2025 ICMP Ralph Peer II Award: Industry Votes to Recognise Leading Politician & Copyright Champion Axel Voss MEP

The ICMP Ralph Peer ll Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Global Music Publishing Industry is our industry’s most prestigious honour.

Awarded every two years, and voted for by ICMP’s global membership, it celebrates someone or an organisation whose work has made an exceptional contribution to our music publishing, songwriter and composer community worldwide.

ICMP’s board evaluated prospective winners and made a unanimous recommendation to ICMP’s membership. We are delighted to announce that this year’s recipient will be Mr. Axel Voss, MEP.

Mr. Voss is a longstanding Member of the European Parliament (MEP), was lead negotiator of the 2019 EU Copyright Directive (including Article 17 which changed the game for how music is licensed to digital services such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram etc.), is a current leader on the EU's work on AI laws and is a long-term copyright champion.

His work has helped countless creators to defend their rights, grow the value of music, and increase transparency levels of digital and online services.

He will receive the Award at a celebratory dinner following ICMP’s Music Minds – Europe 2025 meetings series in Croatia, which will gather leading executives and creators from across the music business.

Below, on record quotes from 2025 awardee Mr. Axel Voss MEP; ICMP Chair, EVP of Universal Music Publishing Group, and Board Director of MPA UK Ms. Jackie Alway OBE; ICMP Honorary President and Board Director, peermusic Executive Chair, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) Chair, Mr. Ralph Peer ll and ICMP’s Director General John Phelan

AXEL VOSS / Member of the EU Parliament
The ICMP Ralph Peer Award Winner 2025

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to ICMP for this incredible honour. To be recognized in this way is truly humbling, and I am deeply thankful.

This award is not just a recognition of what we have accomplished to protect copyright also in a digital world, but also a reminder of the journey ahead. It drives me to keep pushing forward also for the new challenges"

JACKIE ALWAY OBE / ICMP Chair / Music Publishers Association (MPA UK) / Universal Music Publishing, EVP Int. Legal & Industry Affairs

“I am delighted that our worldwide membership is honouring Axel Voss with this much deserved award, recognising his achievements on the international copyright scene and throughout the broader music industry.

I have been able to witness first hand the huge impact Mr. Voss’ work has had on the European and global music landscape. Whether it be the 2019 Copyright Directive, the EU’s current AI Act or any issue regarding creators’ rights, Axel has been an exceptional advocate.

On behalf of our industry, I applaud him, and as a community we look forward to celebrating him at ICMP’s upcoming Music Minds – Europe events series in Croatia.”

RALPH PEER II / ICMP Board Director / peermusic Executive Chair / NMPA Board Chair

“For decades Axel Voss has been taking measured steps to ensure music creators and copyright owners can control the use of their works and to future-proof a sustainable and prosperous model to protect innovation for the entire industry.

His work to realign copyright law to digital platforms, his efforts to reduce the value gap between profits made by digital platforms and content creators, and his resilience to stand firmly on the toughest of frontlines in the face of anti-copyright pressure has boosted the ability for millions of songwriters and companies to build their business.

And for that precious work, the ICMP Board and our global industry are very grateful and proud to confer this Award.”

JOHN PHELAN / ICMP Director General

“It’s hard to think of a more deserving winner, anywhere, of this prestigious award than Axel Voss. He gets the details and sorts the solutions. For almost a decade he has been working indefatigably to defend music makers, companies and creative sectors.

His political and regulatory achievements on copyright, AI and digital markets will ripple for many years yet. And he’s still going strong! Thank you, Axel for all that you continue to do alongside ICMP.”

ABOUT ICMP

ICMP is the global trade body representing the music publishing industry worldwide.

Membership spans the Majors, thousands of Indies and 80 national trade associations across 6 continents. ICMP defends the rights behind approximately 90% of the world’s commercially released music – more than 160 million tracks, of every genre.

The music publishing industry is the nexus between music creation and markets, investing billions of dollars annually in songwriters, composers, then bringing the world’s music to a global audience via every format - digital (3,000+ audio and AV streaming services, gaming, apps etc.), broadcast; live, print, hard copy etc.