AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Winspear has landed its first signing from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Awning.

Hailing from the country’s most populated city, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, the alternative rock act celebrates its deal with the release of a new single, “Little Green Book.”

Formed in 2023 by frontman Christian Dimick with Riley Noonan (drums), Damin McCabe (bass) and guitarists Ethan Broughtan and Eli Chamberlain, Awning have a growing reputation as a live outfit.

The five-piece dropped a self-titled EP in 2025 and has played dates in Australia with Twine, supported North Carolina group Wednesday, and most recently showcased at NZ’s Going Global Festival.

“Little Green Book” is “about grief, gritty stuff that feels almost too much to put into song format,” explains Dimick. The single was recorded at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios in Auckland, was produced by De Sevens (Womb, Office Dog, School Fair), and is accompanied with an official music video shot by Damin McCabe. Watch below.

Awning is Los Angeles-based Winspear’s second signing from the region after Adelaide’s Swapmeet, joining labelmates Winter, Teethe and others.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Awning to the Winspear roster, our first signing from New Zealand, and our second international artist following Swapmeet earlier this year,” Swapmeet founder Jared Jones remarks. “When I first heard Awning’s music, what struck me was their ability to convey deeply felt emotions so succinctly. ‘Little Green Book’ is a perfect encapsulation of this. I can’t get that chorus out of my skull.”

On signing the new label deal, Dimick and his bandmates say: “Coming from Aotearoa it feels like a dream to have someone from the U.S. supporting us and they are an incredible team of people. I have loved teethe and Slow Pulp for years so I am at a loss for words to explain how exciting this all feels. It is an honor to jump on their roster.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been ordered to foot a hefty legal bill after unsuccessfully suing over the 2025 Peacock documentary The Making of a Bad Boy.

A Tuesday (Oct. 6) court order, obtained by Billboard, says Combs must repay $478,000 that NBCUniversal spent convincing a judge to dismiss the defamation lawsuit earlier this year. This amount, while significant, is only about half of the $990,000 charged by NBC’s attorneys at the elite law firm Gibson Dunn.

Combs had sued NBC in early 2025 for $100 million, alleging The Making of a Bad Boy advanced a “false narrative” that he was involved in the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and Kim Porter. But Judge Phaedra F. Perry-Bond ruled this April that NBC followed the proper journalistic standards by making clear that Combs denies all such claims and that the interviewees who voiced the theories, including musician Al B. Sure!, had their own biases against the now-imprisoned mogul.

Judge Perry-Bond threw out Combs’ lawsuit under New York’s anti-SLAPP statute, which quickly disposes of meritless cases that threaten First Amendment-protected free speech. Under that law, a successful defendant can recoup the legal fees that they spent in the process.

The judge ruled Monday that NBC indeed qualifies for attorney fee reimbursement in this situation. The judge accepted the hourly billing rates charged by a team of six Gibson Dunn lawyers, ranging from $915 for a junior associate to $1,980 for a senior partner.

“Although the court is cognizant that the rates charged here are higher than the customary rates, due to the publicity, complexity, quantum of damages, caliber and experience of the attorneys, the results achieved and the quality of the submissions and performance at oral argument, the court declines any reduction of the defendants’ hourly rates,” wrote Judge Perry-Bond.

However, the judge did find that the amount of hours billed by Gibson Dunn was, at times, “excessive.” She trimmed a total of $512,000 from the $990,000 bill submitted by NBC — including $269,000 spent drafting a motion and $78,000 for internal office discussions — for a final fee award of $478,000.

Reps for NBC did not immediately return a request for comment on the ruling Tuesday. A spokesperson for Combs told Billboard, “NBCUniversal sought nearly $1 million in attorneys’ fees, and the court found substantial portions of those fees excessive and unreasonable, cutting their request by more than half.”

Combs previously initiated the process of appealing to reinstate his claims against NBC, but the case was one of many dropped by his former law firm due to a money dispute last month. It was not immediately clear whether Combs still intends to pursue that appeal with different lawyers.

The Bad Boy Records founder is currently serving prison time for arranging cross-country prostitution events known as “freak-offs.” He’s appealing, saying the sentence was unduly harsh since jurors acquitted him of more serious sex-trafficking and racketeering charges. Meanwhile, Combs still faces dozens of ongoing civil sexual misconduct lawsuits, in which he denies all wrongdoing.

