Megan Moroney Pushes Back on the Idea That Women in Music Are Competing for Space
Country singer-songwriter Megan Moroney used her acceptance speech at the second annual Sharing the Spotlight Awards to push back against what she described as a long-standing narrative in the industry: that only a limited number of women can succeed at the top.
Moroney was honored Wednesday in West Hollywood by She Is The Music, the nonprofit advocacy organization co-founded by Alicia Keys. The Artist Spotlight Award recognized not only Moroney’s rapid rise in country music but also the all-female team guiding her career, including manager Hayley Corbett, agent Elisa Vazzan, publicist Jensen Sussman, and tour manager Chelsae Partosan.
“I’m not even gonna play with y’all. I can’t believe Alicia Keys knows who I am,” Moroney said from the stage, drawing laughter from the audience. The moment underscored how quickly the 2024 CMA New Artist of the Year has become one of country’s most visible breakout stars.
Beyond celebrating her own milestone, Moroney focused on the broader message of solidarity. “I think sometimes we’re taught, subtly or not, that there’s only room for a few women at the top,” she said. “But music and creating art isn’t a competition for oxygen. When one of us wins, it stretches the ceiling higher for the next girl watching.”
Moroney’s remarks aligned closely with the mission of She Is The Music, which was founded in 2018 by Alicia Keys alongside Universal Music Publishing Group CEO Jody Gerson, mix engineer Ann Mincieli, and UTA co-head of music Sam Kirby Yoh. The group was formed in response to findings from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which revealed stark gender disparities in the music industry, including a 47-to-1 ratio of male to female producers across 400 popular songs surveyed at the time.
“We saw these statistics coming back, showing there really aren’t enough women in the seats and positions of power,” Keys said in an interview at the event. “But we were there, so we knew it was possible. We decided to take matters into our own hands and create pathways, opportunities, and a real sense of sisterhood.”
Keys praised Moroney for being intentional about building her team. “She’s consciously bringing incredible women into the scene,” she said, pointing to the significance of representation not just on stage, but behind the scenes.
The ceremony also honored industry veteran Sylvia Rhone with the Trailblazers Spotlight Award. Rhone, the former chairwoman and CEO of Epic Records, reflected on her four decades in music, recalling a time when women were rarely positioned for executive leadership.
“I’ve worked in this industry since vinyl,” Rhone told the audience. Women were present, she said, often among “the most prepared” and “the most intuitive,” but seldom seated at the head of the table or holding final decision-making authority.
While acknowledging the current climate as politically and economically uncertain, Rhone struck an optimistic tone. “Creativity adapts,” she said. “And women, especially women, innovate under pressure.” She concluded with a message directed at the room full of artists and executives: “Let’s keep opening doors wider than we found them.”
