AMCOS received 9 nominations for the 5 vacant Director positions on its Board.
All AMCOS members eligible to vote are strongly encouraged to take the time to consider the nominees and cast a vote. It's vitally important that members have a say in who is representing them on the board and making decisions about music creators' rights and royalties.
My time in publishing started with working at Castle Music in the sheet music department. I moved to Creative manager of ATV Northern Songs for a few years then got the job as Managing Director of peermusic. I became Regional Director for South East Asia for peermusic and set up a number of offices in the region. I was there for over 25 years when I moved on to start Cooking Vinyl Publishing Australia, the publishing arm of Cooking Vinyl Australia.
Nominee statement
The AMCOS board is the coalface of the music publishing business and I want to be part of it again having been on the board for over 22 years. I work fulltime as a publisher signing writers and running the company and AMCOS should have directors doing the business every day.
Outside of music publishing, Jane has worked in the live music sector, primarily as Festival Director of Good Vibrations Festival and managed various live music venues; she has provided free legal advice to musicians and songwriters at the Arts Law Centre of Australia and assisted in establishing Support Act Limited.
In addition to her current MD position at Music Sales, Jane manages apra amcos writer and didgeridoo/multi-instrumentalist artist, William Barton.
Jane holds an Honours degree in Law, an Arts degree and a graduate diploma in legal practice.
Nominee statement
I represent a long-standing global independent music publisher, Music Sales, with a catalogue covering all musical genres. If elected to the AMCOS Board, my focused aims would be to:
I would contribute to the AMCOS Board my many years of music publishing senior management experience, in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, with both majors and indies. In addition, I would contribute my diverse knowledge of, and experience with, tv production, artist management, live venue management, music festival management, collection society licensing management (CAL), record label business affairs, and theatrical productions. My BA.LLB (Hons) degree would also enable me to provide legal input.
Non-executive Director since 2016
Clive Hodson is the Owner/Managing Director of Perth based full-service Publishing/Licensing company Perfect Pitch Publishing which represents both local and international writers and catalogues. Perfect Pitch has offices in Queensland and Perth.
Clive’s 2016 election to the AMCOS board represented a timely recognition and importance of Western Australia in the national musical landscape. Clive was appointed, as board director of WAM in 2017 & 2018 which has provided a higher recognition and value of AMCOS in Western Australia (and in return for WAM with APRA/AMCOS nationally). Prior to moving (back) to WA Clive’s previous industry and board experience has been as General Manager, Shock Music Publishing / Head of Music – Australian Broadcasting Corporation / GM, A&R and Marketing -PolyGram/Universal Group / Board Director PPCA / Board Director AIR (Association of Independent Record Labels) and has been on the board of AMPAL since 2009 (currently Deputy Chair). He is a senior accredited lecturer (Certificate of Education – UNSW) in Music Publishing (AIM/TAFE) and in Perth (WAAPA/TAFE) and a major sponsor of the WAM (West Australian Music) Songwriter of the Year competition. He is a registered writer/multi-instrumentalist and has been a registered Justice of the Peace in NSW (since 2007).
Nominee statement
Andrew Jenkins is President, Australia and Asia Pacific Region, for Universal Music Publishing Group. He is responsible for UMPG’s activities in Australasia, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as for global society and industry matters.
Andrew joined Polygram in the UK in 1981, rising to General Manager and Senior Director at Polydor Records. In 1993, Andrew moved to BMG Music Publishing and served as President of International.
He has been responsible for the Australian offices of both BMG Music Publishing and subsequently Universal Music Publishing from 1993 until today and is married to an Australian singer-songwriter.
He was the architect for both Universal Music Publishing’s pan-European licensing deal with SACEM and pan-Asian licensing deal with APRA.
Andrew has worked with artists such the Bee Gees, Tom Waits, The Cure, Van Morrison, Freddie Mercury, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alanis Morrissette, Pete Townshend and Iron Maiden to name a few.
He is a current board member and former Chairman of ICMP and also a founder board member of IMPA.
After a life spent in the music business, Andrew is passionate about the rights of songwriters and those who invest in their talent.
Nominee statement
Rachel Kelly is Creative Director at Downtown Music Publishing, an independent music publisher with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo & Sydney. Based in Sydney, Rachel oversees all publishing activity for Downtown ANZ including the signing and development of local songwriters, artists and producers. An experienced music executive with expertise in synchronisation, A&R and Creative Services, Rachel has held management roles at both major and independent including Warner/Chappell, J. Albert & Son (Alberts) and BMG Rights Management.