Combs’ lawsuit against NBC was one of several attempts he’s made to go on the offensive amid the harsh media scrutiny of the last several years. While his claims against NBC were unsuccessful, he’s having better luck with a different defamation case against NewsNation. In that matter, a judge ruled last month that Combs can pursue discovery over news broadcasts that suggested he laced baby oil with drugs to incapacitate alleged sexual assault victims.

A man who used AI songs to steal millions in music royalties has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, capping off the first-ever criminal case over streaming fraud.

Michael Smith, 54, pleaded guilty in March to using AI to generate thousands of songs and then streaming them billions of times with bots, generating more than $8 million in royalties. His was the first criminal conviction over a tricky problem that’s plagued the music industry for years.

Ahead of sentencing, his lawyers had asked the judge for no prison time, arguing the harm to any single artist was “insignificant” and “no victim suffered any real harm.” But at a hearing on Tuesday (Oct. 6) in Manhattan federal court, Judge John G. Koeltl ordered him to serve a year and a half in jail, followed by two years of supervised release.

Jamie McDonald, the Manhattan federal prosecutor, said in a statement following the sentencing that Smith had “exploited” the new technology to commit streaming fraud on a massive scale: “By flooding music streaming platforms with automated bots in the place of consumers, and fake songs in the place of creativity, Smith robbed millions in royalty payments from genuine artists and their fans.”

Smith’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

Streaming fraud — using artificial means to boost the plays of a particular song — has been an issue for the music industry for years. But the rise of artificial intelligence has supercharged the problem, both by enabling the creation of phony songs and by powering bot networks to play those tracks on repeat.

Bots can certainly be used to inflate the popularity of real acts — an allegation leveled by Drake at Universal Music Group in their bruising legal battle over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” But the far more common and more damaging form of streaming fraud is scammers trying to pull royalties for fake or copied songs, a practice that dilutes the money paid out to real artists and songwriters.

Smith was arrested in 2024 on a three-count indictment that charged him with using thousands of bots to continuously stream songs on Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms starting in 2017. Prosecutors claimed he initially started by merely boosting the plays of his own music, then switched to mass-producing AI songs to fuel the scheme.

In March, he entered a guilty plea on a single count of wire fraud conspiracy and agreed to forfeit more than $8 million in streaming fraud proceeds. That charge carries a five-year maximum prison sentence, and federal guidelines call for between 46 and 57 months, but probation officials recommended a lighter sentence of 24 months.

In court filings ahead of sentencing, Smith’s lawyers argued he had caused only “tiny, immeasurable losses” spread across millions of songwriters and artists, and urged no prison time at all: “The effect each individual stream of one artist’s song has on every other artist’s share of total streams is not akin to a drop in a proverbial bucket — it is a drop in an ocean,” Smith’s lawyers wrote.

But prosecutors fired back that Smith had, in fact, harmed many “hard-working (and often underpaid) songwriters” and urged the judge to send him to prison for at least 46 months. “A lenient sentence will send precisely the wrong message: streaming fraud will not result in meaningful punishment.”

In a statement on Smith’s sentence Tuesday, the Recording Industry Association of America said: “Streaming fraud harms creators and deceives fans. We appreciate the Court recognizing the significance of this harmful conduct and the ill-gotten gains that come from the pockets of real artists, songwriters and their label partners.”

The Music Fights Fraud Alliance, an advocacy group established in 2023, praised the sentencing of a man who “undermined trust in the music industry,” but said it would take “more than one case” to stop streaming fraud: “To truly protect creators, industry stakeholders, law enforcement, and policymakers must keep working together to deliver continued, meaningful deterrence.”

Believe has named Adriana Sein as the company’s new president of Americas, a newly created role, the company announced Tuesday (Oct. 6). She will report to global head of music Romain Vivien.

In the role, Sein will lead Believe’s commercial operations in North and South America, overseeing the label & artist solutions business lines and the expansion of the company across the region. This includes the United States, where Believe recently established its label & artist solutions business led by Thomas Maxwell, along with the U.S.-based record label AZTEC led by former 300 executive Az Cohen. Sein will be directly responsible for Believe’s business in Canada and Latin America.

Sein joins Believe from Warner Music Group’s ADA, where she was senior vp & global head of artist & market development. While there, she led the distribution business in EMEA and Latin America, along with global marketing and client partnerships, including in the U.S. She additionally drove the company’s expansion into MENA and Africa. Before ADA, she was vp of international at Columbia Records. She also previously worked at Ultra Records, where she established the label’s international division and spearheaded the implementation of Ultra’s joint venture with Sony Music.

