many deep rooted and systemic issues in music and even though I have experienced some of them, I know there are many people who have experienced all of them and continue to do so. Whether it be related to gender, identity, age, race, disability, class… the list goes on and the challenges continue. Equally, because the industry is inviting and free, I believe that there is so much opportunity for positive change and impact. It is possible, and many people named and not named on this roll of honour are making that happen every day.”
From campaigners to creatives, I have met many people and many women who boldly own who they are and create change
Charlene Brown
Can you share the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career so far?
“My biggest challenge has been patience. There is so much I want to achieve creatively and there is even more change that I want to create for the benefit of people and the industry. It cannot happen overnight and there are components that are structural, procedural and experiential to the industry. Each component needs to be addressed for change to happen that lasts, and that work, especially in areas of anti-harassment, abuse prevention and anti-discrimination, takes time to achieve.”
Has there been one moment where you first realised that the work you’re doing was making a tangible impact in the music industry?
“With the support and collaboration of the CEO of the Ivors, Roberto Neri, I was able to create the Ethics Committee and navigate sensitive matters that really matter to our members. It is a privilege to have their trust, to witness their courage in speaking up, and a framework with the committee to make a difference.”
What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?
“I would say that your creative talent is not the only part of your tool box that you should nurture and cultivate in your career. You need to cultivate and build your business acumen and your awareness of safety, what behaviour is good and not good, and what to do in situations where you don’t feel safe or empowered.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?
“You can say the same thing one thousand different ways. Think about the way that lands the best and is most effective to the person you are speaking to, and use that approach.”
Is there anyone you'd like to shout out who you think is a star in the industry?
I would like to shout out Eve Horne, who is an inspiring creator and people person. I am very grateful for her support.”
Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2025 so far?
“My biggest lesson from 2025 so far is that growth doesn’t always come from the big milestones. Often, it’s in the quieter, harder moments where resilience, patience and clarity are built. I’ve learned to embrace uncertainty a little more, to trust the process and to recognise that slowing down can sometimes be the most powerful way to move forward. It has reminded me that success isn’t just about what we achieve, but about how we stay true to ourselves while navigating the journey.”
PHOTOS: Louise Haywood-Schiefer / Panni Renner
