A big congratulations goes out to the entire Sheer Publishing team for winning the Publisher of the Year Award at this year’s Wawela Awards!
The awards, hosted by SAMRO, took place this past Friday night (June 27) at Monte Casino. Honoring the cream of the crop in the publishing world it saw Sheer Publishing client through TS Records Zahara taking Best Female songwriter.
For the second time in a row Philip Miller took the Best Soundtrack in a Feature Film or Theatrical Documentary. Sheer Publishing took top honors being awarded the Publisher of the Year!
David Alexanders Acceptance Speech:
I’d like to start off by thanking Samro for taking the initiative and starting these awards. It was over ten years ago that I and the then Samro Marketing Director talked about the lack of awards for the composers and authors in South Africa. Celebrating the songwriters whose works account for the success of the performing artists, the live music industry, the film and television industry, the radio industry and not to forget the advertising industry is a worthwhile investment so thank you Samro for doing this.
I am grateful to the Wawela awards committee who decided to add into the list of creative awards an award for the publisher whose work runs silently and unnoticed in the background of all successful songwriter achievements. I am even more grateful to have been nominated for this inaugural award.
I want to specially acknowledge my 2 partners – Karabo who has been with me since the outset of the company 17 years ago and Rehana who joined us soon after that. When we started Sheer Publishing back in 1996 it was to exploit a gap in the local Jazz scene. Today Sheer Publishing has a vast catalogue rich with diverse South African, African and International Chart music ideal for licensing purposes. Sheer Publishing offers the ultimate one stop solution for all deals and has music placements on movies such as District 9 and the Oscar winning Tsotsi and Searching for Sugarman. Sheer Publishing has placed music on television shows such as Private Practice, Jacob’s Cross, Isibaya and Generations and has been instrumental in successful commercials such as Castle Light, Vodacom, MTN, Renault, Cadbury’s PS, Wimpy, Engen and Weetabix just to name a few.
Richard Branson said “A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” Working at Sheer Publishing is fun – we are a Creative Team with strong individuals and it is does not feel like work to be in the office and interacting with everyone. Each and every person in the company is passionate about music and even more passionate about making sure that the composers that we represent are paid their correct dues.
Why do I believe that we are growing while many of our competitors are shrinking or going out of business? I think that first and foremost we believe in the special ability of our songwriters and we understand that writing songs is a labour of love and we will always treat those songs with respect and their authors with integrity. Our vision is to be the first world class publishing company out of Africa. We are already one of Africa’s largest independent Publishing houses and we are currently looking to expand our client base within the African diaspora. Our ongoing mission is to provide a comprehensive range of copyright services to our clients, both domestic, Continental and international and I would like to think of this award as recognition that our philosophy is working.
Thank you to all of the Sheer Publishing team who could not be here tonight. I want to specially mention Mpumi, Mandrew, Kefiloe, Bongani, Seidu, Charles, Pavanee, Jean-Marc and Zweli as I accept this award on behalf of you all.
Thank you to all the wives and husbands and children who understand that their loved ones are answering a calling when they go to work. I want to specially thank my wife of ten years Helen – who supports and encourages me and allows me to live my dream every day.
I want to finish off with another quote from Richard Branson: “Through the right people focusing on the right things, we can, in time, get on top of a lot if not most of the problems of this world. And that’s what a number of us are trying to do.” Here in our own way in Africa.
Yours in Music
Thank You!
David Alexander