“Adriana is a successful senior executive leader with a super strong track record in the global music industry,” said Vivien in a statement. “Her multiple market expertise and deep understanding of both distribution and artist development businesses added to a solid strategic vision make her the best person to hone our operations, increase our impact, and continue growing our business throughout the Americas. Adriana joining Believe stands as a testament to our continued investment in the region, particularly in the United States, and our commitment to help develop creators, labels and artists with best in class services, expertise, and leadership. I am very excited to welcome her to Believe.”

“Over the past 20 years, Believe has built a differentiated global platform with independent artists, labels and entrepreneurs at its core,” Sein added. “I’m excited to join the company at such a defining moment and bring the full strength of that offering to the US, while accelerating our growth across Latin America and Canada. I look forward to working with our teams and partners to build on that momentum and drive the next phase of growth throughout the Americas.”

Sony Music has requested the removal of more than 260,000 AI deepfake tracks from digital platforms, Billboard has confirmed. That’s nearly double the number reported in March, when Sony revealed it had sent a total of 135,000 takedown requests to date. Now, the major music company says the deepfake issue “harms artists, misleads fans and undermines the ethical use of AI.” The news was first reported by the Financial Times.

A Sony Music spokesperson tells Billboard that the generative AI deepfake tracks it issued takedown notices for “imitate our artists’ voices and likenesses without permission.” They continued: “It’s almost double what we saw earlier this year. It’s happening at scale, and harms artists, misleads fans and undermines the ethical use of AI. Every fraudulent stream takes money away from the artists and songwriters whose music is being listened to. We will keep enforcing our artists’ rights and expect platforms to act quickly and to prevent the same content from reappearing, but it’s becoming an uphill struggle. We’re working with partners across the industry to detect and stop it.”

Today, there is no federal law in the United States to prevent or stop an artist’s name, image, likeness and/or voice from being used in an AI deepfake or other soundalike. Instead, there is an uneven patchwork of protection at the state level that varies slightly depending on where the deepfakes originate from. To fill in these gaps, Billboard reported in 2023 that the majors and streaming services were working together to create a notice-and-takedown procedure that would allow trusted labels to get deepfakes of their artists removed. Though it’s a voluntary stopgap, since it was enacted, that measure has helped companies like Sony keep the growing number of deepfakes at bay.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the music industry has been pushing for new nationwide protection with the NO FAKES Act, which would give individuals the right to authorize the use of their voices and likenesses in AI deepfakes for the first time. The bill also contains carveouts for news, parody, documentary and sports, among other exclusions.

NO FAKES was first introduced as a draft bill in 2023, and formally introduced for the first time in 2024. Since then, the music biz has relentlessly worked to get it passed. Last week, the bill was brought to the Senate floor and received nearly unanimous support apart from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who blocked it while citing concerns about the use of a person’s image in satire or political commentary.

According to French streaming service Deezer, more than 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks are uploaded to its site every day. While only a fraction of those uploads qualify as AI deepfakes, the problem of artistic impersonation is a growing one, and labels are picking up the job of policing them.

ADE, the world’s largest dance music industry gathering, is just weeks away from happening in Amsterdam.

With 2026 marking ADE’s 30-year anniversary, organizers have put together a massive program of panels, parties and other events for industry folks and fans alike. Billboard Pro subscribers looking to get in on the action can get 15% off the price of an ADE 2026 Pro Pass using the promo ADE26-BILLBOARD15 when checking out on the ADE ticketing site.

The Pro Pass offers entry to a whirlwind of panels and discussions featuring industry leaders from labels, DSPs, festivals, party brands and management, with reps from companies including Spotify, AEG Rocky Mountains, Helix, Sony, Monstercat, Believe, Beatport, The Orchard and many more all on the program schedule.

Highlights of the 2026 program include a presentation on breaking independent talent by SoundCloud, Google DeepMind on the future of music in the AI era, Believe founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillerie on artist development, manager Troy Carter on next-generation artist management and execs from Warner Music on the future of music and publishing. There will also be an artist roundtable on AI featuring Boys Noize, BT, Dave Clarke, Mathame and Portrait XO, and a presentation on 30 years of ADE with key figures from the event’s history, including its current managing director Jan-Willem van de Ven.

See the complete ADE 2026 Pro Program here.

