Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac Addresses “Tidal Wave” of Women’s Sexual Assault Cases in Music Industry Gone Unexposed

A seasoned radio host and performer, DJ Annie Mac recently shared her thoughts about sexual assault and sexism in the music industry.

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac recently spoke on the long-overlooked pattern of sexual assault in the industry. In her testimony before the House of Commons, she called attention to sexual abuse rumors gone unanswered during her tenure. Particularly, Mac shared her concerns about misogyny and lack of credibility toward women.

The Irish broadcaster, a.k.a. Annie McManus, started gaining recognition in the early 2000s through her BBC Radio 1 program. Aside from her various radio programs, she later led an investigative segment called “Who Killed the Night” which followed the status of nightlife in the UK. McManus also curated a festival in Malta called Lost & Found and even performed at major venues such as Amnesia Ibiza.

Describing the music industry as a “boys’ club” that it is “rigged against women,” McManus called attention to the pervasive hush culture that allowed sexual misconduct to persist. Furthermore, she emphasized the number of women who did not speak out for fear of compromising their careers.

Annie also pointed out major progress needs to occur for women to comfortably come forward with such experiences. For instance, she suggested that perhaps a high-profile figure speaking definitively on any particular incident would help the cause. However, this may be easier in theory than in practice given the overwhelmingly male-dominated nature of the entertainment industry.

Annie openly attributes her seasoned radio career as a “shield of protection” in being able to address such issues. To pay it forward, she highlighted stories from colleagues who expressed consistent mistreatment of (particularly young) women in the music industry.

DJ Annie Mac’s courageous testimony further underscores a blatant tendency towards sexism in the music industry. From sexual assault scandals implicating artists such as Datsik, Bassnectar, and 12th Planet, this is certainly not a shock. Undoubtedly, the music industry deserves more female A&Rs, tour managers, and other women in power, but this can’t happen without change from within.

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Having grown up just an earshot from Ultra Miami’s venue Bayfront Park, it was next to impossible for me not to fall in love with electronic music. My love for music was evidently strong enough for me to write my college essay on festival culture and continue attending Ultra for 10+ years now. I have always had a knack for writing and the power of words, which I continued cultivating through a Philosophy degree in college. Now, I am finishing up law school and hope to merge my passions by working in the music industry. I am an avid traveler and am certainly not afraid to hop on a plane for a music event. My next bucket list items to attend are Tomorrowland in Belgium and ADE in the Netherlands. Though the list could go on forever, some of my favorite artists include Franky Wah, Kevin de Vries, Eli Brown, and John Summit.

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