Woman Instrumental In Careers Of AC/DC, The Easybeats To Receive Top Industry Honour

The pioneering Fifa Riccobono will receive one of the Australian music industry’s most prestigious personal honours thanks to a career that has helped build some of Australia’s most iconic acts.

Riccobono has had a 40-year career in music, working her way from secretary to CEO of Albert Music where she worked with acts including AC/DC, The Easybeats, John Paul Young, Rose Tattoo, Vanda & Young and The Angels. Now she joins the likes of music icons Slim Dusty, Paul Kelly and Lindy Morrison as a recipient of APRA’s top honour – the Ted Albert Award, which will be presented at this year’s APRA Awards.

A director of the APRA, AMCOS and AMPAL boards for 15 years she still consults with Alberts after setting up her own publishing house Viola Jade Music in 2006. Riccobono also had a big hand in building Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, of which she was Director for a decade.

She is pictured left in the Albert Music promo department in 1974.

“I am honoured to be the recipient of the Ted Albert Award,” she said today.

“I worked with Ted for 20 years and admired him greatly for his sense of fairness and his absolute passion for Australian music. He gave me my start in the industry and encouraged me through every aspect of my career.

“After his passing I was asked back to Alberts and honoured to be able to continue my dream career with the company for a further 20 plus years!”

Previous Ted Albert Award winner (in 1995), Harry Vanda added, “Best news I've had all year, thoroughly deserved.”

The awards will take place Tuesday 24 March at Sydney’s Carriageworks. For the first time, APRA are also announcing their International Work of The Year ahead of the awards, with Pharrell Williams taking it home with mega-hit Happy.

The full list of nominees is here.

Previous Ted Albert Award Recipients

1991: Allan Hely
1992: John Sturman
1993: Peter Sculthorpe
1994: Ian Meldrum
1995: Harry Vanda and George Young
1996: Ron Tudor
1997: No awards
1998: Michael Gudinski
1999: Slim Dusty
2000: Triple J
2001: Charles Fischer
2002: Barry Chapman
2003: Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott
2004: Don Burrows
2005: Michael Chugg
2006: Bill Armstrong
2007: Michael McMartin
2008: Roger Davies
2009: Denis Handlin
2010: Jimmy Little
2011: Paul Kelly
2012: Mary Lopez
2013: The Seekers
2014: Lindy Morrison