Along with these events, ADE will again feature a huge number of parties, festivals and sets, with artists including Eric Prydz, Jean-Michel Jarre, Âme, Mochakk, Miss Monique, Armin van Buuren and roughly 1,500 other DJs and producers all descending upon the Dutch capital for the event.

In the past few years, an intriguing cast of characters have championed British creativity on a global stage. Olivia Dean and Lola Young scooped up Grammys, while Yungblud, RAYE, PinkPantheress, Sam Fender and more all brought their own distinct personalities and sounds to some of their biggest-ever audiences. These new faces bring fresh approaches and daring ideas, and push our scene into the future.

That spirited attitude has filtered down to the executives who work across the U.K.’s music sector as it jostles to retain its position as the world’s third-largest market. Billboard U.K.’s inaugural 40 Under 40 list looks to capture the rising executives that are setting the standard for their peers and leading from the front.

Submissions opened in August, with executives able to submit their eligible peers via an open nominations form. The responses were then considered by Billboard U.K. editors before the successful candidates were selected; each executive can only appear on the 40 Under 40 list once. The launch of the list follows the publication of Billboard U.K.’s Power Players list in June, which recognizes senior leadership at selected companies. 

Honorees will be celebrated at a special event at Beyond The Music conference and festival in Salford, Greater Manchester on Wednesday (Oct. 7), attended by key industry executives, policy makers and artists.

See the class of 2026 for Billboard U.K.’s 40 Under 40 list below.

Michael Adex

Founder & CEO, NQ

After founding NQ at age 20, helping steer rapper Aitch toward mainstream stardom and a BRIT Award while supporting a wealth of local talent, Adex is now expanding the Manchester entertainment company “further into my other passions: sport, film and TV.” In 2026 alone, NQ has launched Creamfield Recordings alongside the U.K. dance festival of the same name, while securing Aitch a Netflix documentary, Don’t Be Afraid, to tell the story of his January 2025 climb of Mount Kilimanjaro that raised over £160,000 for the Down’s Syndrome Association. “NQ was never meant to just be a music company, we want to build businesses, brands and talent on a holistic level within culture,” Adex adds. Now 30, he has also set up NQ Legacy, a community outreach project to assist young people in finding their place in the arts, and is calling on “the major [labels], the DSPs, the big promoters and government to invest in impact, not just activity.”

Bradlee Banbury

Music brand partnership agent, Creative Artists Agency

“A good agent should put pressure on themselves to deliver for their clients and not wait for others to do so,” says Banbury, 38, who has delivered landmark brand deals and performance opportunities for talent including Jennifer Lopez, Jorja Smith, Hans Zimmer, Sam Smith and Katy Perry across the luxury fashion, beauty, travel and retail sectors. Most recently, he has helped Zimmer to “develop a new sonic identity and bespoke inflight music” for Qatar Airways. “If I had to list off every upcoming work-related project that I was excited about, the list would never end,” he adds, with former Billboard U.K. cover star Loyle Carner coming onboard as his latest client.

Ishsha Bourguet

Director & agent, THE•TEAM

Starting out as a DJ in South Africa, Bourguet now oversees a roster encompassing global stars and future U.K. talent at The•Team. The past year has seen her elevate ascendant pop star Tyla from a slot on the All Points East main stage through to an upcoming headline U.K. tour and guide amapiano upstart Skyla Tylaa to a sold-out KOKO show in London. “We all have a responsibility and duty of care to invest in the next generation,” the 39-year-old says of the responsibility she feels to pay it forward. “This can range from mentorship to offering your time to speak with young people at youth centres and schools, and, of course, ensuring there are paid positions such as internships available at your company. There is nothing more valuable than gaining experience and knowledge.”

Alex Burford

Managing director, Warner Records U.K.

The team of executives that Burford and Warner Records U.K. is building is full of “dynamic, entrepreneurial and creative thinkers” that approach “campaigns in a completely modern way.” He points to the “incredible” results for signee PinkPantheress and her Fancy That mixtape, which featured Billboard Global 200 chart-topper “Stateside (Remix)”. Now, Dua Lipa’s “Training Season” is storming up the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart two years after its release, landing back inside the top five. “I don’t think any other combination of executives would have delivered those campaigns,” he concludes.

