Mushroom Group’s Korda Marshall Awarded Honorary Doctorate In London

Korda Marshall, one of the greatest A&Rs of his generation, has been awarded an honorary doctorate of music for his achievements and services to music.

The veteran Mushroom Group executive, who last year delivered a keynote presentation at Bigsound 2024, recounting his extensive hitmaking career, is bestowed the honorary doctorate by the University of West London.

Marshall joins other past honourees including The Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who also studied at the university, along with Freddie Mercury, Ronnie Wood and others.

The British music man has worked with, or signed, a who’s who of international stars, from Muse to James Blunt, Madonna and The Darkness, plus Australian acts Kylie Minogue, Pendulum and Peter Andre.

Marshall has directed major label A&R departments, produced, and been managing director of three major labels, including Warner Music U.K.

Through it all, he remains independent at heart.

In 2022, Korda returned to Mushroom Group as international director (labels), playing a key role in the company’s partnership with Virgin Music to support Mushroom artists’ releases worldwide (ex ANZ).

“Music and the arts are such an important part of our lives and our culture,” he comments on his academic honour, “especially in these very easily connected digital times.”

With emerging AI, he continues, “it is now more important than ever that authentic musicians and artists enjoy the gravitas and support of governments and the broader education environment worldwide, particularly in schools and colleges where maths, science, and the increasing emergence of tech businesses is enabling the stealing of artists copyrights for their own political AI agenda.”

Based in London, he returned to Mushroom Group from BMG, which purchased his London-based label Infectious Records in 2014 and enjoyed global success with the likes of alt-J, DMA’S, Bloc Party, Ry-X, Richard Ashcroft and The Temper Trap.

Earlier, Marshall served as managing director for Mushroom Records’ outpost in the U.K. prior to its sale to News Corp in 1998, guiding the success of Muse, Garbage, Ash, Paul Oakenfold and more.

“Korda is a highly regarded member of the Gudinski and Mushroom family,” comments Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski. “He has made a remarkable contribution to the global music industry, and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this honour.”

Marshall started his career at RCA in 1983 (he got sacked for signing pop megastars Take That) and launched record labels Infectious and Contagious. Before taking the leap into the music industry, Marshall studied architecture at Canterbury Art College.