00:00Thank you so much for your kind words. This is a wonderful event. I've never
00:05been to it and there's amazing energy in this room. So thank you. I'm glad, delighted.
00:10I'm delighted to be here and I'm particularly delighted to be able to talk about
00:15somebody who I truly love and admire and I am referring of
00:20course to Lucian Grange. As I think all of you know,
00:25this is the eighth time that Lucian has received this award.
00:30The remarkable thing is that no one else has ever had it more than
00:35twice. With all the incredibly talented people in this room and
00:40in the industry, that is simply an extraordinary achievement.
00:45I say this because the truth is whether we work in movies, music,
00:50sports or any other competitive industry, the only thing
00:55harder than becoming number one is staying.
01:00At number one. So the real question is how does he do it?
01:05Well, from my perspective as chair of UMG's board, the source
01:10of Lucian's success is not just his vision or his business.
01:15savvy or his ability to not only drive change.
01:20but to embrace change. All of these traits are of course
01:25necessary and extraordinary. But for me, the key to
01:30Lucian's decades long time success is his undiminished
01:35lifelong passion for great music and the artists who make it.
01:40back in the 1970s when Lucian was growing up in working class London
01:45when he was sweeping the floors in his dad's shop or when he was rummaging
01:50the floors in his dad's shop or when he was rummaging the floors in his dad's shop
01:50rummaging through albums in the back of his older brother's station wagon.
01:55or simply crowding into small clubs to hear up and coming bands.
02:00he was always constantly listening.
02:05he was always learning.
02:07he was always learning.
02:08and above all he was hungry.
02:10he was hungry for more.
02:11he was hungry for more.
02:12he was hungry for more.
02:14he was hungry for more.
02:15he was hungry for more.
02:17I still marvel at the fact that whenever Lucian
02:18when he was...
02:15introduces me to a new
02:17artist. It's almost as if
02:19he'd never discovered
02:20any artist before in his
02:21whole life.
02:22His enthusiasm is simply
02:25infectious.
02:27So in the 50 years
02:28that Lucian
02:30died,
02:30Lucian has been doing this.
02:31His hunger for
02:33and his enjoyment in
02:34music.
02:35Music has never
02:36diminished.
02:37If anything,
02:38I think it's gotten
02:39stronger.
02:40On a personal level,
02:43I'm constantly being asked
02:45what is Lucian like
02:46as a person.
02:48Everyone knows
02:49how successful
02:49he is.
02:50But he remains a mystery
02:52to so many people.
02:55There are so many stories
02:56that I could tell you
02:57about Lucian.
02:59But I know I have
02:59learned a lot.
03:00limited time.
03:01So I'm just going to
03:01tell you one story
03:03that's very personal
03:04to me.
03:05that I think really shows
03:06you who he is.
03:08When my husband
03:09was born,
03:10Billy was in the hospital,
03:12I received a call
03:13and it was Lucian
03:14on the other side.
03:15And I said,
03:16Lucian,
03:17Billy's in the hospital.
03:18He has to have
03:19a procedure.
03:20But don't worry,
03:21he's going to be fine.
03:22And I'll still be able
03:23to attend the board meeting.
03:25in Amsterdam.
03:26Only I won't get there early.
03:28I'll simply fly in
03:29and
03:30and leave the next day.
03:32There was a pause.
03:34And Lucian
03:35Lucian said,
03:35I forbid you to go.
03:38I said,
03:39well,
03:39you
03:40you
03:40you
03:40you
03:40you can't forbid me to go.
03:41We have an activist shareholder.
03:43We have lots of pressing issues.
03:45I mean,
03:45I have to be there.
03:47And again,
03:48he said,
03:49I
03:50I don't think you heard me.
03:52I forbid you to leave Billy.
03:55And then he said,
03:57I get emotional
03:58remembering this.
03:59But
04:00but then he said,
04:01since it's so important to you,
04:03I'm going to reschedule.
04:05the meeting to the afternoon
04:06instead of the morning
04:07so you can conduct it from home.
04:10on Zoom.
04:12As I said,
04:13even telling this story
04:14brings back
04:15so many memories
04:16because it is really
04:17simply
04:18Lucian's humanity
04:20and his compassion
04:21that separates him
04:23from everyone else.
04:25and I'm sure
04:26so many of you
04:27in the room
04:28can tell a similar story.
04:30Congratulations
04:31on this wonderful
04:32and much-deserved honor.
04:34Lucian Brown.
04:35Thanks.
04:45I'm not going to call you again.
04:47Yes, we turn.
04:55Well, I've certainly learned one thing tonight, is that never follow...
05:00Sherry Lansing, she's made more movies...
05:03More projects than any of us can ever...
05:08Imagine, she's literally, truly one of the greats of California.
05:14...of Los Angeles and her contribution to entertainment is something...
05:18which we should all bow down to, so thank you.
05:31Congratulations on being named executive of the...
05:36...the decade.
05:37Phenomenal achievement.
05:39All of your colleagues in UMG, those of us that work with...
05:44...you and support you and support the organization are immensely...