Rivca Burns

Head of music, Factory International

“We need to champion diversity, be patient with learning and not be afraid to fail,” says Burns, 39, who has served as head of music at Manchester’s state-of-the-art Aviva Studios for the past three years, home of arts group Factory International. It’s a philosophy that the 39-year-old lives by, having tirelessly championed the city’s grassroots music community at a national level while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for artists at the venue. Over the past year, that has meant helping develop the Music Growth Package with Arts Council England and programming ambitious projects with artists including Ezra Collective, Nia Archives, Bonobo and Nubya Garcia. She’s particularly excited about the 2027 edition of the flagship Manchester International Festival, which she says will offer “something truly unique for audiences.”

Tom Coulson-Smith

Vp of A&R, Concord

Coulson-Smith, 38, has developed and honed an eclectic roster of songwriters, producers and artists at Concord from the likes of Mount Kimbie and Yazmin Lacey, to Wesley Joseph and Biffy Clyro. In 2025 and 2026 so far, Concord writers have contributed to 14 No. 1s on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, including Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving; Dave’s The Boy Who Played the Harp; and Gorillaz’s The Mountain. “It’s rewarding to see our writers contributing to music that is resonating both in the U.K. and around the world,” says Coulson-Smith. A valuable career lesson remains his driving force: “Sign the music you genuinely believe in, surround yourself with good people, and do the work the right way. If you stay true to those things, good work has a way of rising to the top.”

Menna Dief

Promoter, Live Nation

Dief’s past year has been defined by three major milestones in the representation of Arabic music in London: promoting Angham’s Royal Albert Hall debut, the first headline performance at the venue by an Egyptian artist since 1976; orchestrating Omar Khairat’s presentation of Arabic composition at the Hall; and helping launch Maharajan, a one-day festival at Crystal Palace Bowl. Raised between Baheira and Cairo, Egypt, much of Dief’s time with Live Nation as a promoter has been guided by a desire to connect the diaspora with its cultural roots, while pushing the live industry to “give chances to new visions,” which she has achieved through the aforementioned shows. There are “a lot of things in the pipeline for 2027,” the 27-year-old says, “including some artists that London has not seen in decades.”

Rebecca Dixon

Global head of marketing & strategy, Various Artists Management

A key driving mantra for Dixon in her role has been listening to artists and “not sticking to things formulaically because it’s worked for someone else.” Dixon, 32, played an integral part in the roll-out for Melanie C’s Sweat LP, which reached No. 3 on the U.K ‘s Official Albums Chart, the highest-ever placing for a solo project by any of the Spice Girls: “She’s the most inspiring and hardworking person and encourages that in everyone around her too.” Dixon’s next focus will be the sophomore album from dance-pop act Rose Gray. “She’s just such a talent and has an incredibly strong vision,” Dixon says. “I can’t wait for people to discover and absorb themselves into her album and world.”

Sabine Fell-Douglas

COO, Publishing, Believe

At Believe, Fell-Douglas has spent the past year working to expand the role publishing operations played for writers, from those creating their first song to chart-topping artists. This means moving publishing beyond a function that operated quietly in the background and making it something that actively created value and opportunity for writers at every stage of their careers. Building greater visibility across registration, song earnings, and data matching, demonstrates to Believe’s roster of signees that “transparency should not be a USP, it should simply be the standard,” Fell-Douglas, 35, says. “If it’s your song and your money, you should be able to understand what’s happening to it.”

Sarah Gabrielli

Head of A&R, Sony Music Publishing U.K.

In her role as head of A&R, Gabrielli, 36, has worked to not be “distracted by the noise of the industry and instead keep my focus on the songs.” Recent signings to Sony Music Publishing by Gabrielli’s team include Little Simz, Olivia Dean, Myles Smith, Dave and EsDeeKid, proving that SMP U.K.’s “creative team have really been shining and achieving this year.” Developing and empowering talent in her team is paramount to this success: “It’s vital the industry always works to grant young people the space to express themselves and bring ideas to the table,” she says, to allow “progressive and innovative approaches to develop.”

Anu Gantumur

Executive of Creative Europe, BMI

“I deeply believe in the saying that great music transcends barriers,” Ganumur says of her mission at the BMI. As such, she’s worked to create international opportunities for U.K. talent, including curating the performance rights organization’s stages at U.S. festivals such as Lollapalooza, SXSW and ACL, with appearances for U.K. acts Sasha Keable, Chloe Qisha and Ben Ellis. Gantumur, 30, also partnered with BMI’s Nashville Creative Team on an exclusive London Q&A with Ty Myers during the recent Country 2 Country Festival. “Whether it’s language, genre, territory, or culture, I find that my work often has me at the forefront of cross-cultural exchange,” she concludes.

