Soundwave's AJ Maddah Tops AMID's Annual 'Power 50' List

Soundwave music festival founder AJ Maddah is the most powerful person in the Australian music industry. The festival promoter, who also handles Harvest music festival, has dethroned Mushroom Group chairman Michael Gudinski to top the Australasian Music Industry Directory’s (AMID) Power 50 list.

The full list will be released on August 5, but theMusic.com.au has already revealed the top 20.

Maddah, known for his very passionate tweets, was acknowledged for his efforts in making Soundwave one of the country’s biggest festivals, helping re-empower the Australian punk and metal scene as a whole.

“To be perfectly honest I am shocked and a little bit uncomfortable,” he told the Web site. “To paraphrase Groucho Marx, I do not care to be on any list that would have me at number one.

“I’m still learning on the job and taking lessons from masters like Michael Gudinski, Frank Stivalla, Carl Nicholas, John Parker, Denis Handlin, and Michael Chugg all of whom are more knowledgeable than me and continue to be very generous to me with their time and advice.”

Gudinski has landed at second place after taking the first spot in 2012.

“I’ll keep the spot warm til Michael Gudinski reclaims his rightful place in the mext AMID,” Maddah added.

Chugg Entertainment executive chairman Michael Chugg and Universal Music Group Asia Pacific president George Ash are still in the 3rd and 4th place respectively, while Splendour in the Grass co-director Paul Piticco is at 5th.

The full Power 50 list, including the analysis and justification, will be available in the Australasian Music Industry Directory on August 5, Monday.

The top 20 Most Powerful People in the Australian Music Industry:

1. AJ Maddah, Soundwave/Harvest festival promoter
2. Michael Gudinski - Mushroom Group chairman
3. Michael Chugg, Chugg Entertainment executive chairman
4. George Ash - Universal Music Group, president, Asia-Pacific
5. Paul Piticco - Splendour in the Grass, co-director
6. Jessica Ducrou - Splendour in the Grass, co-director
7. Richie McNeil - Totem Onelove Group, managing director
8. Janelle McCarthy, iTunes music manager
9. Richard Kingsmill - Triple J, music director
10. Millie Millgate - Sounds Australia, executive producer
11. Colin Daniels/Ashley Sellers – Inertia records managing director/CEO.
12. Danny Rogers - Lunatic Entertainment, managing director
13. Dan Rosen - ARIA & PPCA – CEO
14. Denis Handlin - Sony Music Entertainment Australia & New Zealand – chairman and CEO
15. Michael Coppel - Live Nation Australasia, CEO and president
16. Richard Moffat - Way Over There, programmer
17. Nick O'Byrne - Australian Independent Record Labels Association, general manager
18. Peter Noble - Bluesfest, director
19. Matt Gudinski - Mushroom, executive director
20. Brett Murrihy - Artist Voice, CEO