Teresa Parodi and Satoshi Watanabe are recipients of the FTMI Award for outstanding contribution to music creator rights in 2024.

28 October 2024 – Montréal, Canada: Fair Trade Music International (FTMI) has announced Argentinean songwriter and inaugural minister for culture, Teresa Parodi, and Japanese creators’ rights advocate, Satoshi Watanabe, as recipients of the 2024 FTMI Award. The presentation was made by FTMI board member and songwriter, Martine Groulx, during the International Council of Music Authors (CIAM) general assembly in Montréal.

The first award recipient, Teresa Parodi, is a multi-award-winning Argentinean singer and songwriter. Across a 40 year career, she has composed over five hundred works that represent the identity of her people and their landscape. With more than 30 albums in her discography, she has toured festivals and theaters around the world and in 2014, was appointed as Argentina’s first ever Minister of Culture. Teresa is a board member of the Argentinean Society of Authors and Composers (SADAIC) and remains an active advocate for the rights of Latin American music creators today. Learn more at www.teresaparodi.com.ar.

I deeply thank Fair Trade music International for this honour. Defending the rights of creators is a task that must be carried out with passion, commitment and joy. Especially in these times when they are so at risk from remarkable technological developments.”

– Teresa Parodi, FTMI Award winner for 2024.

Due to her European touring schedule, Teresa was unable to attend the ceremony in person and instead, sent a video message of thanks. FTMI advisory board member and renown Uruguayan songwriter, Diego Drexler, gave a summary of Teresa’s accomplishments before asking SADAIC general secretary, Facundo Saravia, to collect the award on her behalf.

The second award recipient, Satoshi Watanabe, has worked tirelessly on behalf of music creators across the Asia-Pacific region for more than 20 years.

He held leadership roles within the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC), was a long time chair of CISAC’s Asia-Pacific Regional Committee and played a crucial part in the formation of the Asia-Pacific Music Creators Alliance (APMA). He is currently coordinating the WIPO Mentorship Program for local music copyright societies in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Laos.

Satoshi travelled to Montréal to collect his award in person, taking the stage after a welcome address by FTMI vice president and Italian composer, Lorenzo Ferrero.

Thank you again for this award and for supporting our work on behalf of music creators. I have shared this news with my Asian colleagues, and it is a great encouragement for our work with new societies and creators in our region.”

– Satoshi Watanabe, FTMI Award winner for 2024

FTMI is an independent not-for-profit organisation founded in 2014 and backed by more than 500,000 music creators from around the world. The organisation is a member of the international CIAM partner alliance and counts many of the world’s largest music authors’ societies among its supporters.

The FTMI Award aims to celebrate the outstanding contributions that individual creators, campaigners and law makers are making to the cause of fair remuneration in music.

Sincere congratulations to Teresa and Satoshi for this well-deserved recognition. We hope that these awards help to shine a light onto the tireless contributions they have made in defence of the world’s music creators whilst also inspiring others to take up the fight.”

– Marco Foley, FTMI chair

Planning for next year’s FTMI Awards will commence in Spring 2025.