Power 50 - #18: Nicole Richards

BACKGROUND CHECK

Nicole Richards began her music career at EMI Music Australia where she worked in various roles before co-founding marketing/PR company Original Matters in 2007. Richards then founded her own music marketing, media and management company, Pod Artist Services, in 2010 before accepting a Director, PR position with Universal Music in 2012. In 2014, she took on the role of Snr Director, Marketing & Media and in 2016 was again promoted to the position of Head of Australian Artists.

THE YEAR THAT WAS

In March 2018 it was announced that Richards had been promoted to the newly created role of Head Of Island Records Australia. During her first year in this role, Island Records Australia witnessed the most significant global and local success for an Australian debut artist in the label's 12-year history thanks to Dean Lewis. Be Alright – the six times Platinum-certified lead single from Lewis' forthcoming debut album, A Place We Knew, which is scheduled for release on 22 March 2019 – held peak position on the ARIA Singles Chart for five straight weeks. Another Island artist, Matt Corby, also experienced chart success in 2018 with Rainbow Valley coming in at #4 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Richards is one of only a few females to lead a label in Australia and is also an active member of the Women In Music community.

2018'S CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT?

"My appointment as Head of Island Records Australia and the continued local and global success of Dean Lewis."