The Power 50: #3 - George Ash

George Ash’s career in music began as a teenaged musician in New Zealand. After holding roles at companies like BMG NZ and PolyGram, Ash sat at the helm of Universal Music New Zealand from its launch in 1995. In 2001, he moved to Australia, taking on the role of managing director of Universal Music Australia. In 2010, Ash was appointed president of Universal Music Australasia and then became president of Universal Music Asia Pacific in 2013. Ash remains a member of the ARIA Board Of Directors and the chairman of Phonographic Performance Company of Australia Ltd (PPCA), which he has been a member of since 2003.

Ash once again landed himself on Billboard’s International Power Players list in May, marking his third consecutive appearance and making him just one of five Australians featured.

Universal Music Australia and its collective labels - Decca, Dew Process, EMI, Republic Records and Interscope - had an impressive year. Particularly strong was Island Records which enjoyed Hilltop Hoods’ fifth straight #1 album with The Great Expanse, winning the ARIA Award for Best Live Act, and saw the group come in at #10 on the 2019 triple j Hottest 100 with Exit Sign. Fellow Island signee Vera Blue also landed in the annual countdown, with her collaboration with Flume, Rushing Back, coming in at #2. Dean Lewis was among one of the year’s biggest triumphs with a #1 album, multiple ARIA and APRA Award wins and international television appearances.

Tame Impala’s success continued too with a headline appearance at Coachella. EMI secured a #1 album with Paul Kelly’s latest Songs From The South greatest hits compilation, while Universal looked after distribution for Cold Chisel’s #1 album, Blood Moon. And of course, there was Kate Miller-Heidke’s incredible Eurovision performance of Zero Gravity, which saw her place ninth in the much-loved annual competition.

The year closed strongly for Universal Music Australia with a number of albums landing in the end of year charts - seven of the top ten albums belonged to Universal artists, including Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? at #1, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born soundtrack at #4, the Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack at #5, Taylor Swift’s Lover at #6, Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next at #7, Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding at #8 and Queen’s Greatest Hits at #9. Hilltop Hoods’ The Great Expanse came in as the highest placed Australian album on the chart at #13 with Dean Lewis’ A Place We Knew just behind at #16.

"2019 was another year of record-breaking statistics, but it really is the incredible people at Universal Music who drive the company to great heights every year. It was a dream and an honour to share Elton John’s final tour of Australia and New Zealand with him and acknowledge his incredible commitment to this region throughout his career."