Michelle Escoffery joins PRS Board as Writer Director
Nigel Elderton, PRS Chairman: “She is not only an award-winning songwriter, but also a guiding influence for the next generation of music creators, which makes this appointment all the more fitting."
Award-winning British singer, songwriter and vocal producer, Michelle Escoffery, has joined the PRS Board as Writer Director. Her appointment for the period up until the 2019 AGM was made by the Board and fills a casual vacancy created by the resignation of Imogen Heap.
Michelle is celebrated as one of the UK’s most respected songwriters. A member of singing family group, The Escoffery’s, she signed to Atlantic Records USA in 1991, which led to independent success with chart-topping UK girl band, Truce. Michelle went on to become one of only two female stock writers at EMI Music Publishing alongside Cathy Dennis, signed to Guy Moot.
Having penned songs for acts including Tina Turner, All Saints, Beverley Knight, and Artful Dodger, worked on vocal arrangement and production for Rod Stewart, and performed with artists Stevie Wonder, George Michael and more, ‘Just A Little’ won Michelle the Ivor Novello Award for PRS Most Performed Work in 2002 – also chosen as part of PRS’ Songs Of A Century, a selection of the Top 100 British songs from the last century. Recent international notoriety includes collaboration with Danish artist Nabiha, which topped the charts in Denmark for over 40 weeks, and South Korean boyband, SHINee, whose last album was number one in six countries.
Michelle played an instrumental role in championing emerging songwriters through her live music night, Kindred Spirit, which ran for nearly a decade in London, and continues to advocate and develop new talent through creative vehicles and platforms such as Front Room Sessions, Eurovision Song Contest 2018 and vocal coaching for various TV shows. She currently teaches on the Commercial Songwriting Masters programme at Tileyard Education.
I’m pleased to join the PRS Board alongside some of the most talented and experienced songwriters and publishers in the UK. It’s only right that an organisation that looks after such a vital income for songwriters should be represented and guided by the creators themselves. I’m extremely honoured to be given this opportunity and hope that the knowledge I have gained throughout my career will help steer PRS for Music to make the best choices on behalf of its members both on home soil and internationally.
I am delighted to welcome Michelle to the PRS Board. She is not only an award-winning songwriter, but also a guiding influence for the next generation of music creators, which makes this appointment all the more fitting. I have no doubt that Michelle’s industry experience and acumen will help us build upon PRS’ success over the last few years.
Michelle Escoffery joins the PRS Board alongside: Writer Directors Barry Blue, Jim Duguid, Nicky Graham, Edward Gregson, Steve Levine, Dru Masters, Mitch Murray, Julian Nott and John Truelove; and Publisher Directors Jackie Alway (Universal Music Publishing), Simon Anderson (Audio Network), William Booth (Sony/ATV EMI Music Publishing), Stuart Hornall (Hornall Brothers Music), Richard King (Faber Music), John Minch (Concord), Roberto Neri (Downtown Music), Simon Platz (Bucks Music Group) and Jo Smith (Warner/Chappell Music).
About PRS for Music
Here for music since 1914, PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 175,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers. Redefining the global standard for music royalties, PRS for Music ensures songwriters and composers are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public.
For 110 years it has grown and protected the rights of the music creator community, paying out royalties with more accuracy, transparency and speed. In 2023, PRS for Music paid out £943.6m in royalties and collected a record £1.08 billion in revenues. prsformusic.com
