Power 50 - #33: Ian James

Ian James has been Mushroom Music Publishing’s General Director almost as long as they’ve been around to have one. In the company’s 46th year (and his 31st) his leadership saw the iconic Aussie company as strong as it’s ever been.

Early in the year Troy Cassar-Daley was inducted by none other than Slim Dusty’s wife Joy McKean to The Roll of Renown at the 2017 Country Music Awards Of Australia, setting a precedent for the year. In April a slew of MMP artists found themselves holding APRA Music Awards. Among them D.D Dumbo took home Song of the Year for Satan, off his debut album Utopia Defeated, and Archie Roach received the Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services To Australian Music.

They also went big at the ARIAs in November, where Illy was voted Best Australian Live Act, Kasey Chambers snagged Best Country Album (again) for Dragonfly, and Northlane won the coveted Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal award for Mesmer. Bliss N Eso also took Best Video for their platinum-selling single Moments, while their album Off The Grid debuted at #1 in May, ending Ed Sheeran’s seemingly unstoppable reign for a while.

Dan Sultan’s fourth LP Killer made a splash on being released as well, sliding in at a very respectable #5 on ARIAs charts. As usual artists on the MMP roster also turned heads at BIGSOUND; Mansionair, Brightness, The Creases, ALTA, Aurelia, Emerson Snowe, Caitlin Harnett and nyck giving standout showings, while Archie Roach was at the centre of proceedings for his keynote speech.

The Hottest 100 saw 16 nods in total from the public for James’ artists, with Methyl Ethyl landing at #4 with Ubu. Amy Shark finished with two spots, #25 and #28 (and another in the Top 200), the two-time ARIA winner signing with Mushroom Music and UNIFIED toward the end of a massive personal journey in 2017. She won’t be the last artist championed by the partnership either. In May Mushroom and UNIFIED, who in the past have worked with Vance Joy, Illy and Northlane, announced they were extending the term of the music publishing arrangement they began in 2011.