Music Business Executive Rob Dickins Receives Master of Global Entertainment Award

Highly regarded music business executive Rob Dickins CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) was recently presented with Berklee’s Master of Global Entertainment Award.

The industry veteran, whose career has spanned more than four decades, worked as a music director for Warner Bros. music publishing and as music director and chairman of Warner Music U.K. before starting his own independent record label, Instant Karma, and an independent music publishing company, Dharma Music. He is known for his work in publishing with Vangelis, Prince, the Sex Pistols, Whitesnake, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young. He also executive-produced Cher’s 1998 album, Believe, and worked on records by Enya, Simply Red, the Smiths, the Pogues, and Rod Stewart, among others. 

María Martínez Iturriaga, Berklee’s senior vice president of international learning environments and executive director of Berklee Valencia, thanked Dickins for helping Berklee students understand the intricacies and key elements of a successful career in the entertainment industries. “Today we are honoring a true leader in the music industry and a very dear person to Berklee,'' she said. “This ceremony is dedicated to you and to your many accomplishments, to your generosity, and your impactful career and life as a professional and as a human being.”

“I love teaching young people and, for me, it is very special to see the impact that my lectures have had on Berklee students as professionals of the industry,” said Dickins. “Thank you to the team for allowing me to teach here all these years and thank you for this recognition. My heart is here,” he added.

Since he first visited the campus in 2014, Dickins has shown a deep commitment to the Valencia campus and its students by taking part in several seminars and workshops and sharing his invaluable insights on the world of A&R, the story of rock ’n’ roll, and the African roots of contemporary music.

At the award ceremony, held on the Valencia campus, Berklee students and alumni paid tribute to the executive’s achievements by sharing testimonials and anecdotes. In a Q&A session that followed the ceremony, Dickins delved into his 40-year career, talking about the importance of ethics and creativity, the evolution of music, and how critical curiosity, research, and hard work are to succeeding in the music industry.

“It’s all about hard work, dedication, and love,” he said. “When you get to this part of your life, just look back and see these moments that you lived and just think [about] who you were by the time you did it. In my case, I just wanted to win, and winning means quite a lot of work.

In addition to his work in the music industry, Dickins is a highly experienced leader and strategist who works with creative businesses, galleries, and museums. A passionate advocate for arts education, he has presented lectures to students at various universities and institutions and holds honorary doctorates from the University of the Arts London and the London Metropolitan University. He is also a founding trustee of Youth Music, a nonprofit organization in the U.K. designed to help young people—especially those who experience challenging circumstances—make, learn, and earn a living in music.

About the Award

Berklee’s Master of Global Entertainment Award recognizes industry leaders who have dedicated their life and career to music and entertainment on a global scale by promoting multicultural diversity while developing opportunities for individuals from underserved communities to make their way into the industry. The first award was presented in 2019 to public relations executive Yvette Noel-Schure, known for her work with Beyoncé, Prince, John Legend, and others.