Universal Music Australia

Island Records Australia presents NOW & NEXT a celebration of Live Australian Music.    In line with our ongoing commitment to invest in local talent, we’re incredibly proud to showcase the breadth of amazing talent coming out of Island Australia. Held during Aus Music Month, we’ll be bringing together local industry, key partners, and of course the fans for this exclusive showcase in Sydney to celebrate and enjoy our epic lineup of Island artists.    It’s all happening on Friday Nov 15 in Sydney! You can enter to win an exclusive double pass by visiting https://lnkd.in/gEKhsMYz #IslandNOWandNEXT

This year marks 10 years of partnership with Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD), we’re incredibly proud to support a national organisation that provides life changing support and empowerment to young people across Australia through the power of music.    Our teams at UMA have been involved in mentoring over 80 young people through the Rise Up program at MMAD. They work together to create incredible campaigns and songs that help shine a light on the important work happening at the charity.    This year’s campaign features artist and MMAD Graduate Kalani Artis, our teams at UMA mentored a group of young people who developed an artist strategy, and a wider campaign surrounding the track to generate audience engagement and help raise donations for the charity.    Listen to Kalani Artis ‘Sounds Like Home’ - http://bit.ly/3UhIgSz Watch ‘Sounds Like Home’ Kalani Full Length Film -  https://bit.ly/3AlnJFZ   Yesterday we welcomed the MMAD team into our office to come together in support for this year’s campaign, we raised donations for MMAD with a staff raffle full of epic prizes and our teams enjoyed an incredible live performance by Kalani and Fletcher Kent. A huge shout to MMAD Founder Dominic Brook and the entire team! Video credit: D Minor.

We were treated to a truly unique experience with award-winning Pianist, Composer, Podcaster and Certified Breathwork Coach Chad Lawson joining us at UMA office last week to take us through an immersive breathwork session combining meditation, mindfulness, classical music and wellness. A huge thank you to Chad Lawson, our Classics & Jazz team and all involved!    Whilst in Australia, he joined SXSW Sydney as a featured speaker to discuss the Power of Music in the wellness space with Poppy Reid.   Chad Lawson is the first and only musician to serve as a United Nations Ambassador to The World Federation For Mental Health, and is the first to be asked to compose a theme song for World Mental Health Day this year. You can listen to the brand new piece titled “The Light Within” here -https://lnkd.in/gETuGDKC

Get Ausmusic T-Shirt Day ready! We’re donating $10 from every sale of our exclusive artist t-shirts to Support Act until Nov 30! Grab yours now - https://lnkd.in/gpHs_7T5 Thursday 28 November is Ausmusic T-Shirt Day, it's a day to celebrate Aussie music and raise much needed funds through Support Act which helps every person in the music industry doing it tough. #ausmusictshirtday

We had the honour to attend the inaugural AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IN MUSIC Award (AWMA) ceremony, to celebrate and recognise the value, contribution and vast achievements of women in the Australian music industry.    We’re proud to be a supporting partner of AWMA, and with our commitment to supporting long term careers for our artists, investing in their journeys and amplifying their voices - we’re thrilled to sponsor the Universal Music Lifetime Achievement award again this year. Our Senior Vice President of People, Inclusion and Culture, Yvette Cachia was delighted to present the Universal Music Lifetime Achievement Award last night in Brisbane to the incredibly talented Kasey Chambers for her outstanding artistic contribution, a truly special moment.     A huge congratulations to everyone involved in the Australian Women in Music Awards. Thank you for providing a platform that celebrates and advances women in the music industry. This year Universal Music Australia and our President and CEO Sean Warner received recognition as a finalist nominee for the ARIA Executive Leader Game Changer Award, a great privilege to be recognised amongst industry leaders – Congratulations to all the 2024 AWMA winners and nominees from across the music industry. 

We’re incredibly proud of our family of artists, labels and partners that were widely recognised across the 2024 ARIA Award nominations announced today, and we extend our congratulations to all artist nominees. Our nominations were led by EMI Music Australia artist Troye Sivan, receiving four nominations across categories Album of the Year, Best Solo Artist, Best Pop Release and Song of the Year presented by YouTube for Something To Give Each Other. Hip Hop supergroup 3% (1788 Records/Virgin Music Group) also led with four nominations for their KILL THE DEAD album in Best Hip Hop/Rap Release, Best Group presented by Stan, Best Cover Art and in the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist category. Tkay Maidza, Kobie Dee, Fanning Dempsey National Park, Peach PRC, Barkaa, Tori Forsyth (Island Australia), Missy Higgins, Middle Kids, Empire Of The Sun (EMI Australia), Amyl and The Sniffers, Grinspoon, Grigoryan Brothers, Orava Quartet and Sophie Hutchings all received nominations across 19 categories, including Best Solo Artist, Best Group, Best Video, Best Soul/R&B Release, Best Country Album, Best Rock Album, Best Australian Live Act and many more. In addition, this year ARIA - Australian Recording Industry Association will recognise influential singer-songwriter and nine-time ARIA Award winner Missy Higgins (EMI Australia/Eleven), by inducting her into the ARIA Hall Of Fame during the 2024 ARIA Awards on Wednesday, 20 November 👏

We know a simple conversation could change a life. So, in support of R U OK? Day we encouraged our people to have open and meaningful conversations by reaching out to each other, pairing up and taking a moment to head over to our local cafe to have a coffee on us and check in. Sometimes it’s the simplest acts of connecting over a coffee that can become the moments that really matter when we are going through a rough patch. A great reminder for us to continue to check in with each other as we head into the rest of the busy year ahead.

🎸 Ridin' High with Keith Urban 🎸 What a night! We just wrapped up an epic event that’s going to be talked about for a while! Ridin' High with Keith Urban, hosted by The Betoota Advocate and the Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, was magic.   The evening kicked off with an onstage conversation between Keith and The Betoota Advocate, under the watchful eye of the golden prawn, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at his journey. Keith then took the stage for an electrifying two-hour set that blew away the whole room! For the lucky 300 who snagged their spots through the ballot, it was an unforgettable night in an iconic setting filled with music, energy, and pure Keith Urban vibes.    A huge shoutout to the team at EMI Music Australia for curating such an incredible night and experience, it was a masterclass in unexpected partnerships, promotion and marketing.    Big thanks to everyone who made it happen and to all the fans and industry who joined us for such a special night.

In conjunction with Bad Apples Music we have officially launched Irruk Birruk, an industry-first not-for-profit label solely created to promote and distribute indigenous music! You can read more about how, together, we are making indigenous music more accessible via the link below: https://lnkd.in/grvKdjmq

Good Neighbours, Towa Bird and ROLE MODEL all graced the stage in Sydney for a one-off live performance as part of UMG’s developing artist showcase, IGNITE!    The IGNITE showcase series, is a UMG initiative where priority breaking artists are introduced to new markets across the globe, and we were thrilled to welcome the next generation of international artists to the Australian market.    You can watch the 2024 wrap video below!    https://lnkd.in/gaUNAHRd