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The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport is engaging with industry stakeholders on the issue of royalty payments for artistic works after an artist’s death.
Minister Olivia Grange revealed that major record companies hold royalty funds that remain unclaimed, often because the entitled individuals cannot be located or have passed away without clear estates. In collaboration with Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, Minister Grange says the ministry is researching these unclaimed royalties to identify funds belonging to Jamaican songwriters and former recording artists.
Ms. Grange noted that once the information is gathered, the Ministry plans to negotiate the creation of a pool for these funds, ensuring they are returned to the music industry to support its development and assist practitioners.
The announcement came during the recent ‘Music Mastery: Empowering The Sound Industry’ workshop in Kingston.
