Billboard announced Monday (Dec. 3) that it will present the executives of the year award to four women at its 13th annual Women in Music event in New York City on Dec. 6.
For the first time, the award will honor four powerhouse female executives in recognition of their leadership and trailblazing efforts in the music industry. This year’s recipients are Danielle Aguirre, executive vp/general counsel for the National Music Publishers Association; Dina LaPolt, founder/owner of LaPolt Law, who serves as legal counsel to the Songwriters of North America; Jacqueline Charlesworth, of counsel, Covington & Burling; and Susan Genco, co-president, Azoff MSG Entertainment.
All four women were vital in the creation and implementation of the Music Modernization Act, which was signed into law on Oct. 11. The groundbreaking copyright legislation completely changes how artists in today’s streaming era are compensated for their work.
“It’s difficult to convey what a herculean task Danielle Aguirre, Dina LaPolt, Jacqueline Charlesworth, and Susan Genco accomplished by seeing through the Music Modernization Act,” Ross Scarano, Billboard’s vp content said. “This is a watershed piece of legislation for the recording industry, and without our Executives of the Year, it would not have made it into the law books this past October.”
Billboard’s Women in Music event, which coincides with the release of its annual “Women in Music” issue, will also honor influential female artists like Ariana Grande (Woman of the Year), SZA (Rule Breaker Award), Cyndi Lauper (Icon Award), Janelle Monàe (Trailblazer Award) and more.
The 13th annual Women in Music event’s red carpet pre-show will be broadcast live on Twitter from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST on Dec. 6.