05:49...proud of you.
05:50When...
05:51...when...
05:52...I brought you into UMG...
05:56...12 or 13 years ago, it would have been...
06:01...that it was a dream...
06:02...that you could have had the success and developed.
06:06...the company...
06:07...and that you would be here tonight.
06:09...through that decade of executive of the decade.
06:13So...
06:14...on behalf of all of us at UMG, we're proud of you.
06:24To my entire team that are here tonight.
06:29And obviously to all our artists.
06:31Thank you for yet another tremendous year.
06:34I have done another tremendous performance.
06:38I'm...
06:39I'm genuinely very proud to stand here once again, but...
06:44The privilege, the honour, doesn't...
06:49...just truly belong to me.
06:52It also belongs to all of my colleagues.
06:54In UMG and the labels all around the world.
06:59And the artists whose creativity brings us such joy.
07:04And such joy to their fans.
07:07And to so many, many, many...
07:09...millions of people around the world.
07:12The reality is on the business side...
07:15...for which most of us in this room come from.
07:18None of us is a...
07:19...solo performer.
07:24Once again, we're at a junction of transformation.
07:29Our predecessors, my predecessors...
07:34...went through sheet music, radio, big bands...
07:39...black, 78s, DAT, cassettes, the list goes...
07:44...on and on and on.
07:45Polyphonic moves, synthesizers...
07:49...where does one...
07:50...the fair light...
07:51...where does one actually...
07:53...start...
07:54...stop when it comes to...
07:55...techno...
07:56...the technological change...
07:58...that is...
07:59...really changed...
08:00...what we listen to...
08:01...and certainly...
08:02...obviously...
08:03...how we...
08:04...we listen to it.
08:07But this time's different.
08:10And I'll tell you why I think it's different...
08:13...is...
08:14...because...
08:15...we've always had to deal with...
08:18...reproduction.
08:19...and...
08:20...distribution.
08:21But now with AI...
08:24...it's...
08:25...going to...
08:26...really...
08:27...embed itself...
08:28...into the...
08:29...creation...
08:29...so rather than distribution...
08:32...and...
08:33...reproduction...
08:34...it's now...
08:35...and...
08:36...creation.
08:37We've never...
08:38...we've never had that before.
08:39...it...
08:43...all of us...
08:44...will be challenged...
08:48...to be able to define...
08:49...what real creativity...
08:50...actually means...
08:51...and...
08:52...how we can...
08:53...protect...
08:54...the role...
08:54...of creative artists...
08:56...human beings...
08:57...with original ideas...
08:59...and...
09:00...soul.
09:04I...
09:04...believe...
09:05...that...
09:06...this is an opportunity...
09:07...for all of us...
09:08...to collaborate.
09:10...independents...
09:11...majors...
09:12...managers...
09:13...lawyers...
09:14...all of us...
09:15...with a common goal...
09:16...and...
09:17...common interests...
09:18...and...
09:19...shared...
09:19...values...
09:20...to harness...
09:21...AI.
09:23...
09:24...collaboration...
09:25...means...
09:26...aligning...
09:27...behind new...
09:28...legal frameworks...
09:29...and business models...
09:30...
09:29...structures...
09:30...that protect...
09:31...and elevate...
09:32...great music...
09:33...great artists...
09:34...that ensure listeners...
09:36...are not overwhelmed...
09:37...in a sea...
09:39...of...
09:44...
09:39and a sea of slop.
09:44Spall music.
09:49And if we get this right, we, I believe,
09:54that this transformation will allow our industry to continue to grow.
09:59And to continue to change.
10:02Because we've grown and...
10:04And we've changed cyclically for the last 50, 60, 70 years.
10:09This transformation is different.
10:13To be clear...
10:14This is personal for me.
10:20Sherry mentioned...
10:21I didn't know she was...
10:22I've never discussed what...
10:24what she was going to say.
10:25I don't even know where she found out some of the information.
10:29Yes, I did clean this floor in my father's delicatessen.
10:33We did...
10:34It used to take bands in there to rehearse at night.
10:39And...
10:40I did get my first job by using a payphone.
10:44to...
10:45when I was applying for jobs.
10:46And I used to put the money in to make sure that I wasn't cut off.
10:49I didn't sound like a complete asshole
10:51because I was using a public payphone.
10:52LAUGHTER
10:53MUSIC
10:54So, yeah, it's personal.
10:59And I assume that everybody in this room loves music.
11:04And that's why I'm assuming that it's personal for you, too.
11:09So, tonight, as we look to the future, it's...
11:14I hope that you'll join me in meeting AI's challenges.
11:19And the amazing generational opportunities that we...
11:24We all have and that it's giving us.
11:27And that we can use creativity.
11:29Clarity and conviction.
11:34The stakes are high.
11:36But I...
11:38I'll come...
11:39The company, you, the industry, the artists, we've never...
11:44Shied away from change and from the future.
11:49So, on that basis, thank you.
11:51I'm grateful for this.
11:54It's a privilege, for the honor, and being given this award.
11:57Thank you very much.
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