Jack Greengrass

Head of A&R, Island EMI Label Group

Lola Young, The Last Dinner Party and Jacob Alon — the latter of whom won the BRITs’ Critics Choice prize and two Ivor Novello Awards — collectively serve as just a taster of the recent successes for Island Records’ roster. The skills of A&R in current age, Greengrass says, remain steadfast, however: “Back brave, unique artistry and then be patient with it.” The 38-year-old continues, “some of the most rewarding things I’ve been involved with have taken time. Patience and conviction are massively important in this job.” Up next? English Teacher’s follow-up to Mercury Prize-winning debut LP This Could Be Texas and the rise of Irish trad-folk group Madra Salach.

Jamie Herron

Campaign manager, frontline recordings U.K., BMG

In 2021, Herron joined the team at BMG as an apprentice with no music industry experience. His willingness to take on new challenges has seen him go on to earn several promotions in the intervening years, but he says the biggest lesson has been learning to trust his expertise. “Something that I have learned, and which I still need to remind myself of now, is that my voice has value,” he says. That burgeoning confidence and leadership mindset has translated into some pivotal success, including last year’s campaign for MARINA’s Princess of Power, her first LP to be released independently and distributed through BMG. “We doubled the first-week sales of her last album, and were able to surpass a lot of expectations too,” Herron proudly says.

Olivia Hobbs

Founding & managing director, Blackstar Agency

With an artist roster including Hayley Williams, Arlo Parks and Nine Inch Nails, and clients spanning Sony Music, Domino Records, The Orchard and AWAL, Blackstar Agency has grown to become one of the U.K.’s leading independent music marketing agencies. Its rise is down to expanding operations “sustainably while protecting the values and creative ambition the agency was built on.” Those principles extend to how she thinks about the industry more broadly, particularly its responsibility to the next generation. “We need to recognize that talent does not always present itself in a conventional way,” Hobbs says. “Creating space for different backgrounds, working styles and neurodivergence will produce a stronger and more imaginative industry, so it shouldn’t just be a one-off campaign or a footnote.”

Adem Holness

Head of music, SXSW London

Since launching SXSW London from “ground zero,” Holness has helped establish the culture and tech event as a new platform for emerging talent and industry leaders, welcoming more than 30,000 people to each edition. He’s particularly proud of creating a space where artists can “take risks,” with Erykah Badu and Sega Bodega among those premiering new music at the event. “Find the people pushing creativity forward, whether that’s artists breaking new ground or people experimenting with emerging technology, and bring them together and help create something new,” he says. “That’s where you make moments that genuinely create a sense of awe and wonder for audiences.”

Will Hunt

Senior vp of A&R, AWAL

“Part of A&R is about training your ears and your brain to take on more and more information about whether to sign or not to sign an artist,” explains Hunt. “But once you’ve seen or heard enough to feel excited about their potential, don’t hesitate.” The approach has paid off, with the 38-year-old’s signings delivering in excess of 10 billion streams for AWAL since he joined the label in 2018. A key part of that success has included Irish country-pop star CMAT, who won the best album prize at the 2026 Ivor Novello awards and earned Mercury Prize and BRIT Award nominations for career-best LP Euro-Country. Hunt is now looking forward to developing Chimes, a new label in partnership with AWAL, focusing on supporting young, emerging artists and giving them resources to develop sustainable careers.

Darcey Jackson 

Director of talent, AEG Presents European Festivals

Packing out Pitbull’s performance at AEG’s BST Hyde Park with 70,000 bald cap-wearing fans “was one of the greatest days of my life, both professionally and personally,” Jackson says. “Smashing a Guinness World Record as well as the BST Hyde Park ticket record in one day will be a hard one to beat,” she says of the initiative, which garnered international media coverage. The ongoing success of All Points East at London’s Victoria Park, headlined by Tyler, the Creator, Deftones and more in 2026, is also an event that Jackson also takes great pride in. She adds: “The opportunity every year to leave a positive cultural footprint in the city is such an honour.”

Emily Jeffrey

Creative director, Polydor Label Group

The Rolling Stones released their 15th U.K. No. 1 album Foreign Tongues in July with a typically brash creative energy. The LP’s artwork – which featured a cartoonish composite of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Woods’ faces – and the video for “In the Stars” is proof that the rockers’ penchant for provocation is yet to fade. “I’m really proud that we backed work that was thought-provoking,” says Jeffrey, a key player in the creative for the project. “I think creativity should have a point of view first and foremost. It doesn’t need to be universally liked, but it should prompt a reaction and say something which I really felt this cover did.”

