POWER 50 2025: Dean Ormston (APRA)

BACKGROUND CHECK:

In 2025, Dean Ormston celebrated 30 years at APRA AMCOS, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), with seven of those years spent in the top role of CEO. 

With decades of experience within the Australian music industry, and a vast and inimitable knowledge of both the local and international sectors, Ormston is a fierce champion of homegrown music on the global stage, with his leadership at APRA AMCOS resulting in tangible cultural and economic benefits to songwriters, composers, publishers and the broader music industry.

Harnessing a proactive approach to advocacy with federal and state governments for the recognition and support of creators’ rights and the potential of the local music industry as a key economic and cultural asset, Ormston is a vital figure in the fight for keeping Australia’s music scene as vibrant, as stellar, and as positive as possible.

THE YEAR IN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC:

While his leadership at APRA AMCOS has resulted in record-breaking revenue for the most recent financial year ($787.9 million in group revenue and $683.4 million in royalties distributed to members and rightsholders), Ormston has been at the front of industry and government co-investment strategies which have been working to build highly regarded programs for the development of Australian and New Zealand music creators, giving them opportunities to learn and develop at all stages of their careers.

Initiatives such as grass-roots high school music education program SongMakers, collaborative songwriting program SongHubs, and renowned music export program Sounds Australia, the establishment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support and advocacy department Alyelhentye Nawu, and the reshaping of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO) body all underline Ormston’s focus toward the support and growth of the local music scene.

Meanwhile, Ormston's recent appointment as the Chair of The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) makes him only the second Australian to hold the role in the organisation's 99-year history, and places him in prime position to help keep Australian culture in mind in the global fight for the protection of rights for all creatives.

THE MUSIC SPEAKS:

Record revenues for Australian artists is a pretty decent headline for Ormston’s leadership this year, but let’s cut to the chase. The massive win for APRA AMCOS has been forcing the government to rule out AI copyright exemptions, and while this was an all-of-industry approach with significant leadership across the board from the representative organisations, it was APRA (and in particular Nick Pickard leading the charge) getting in people’s faces before most had cottoned on to the problem. 

Dean surrounds himself with effective teams and listens to where things need to go, whether that’s Nick on AI or Lean Flannagan on the overhaul of NATSIMO. He’s got opinions, and he’s not afraid to voice them, but his power comes from his ability to listen to yours, too—a steady hand with the respect of both government and industry.