Rachel has been invited to speak on panels for APRA AMCOS NZ, BIGSOUND, Indie-Con and Women In Music. Rachel joined the steering committee for the launch of Music Matters in Australia & New Zealand, and acts as an advisor to Y Vote, a non-partisan community to strengthen democracy.
Nominee statement
I would be honoured to represent Downtown Music Publishing on the AMCOS board.
In my capacity as Creative Director, I am overseeing publishing operations for Downtown in Australia & Zealand. If elected, I’ll bring new perspective to complement longstanding members of the AMCOS board. Downtown has the sensibilities of an independent, with the mindset of a major. Established in 2009 Downtown currently has 300+ employees worldwide.
I have frontline experience working in music publishing across both majors, independents and music supervision. Specifically, I have expertise in contract negotiation across A&R, Synchronisation and Legal & Business Affairs.
In particular, I would like to see improvements to current TV blanket and dramatic context licensing schemes. I believe changes could be made to increase revenue and improve efficiencies that would mutually benefit licensees and copyright owners.
I’m passionate about creating opportunities, maintaining value and protecting the integrity of music. After 20 years working in music publishing, I believe that I will be well placed to make a valuable contribution to the board. I’m committed to working in the best interests of songwriters.
Nominee statement
The current debate about the constitution of boards has focused on questions of balance, ability and diversity and the AMCOS board should also reflect the fact that local composers and publishers form the vast majority of the AMCOS membership not foreign-owned multinationals. Ideally the voting entitlement should be one vote per member because the current situation in which the foreign multinationals can individually control up to 15% of the voting rights and collectively dominate an Australasian industry body is farcical. The strongest mechanical rights societies are those governed by boards dominated by locally-owned independent publishers because they aim to serve the best interests of all of their members and not the vested interests of a few.
Production music generated nearly $10 million in AMCOS income over the past financial year and yet there has never been an Australian-owned production music publisher on the AMCOS board.
There should be at least one composer member on the AMCOS board.
I’ve performed every role within a music publishing company; there isn’t a publishing query or problem you’ve had that I haven’t asked or resolved myself over the past 30 years, and that’s the hands-on experience I would bring to the AMCOS board.
Non-executive Director since 2012
Steve is the CEO of Hillsong Music Publishing Australia, SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia with operations also in the USA and the UK. With a background as a performer, producer and songwriter himself, Steve is honoured to work with world-renowned songwriters and producers achieving Grammy awards, multiple ASCAP and BMI awards in the USA and many other achievements across the globe. Steve has over 20 years’ experience in music publishing and copyright administration. In 2018, Steve completed his MBA through the Australian Institute of Business.
Steve also serves on the Board of Advisors to Christian Copyright Licensing International, is a Director of Australasian Music Publishers’ Association Limited (AMPAL) and serves on the Executive of the Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA) in the United States.
Nominee statement
Non-executive Director since 2013
Simon is the Managing Director of Kobalt Music Group APAC. As Managing Director, Simon is responsible for Kobalt’s publishing, recorded music services, and neighbouring rights businesses. Simon established the Australian and New Zealand operations for Kobalt in 2010 and then in 2016 Simon established an office in Hong Kong, overseeing development of Kobalt Publishing and other new business in the Asian Region. Simon is currently a non-executive director of the Australasian Music Publishers’ Association Limited (AMPAL).
Previous to Kobalt, Simon started his music career at Mushroom Music as an A&R scout after completing a Bachelor Degree in Economics. Following this Simon worked for Sony Music from 1998 to 2003, both as Product Manager and then A&R Manager. Simon then accepted the role as Head of A&R for EMI Records where he was from 2003 to 2010, before being appointed Head of A&R for Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
Nominee statement
Non-executive Director since 2000
Philip is founder of Origin Music Group, has a Bachelor of Business degree UTS, a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Member of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, Australian Institute of Company Directors and Member of the Australian Institute of Management. In practice as a Chartered Accountant, Auditor and Tax Agent from 1980 – 1998 and is also a Director of the Australasian Music Publishers’ Association Limited (AMPAL) and the Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA). Not for profit work includes Chair of the Antony Kidman Foundation, a charity doing research and treatment in youth mental health; and Vice Chair of the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts supporting young people in the arts.
Over 40 years in the entertainment business: agent, artist manager, international concert promoter (Frank Sinatra, The Supremes, B.B. King), professional advisor and over 30 years as a music publisher. Has worked with acts from Billy Thorpe and Ross Wilson through to Lior, Megan Washington and Gotye; most genres from Pop (Basics and Cooking on Three Burners) country (Smoky Dawson) Jazz (James Morrison), film & Television and theatrical rights, Pricilla, Shout!, Strictly Ballroom, Rogers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber….and much more.
Nominee statement