Ra’ed Khan

Director of growth, Warner Music U.K.

It’s been a standout year for Khan and his colleagues on WMG’s U.K. revenue & growth team, who “drove [their] U.K. digital market share to new peaks.” Innovative endeavors have seen collaborations between Meta and Atlantic Records for Ed Sheeran’s global-first WhatsApp campaign, turbocharging Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” during its 13-week stay at No. 1 on the Official Singles Chart, and launching The Warehouse, which plugs the team’s roster into platforms such as Reddit and Stationhead. “It’s amazing to see what happens when brilliant label ideation is backed by a sharp digital strategy,” Khan says. “We’re building some genuinely innovative campaigns right now, and it’s a privilege to work across such a diverse roster.”

Daniel Lang

Senior vp, global society relations & digital rights, Warner Chappell Music

Lang’s role includes maximizing value and delivering “the best outcomes for our songwriters” in the Warner Chappell Music catalogue. Strengthening the companies relationships with “like-minded societies” on a global level and leading and contributing to “a number of significant DSP negotiations as the market continues to evolve” keeps him on his toes. “It’s an area I’ve worked in for a long time, but it never really stands still, which is probably why I still find it so interesting,” he adds. Now, he wants to pay it forward and bring new perspectives into decision-making processes. “I think it’s extremely important to give young people a voice, and meaningful opportunities to use it, early on in their careers,” Lang concludes.

Bonita McKinney

Head of business development, Europe, Virgin Music Group

In the past year, McKinney played a role in expanding Virgin Music Group’s U.K. business with a genre-spanning roster of label partners including Earache, Chess Club and Killabop, and artists such as Of Monsters & Men and Leigh-Anne. McKinney, 37, also brought together business development talent from across VMG’s expanded businesses following the completed merger with FUGA and Downtown, with a goal of building “a trusted group of peers to riff with, challenge your thinking and learn from.” With an expanded suite of tools, more label partnerships are on the horizon, she says, as well as revelling in the “pretty special feeling” of releasing new LPs from Interpol, Bloc Party, Kings of Leon and Bad Omens.

Billy Millar

Senior vp, sync & creative, Bella Figura Music

Producer Paul Epworth (Rihanna, Adele), Jonny Pierce of The Drums and rock band Whiskey Myers are among the key additions to the Bella Figura Music roster over the past year. For Millar, 36, the opportunity to work with songwriters “of this calibre is such a privilege.” He continues: “These are songwriters who’ve each helped define their genre and being part of a team trusted to carry that legacy forward is something I don’t take for granted.” The signings support Bella Figura Music’s presence on both sides of the Atlantic, with teams in London and Los Angeles. With all resources going towards “a continued push in the U.S.,” Millar notes that “it’s such an exciting time for us – we’re a fast-growing, young company. It really does feel like the start of our next chapter. I’m looking forward to being part of shaping what that looks like.”

Carlene Morlese

Artist relations, U.K. lead, Apple Music

The newly opened Apple Music Hall in Battersea is “a space designed with the artist at the heart, giving them a platform to create unforgettable, intimate live experiences and so much more,” says Morlese, 39, who has worked for the streaming platform for the past five years. She is looking forward to building “bespoke shows” at the venue, which boasts a 38-foot-wide stage and a 48-speaker sound system, and also operates as a production facility. During her tenure with Apple Music, the Londoner, 39, has also honed the creative direction of Elton John’s Rocket Hour radio show while working closely with the icon himself, alongside delivering ambitious Black History Month and Pride campaigns across the platform. “Authentic connections have been the foundation of my most impactful campaigns and activations,” she adds.

Andy Nees

Partner & agent, WME

In the 16 years that he has spent with WME Music Central, Nees has worked his way up towards becoming a partner within the agency and representing a diverse roster of acts that spans Empire Of The Sun, Stormzy, Ashnikko, Blood Orange, The Hu and beyond. The 39-year-old has played a pivotal role in the growth of WME’s U.K. music division, thanks in part to his collaborative approach to relationship-building with premier venues, festivals and artist managers across the world. Nees’ most valuable career lesson has been seeing how “marginal daily improvement over a consistent period of time results in massive growth in the long run. Small, steady effort compounds in ways that feel invisible day to day but become undeniable over years.” He affirms: “Loving the challenge is as important as loving the result.”

