These Are The 50 Most Influential Figures In The Australian Music Industry Right Now

7 March 2019 | 7:00 am | Jessica Dale

See the full list below.

Today marks the return of The Power 50, announcing the list of the 50 most influential figures in the Australian music industry right now. 

Leading the list at #1 this year is Mushroom Group Executive Chairman Michael Gudinski AM

Gudinski’s Mushroom Group is the largest independent music and entertainment company in Australia, and boasts the biggest promo department in the country. 

In Billboard's end of year report, Frontier Touring achieved the highest result for an Australian/NZ promoter to date when the company came in at #3, grossing over US$245 million from the sale of 2,768,259 tickets across 440 shows between 2 Dec, 2017 and 17 Nov, 2018, while the group celebrated significant label achievements throughout 2018.

"It's a huge honour to be back in the number one spot of the Power 50 and I’m immensely proud and humbled by the success of the Mushroom Group in 2018," says Gudinski. 

"I’ve often said that you’re only as good as the team you have around you and it couldn’t be truer in the past year. It excites me immensely that many of our team at Mushroom will become the future leaders of the Australian music industry. Their passion, and the strength and diversity of the artists that we work with, are what inspire me to do what I do every day."

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Head here to read the full wrap up of Gudinski and the Mushroom Group’s 2018 successes.

The list encompasses all aspects of what goes on behind the scenes of the Australian music industry, including label heads, promoters, playlisters, festival organisers, music directors, radio figures and representatives of peak music bodies. 

This year’s top ten features some of the industry’s best-known and most respected figures including Jessica Ducrou & Paul Piticco, Denis Handlin, and Rachel Newman, as well as newcomers including Roger Field, Nicole Richards, Meg Williams and more.

The list is compiled by cross-section of music industry representatives along with the publishers and editorial team of The Music/theMusic.com.au, who assess and analyse the achievements of individuals and companies throughout the year. 

To be eligible for the list, each person must have a proven ability to shape the local scene, have made a significant impact on the music industry through actions, programs or initiatives, be working in a role that has had a positive economic impact on the industry, possess a public profile as an industry worker/representative and have received recognition for their accomplishments.

"The list acts as an indicator for the health of the industry and is an insight into some of the more complex elements of the partnerships, collectives, companies and characters that work behind the scenes that shape the music, events and content that Australians engage with every day," shares The Music publisher, Leigh Treweek.

"It's not just about a race to the top but rather looking at the achievements and successes of the past 12 months and how the industry is looking for the next."

See the full list below and pick up a copy of The Music magazine, which includes a dedicated Power 50 section, hitting the streets in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from today.