After a bonus payment, Grainge will earn more this year than all
UK songwriters did from streaming and sales in 2019
MPs and
music industry bodies have criticised the pay of Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group (UMG), who is set to earn more in 2021 than all UK songwriters did combined from streams and sales of their music in 2019.
Grainge’s pay this year is buoyed by one-off cash bonuses that total an estimated £123m, following UMG’s successful stock market flotation in September, and the sale of an additional 10% stake of UMG to Chinese company Tencent.