Australasia News: Chugg’s Wheelhouse; Royalty Changes; TEG’s Hip-Hop Fest; NZ: Performances Fit For A King

AUSTRALIA

Country Music In Agency’s Wheelhouse

Chugg Music and Select Music have partnered with country music manager Dan Biddle to launch Wheelhouse Agency, focused on Australia’s growing country and Americana music sector.

The agency is led by Michael Chugg AM and Andrew Stone of Chugg Music, Stephen Wade and Rob Giovannoni of Select Music and Biddle to provide a premium agency service.

Giovannoni and Biddle will take on the roles of Co-Heads of the agency while continuing in their existing roles: Rob as Senior Agent at Select Music and Dan as Special Projects Manager for Chugg Music and Dan Biddle Management.

Katie Krollig, who has been part of the Select Music family for more than six years, joins the Wheelhouse team as lead agent while continuing to service her roster of Select Music artists.

“The growth of country music in Australia over the last few years has been well documented and it was clear that the market needed a new agency to service the many great new artists coming through along with the established artists who are kicking major goals,” Chugg said in a statement.

“With our many decades of experience across all facets of live touring, combined with our knowledge of the country music industry, there is no better team in Australia to help artists develop their live careers and grow their audiences.”

Royalty Payments Changing For Concerts

Royalty splits for major concerts in Australia and New Zealand will change from November.

The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) made it 80% for headliners and 20% for support acts, bringing them in line with international practices.

It’s a blow to domestic acts as the previous calculation was based on the number of songs at a show, and “equally weighted” irrespective of who on the bill performed them.

APRA admitted the system had been criticized by international acts and their management as headliners sometimes received only 50% share.

It made the move as its international affiliates “are now able to license outside of their home territories, which puts us in a competitive market for live performance licensing.”

TEG Launches Hip Hop Festival, Expands Sports Division

TEG has a new hip hop festival in September, taking in arenas in five cities.

Light It Up, through TEG MJR, is headlined by Wiz Khalifa, with Tupelo, MS-based Rae Sremmurd, Brooklyn’s Lola Brooke, Samoan / Chinese drill act Hooligan Hefs, Australian-Samoan Youngn Lipz and DJ BeastMode.

TEG also acquired long time partners Left Field and Rugby Live for TEG Sports.

CEO Geoff Jones explained the move would “expand the TEG business from our market leading position in Asia more deeply into the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States.”

Melbourne-based Left Field Live delivers events as elite football, ice hockey, basketball, college football and baseball, into Australia, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Rugby Live, formed in 2021 after a management buyout of the rugby business from Left Field Live, rebrands as TEG Rugby Live and continues with its management team within TEG Sport.

Oztix Buys Regional Rival Local Tickets

Australia’s largest independent ticketing firm Oztix acquired smaller regional rival Local Tickets, rebranding it Localtix and appointing its founder CEO Kristen Goldup as brand director.

Oztix, which sells close to 3 million tix a year, gets an additional 70 ticket marketplaces and expects to inject over A$350 million (US$231.5 million) into the Australian economy this year.

Managing director Stuart Field, who co-founded the firm in Brisbane twenty years ago, said Oztix benefitted from Local Tickets being “agile and innovative” and “one of the best ticket-selling apps on the market,” and allowed the company to cover ticketing from major venues, festivals, and expos to local events with a staff of 50.

Five Wins For ICC Sydney

International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney, operated by ASM Global, had five wins at the Meetings and Events Australia New South Wales awards.

They were for audio visual services, skilling, virtual event, sales, marketing or business development person of the year for Gabriella Alberici and operations person of the year for senior audio visual tech manager Jack Crozier.

“They are shining examples of how our team members are excelling in their respective fields and contributing to our venue and clients’ success,” said CEO Geoff Donaghy.

NEW ZEALAND

Music Figures In King’s Birthday Honours

Major music industry figures Victoria Blood and Doug Hood were made Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the June 5 King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours list.

Blood managed UK pop acts Steps and A1 at London-based Byrne Blood Group, before returning to NZ and managed Gin Wigmore.

She also worked with the government in developing and exporting music through the NZ Music Commission, WeCreate and NZ Story.

Hood co-founded the influential The Clean, then managed The Chills and Toy Love, set up Looney Tours to showcase indie and dance acts and was behind the NZ Big Day Out.