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.
A president of Decca Records, Laura Monks has spent more than a decade championing the label and its roster of artists. Having studied music at both Glasgow University and McGill University in Montreal, Monks started her career at EMI Classics within the digital team.
She joined Decca in 2011 as head of digital, where she quickly developed her leadership skills by first running the digital team, then marketing and commercial teams before becoming general manager in 2018. During that time, she championed digital innovations, including the development of apps, games and even a bespoke streaming service to support the label and its artists.
Monks was made co-president of Decca in 2021 alongside Tom Lewis. When she took up the role, she became the youngest female president ever appointed at Universal Music UK. She became sole president last month as Lewis moved to head up the revived Fontana label.
Throughout her 14-year tenure at Decca, she has been instrumental in growing the label with her globally focused streaming and audience-led strategy.
Monks has helped foster the careers of many of Decca’s biggest artists including Andrea Bocelli, Aurora, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi and Jacob Collier.
She has also helped establish the Decca Bursary, which aims to give children greater access to instruments and support their musical learning across the UK.
How do you feel about joining the Music Week Women In Music Roll Of Honour?
“It’s incredible to be in such amazing company with so many brilliant peers and women I have looked up to in the industry for a long time!”
Shortly after the WIM news came out, it was announced that you're taking sole charge of Decca as president. What does it mean to you?
"It’s a huge honour and I don’t take this privilege to run such a historied label lightly! It’s also incredibly exciting to be given the opportunity to go where the business needs us to; build upon our talented team, celebrate our iconic artists, refresh the individual label outlook for Decca Records, Decca Classics, Mercury KX and Hyperion. All whilst we look to sign the next generation of talent in a unique musical space. Nobody does it like Decca and I intend to keep it that way!"
How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?
“Some days I feel like I was lucky with the path I have taken – I have felt incredibly supported along the way – but I also know that I am and have always been incredibly passionate about my role supporting artists and am literally obsessed with cracking the code to help get as many people listening and engaging with their music as possible. My first role started at the dawn of 'official artist pages' on Facebook, so I feel I have always successfully ridden the wave of change in how people engage with artists online… I must have changed roles almost every year in those early stages and loved the constant evolution.”
Did you have a mentor at that stage?
“I have always had a great group of people around me to learn from despite not having an official mentor. Alongside many female role models, both Dickon Stainer and Tom Lewis have been the most supportive male colleagues and allies at Decca. There were times when I was working across areas of the business with a lot less experience than both and they always had time to help me navigate these scenarios and learn.”
The WIM 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?
“Especially in my earlier career I often found I was the only woman around a very male boardroom table. I believe that having grown-up playing the trombone and in rehearsals surrounded by guys, I learnt everything needed to carry myself confidently and have my opinion be heard. It might sound odd to say that learning a musical instrument set me up for a business environment but teamwork, consistency, confidence, presentation style, a desire to continually learn and improve, a curiosity to be creative… these are all things I learnt at a young age and they really helped me succeed even in environments that felt daunting. This is why I am a massive advocate for music education as it’s not just for people who want to be artists!”
What was it like to become the youngest female president ever appointed at Universal Music UK when you took on the role at Decca?
“It felt like a brilliant step forward for me and within the industry. I felt I was being willed on by so many amazing people around me. I would call out Becky Allen who really saw something in me and placed the opportunity to lead at Decca within reach which speaks to the need for more women leaders who can open doors in the way she did for me.”
How would you quantify how the label has changed under your stewardship?
“We have completely changed over the last 14 years from being a heavily UK physical business to being totally globally focused and built around our artists and their unique connections with their audience. We dominate in the classical charts internationally and Decca Classics in particular has developed an industry leading roster of young and diverse talent which we are incredibly proud of. At Decca we have always strived to create cultural connections and musical interest with the broadest range of artists and for multi-generational audiences. Music is for a lifetime!”
What is your vision for the future of the label?
“Decca will always put artistic excellence first. Our hope will be to help bring through the future composers, instrumentalists and voices of the future not being defined by genres. It’s essential we keep supporting a broad array of talent outside the mainstream whether that be developing their direct relationships with fans or via international collaboration, film & TV, wellness or gaming etc. We strive to build strong businesses for our artists that can stand the test of time.”
Alongside many female role models, both Dickon Stainer and Tom Lewis have been the most supportive male colleagues and allies at Decca
Laura Monks
What’s your biggest achievement so far?
“Watching Aurora on stage at Wembley Arena earlier this year was such an incredible moment for me having started working with her as digital manager. It’s the music industry utopia to develop an artist from 30-cap rooms to global arena tours with billions of streams, artistic collaborations, gaming initiatives, brand campaigns, huge soundtracks and adoring superfans in-between. She is a truly unique and inspiring artist.”
What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?
“Don’t be afraid of maternity leave! I came back from having my son last year and it was liberating to know there was a career there waiting. Your life changes, and it isn’t always easy, but I believe I am better at my job for it – better time management, more decisive, more creative… the benefits outweigh the challenges!”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?
“Don’t see your job title or description as your definition… every label or artist is looking for people who can see what’s coming next. This insight can come from anyone at any level so be entrepreneurial and lead with conviction.”
Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?
“I would have to call out Rachel Holmberg who leads our A&R team. She has defied the odds in a section of the industry that is even more heavily male-leaning. She is so trusted by her artists and takes on every new project with passion and care.”
Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?
“We have many brilliant female signings so it’s hard to call out just one but Muireann Bradley is an incredible talent and just blows us away with her folk guitar and distinctive vocals. LUXE, on Mercury KX, is also a shining beacon for the next generation of classically led electronic artists!”
Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2025 so far?
“It’s not new but in 2025 when the landscape around us and route to market is changing so rapidly I am reminded to always go back to the music. If it moves you – emotionally, physically, mentally -– it likely will move other people and that’s what matters.”
PHOTO: Carsten Windhorst
