AJ Maddah Named Most Powerful

Australian festival promoter AJ Maddah topped The Australasian Music Industry Directory’s annual Power 50 list of the Australian music industry, with last year’s winner, Frontier Touring’s Michael Gudinski, bumped down to No. 2.

Maddah founded the hard rock/metal Soundwave and esoteric Harvest festivals and is bringing the Vans Warped Tour back.

According to the AMID, Soundwave’s status as biggest tourist festival (270,000 tickets) gave the rock scene downunder a huge boost.

Maddah’s constant and often barbed tweets are unmatched in regards to audience interaction.

Of his win, Maddah told theMusic.com.au, “To be perfectly honest I’m shocked and a little bit uncomfortable. To paraphrase Groucho Marx, I do not care to be on any list that would have me at number one.”

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

The Power 50 list is regarded by some as flawed, for underestimating the power wielded by those in commercial radio, publishers and media.

At No. 3 on the list is promoter Michael Chugg. No. 4 is George Ash, president of Universal Music Australia & New Zealand, and No. 5 is Paul Piticco, who runs the Splendour In The Grass, Falls and Spin Off festivals as well as the Dew Process, Nook Nook and Create/Control record labels.

The rest of the Top 10 is Splendour In The Grass co-director Jessica Ducrou, dance promoter Totem Onelove Group managing director Richie McNeill, iTunes music manager Janelle McCarthy, youth radio network triple j music director Richard Kingsmill and Millie Millgate, executive producer of music export body Sounds Australia.