Mitch Page

Head of indies & label relations, Amazon Music U.K.

As the inaugural chair of the ERA Future Leaders board, which fosters mentorship and networking opportunities for younger music industry talent, Page, 31, is finding new ways to “build bridges and celebrate voices across regions, sectors, and every corner of the industry.” The Amazon Music U.K. executive knows the importance of opening doors for the next generation firsthand, having cut his teeth at Manchester indie label Scruff of the Neck in his early 20s, before going on to lead high-profile streaming partnerships, including the blockbuster Oasis Live ’25 campaign, and Breakthrough Lab, Amazon Music’s program for emerging acts. “I’d like to see the industry learning and governing with young people, not just consulting them once the decisions are made,” he adds.

Matt Pickering-Copley

Music booking agent, Primary Talent International

After realising that Ethel Cain’s ongoing momentum around her 2022 LP Preacher’s Daughter meant it was “the time to let it rip,” Pickering-Copley took a big swing with the alternative singer-songwriter’s U.K. touring plans last year, booking five nights at London’s 5,000-capacity Eventim Apollo across a week in October. Each night sold out as it went on sale, turning the run into the flagship moment of the campaign and taking Cain’s touring business “to a whole other level.” The 35-year-old has also landed major U.K. festival placements for other independent clients Mitski and Men I Trust, and is currently building the live portfolios of Underscores and Frost Children.

Rob Ronaldson

President & founder, Robots + Humans

As the founder of Robots + Humans, a Sony Music U.K. imprint that focuses on breaking emerging artists using technology-driven insights, Ronaldson has learned that “it’s important to give people enough time to do great things.” Over the past year, he’s helped Dublin producer F3miii break through globally with “Noble,” alongside supporting viral indie band Daydreamers throughout its debut album campaign. He’s also overseeing the release of Wretch 32’s legendary “Fire in the Booth” – which saw the rapper freestyle live over The xx’s “Intro” live on BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2015 – after the sample recently got cleared, describing it as “an iconic piece of U.K. rap history.”

Brooke Salisbury

Senior vp (international marketing & digital), Sony Music U.K.

Salisbury has continued to reshape Sony Music U.K.’s international marketing functions, helping drive global success for Myles Smith, Bring Me the Horizon and Central Cee, while supporting Wolf Alice’s first album with the label, The Clearing. She credits SMG U.K.’s CEO Jason Iley and COO Azi Eftekhari for encouraging her to “flourish as a leader,” adding that she wants to help mentor the next generation of executives. “If you’re willing to become a true expert in your lane and you keep on showing up for your artists, you’re going to make a big impact,” she says. “There’s so much space at the table for people who want to make a difference.”

Marc Saunders

Head of Programming, The O2

A mission for Saunders, head of programming at London’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena, is to remain inquisitive and to “open your mind to genres outside of your comfort zone.” As such, the live venue has recently hosted concerts from a swathe of genres from “South Asian and Cantopop, to Afrobeat and K-Pop” and global superstars such as Rosalía, TWICE, Katseye; in August, the venue also hosted a 10-night residency by Ariana Grande, her only European performances on the Eternal Sunshine tour. 2027 brings a “milestone” 20th anniversary celebration for the venue, and the 34-year-old and his team are “programming an extensive roster of high-profile and diverse shows” to celebrate the moment.

Nichal Sethi

Managing director, SoundOn EMEA, TikTok

SoundOn’s EMEA operation enjoyed a run of frontline success in the past twelve months, with its artists landing seven placings on both the U.K. Official Singles Chart and Germany’s Top 100 Singles charts, as well as five spots across Billboard charts. Among the projects Sethi, 37, is most proud of is Aitch’s “RMB (Ring My Bell),” which SoundOn signed directly through its A&R team, before supporting the record with promotion and marketing that helped turn it into a global success. For Sethi, who has spent 15 years in the industry, cultivating the relationships behind those results is paramount: “It comes down to being a good person and someone that artists can genuinely trust,” he says.

Holly Shaw

Head of international marketing, Universal Music Group U.K.

Shaw, who leads international marketing at UMG U.K., has had a full-throttle 12 months. The 32-year-old was instrumental in the marketing campaign for Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving and points to the star’s performances on SNL in the U.S. and at the ARIA Awards in Australia as two of her biggest wins; Holly Humberstone, too, has also worked to boost her international presence in Europe and North America. The key to delivering across markets and with her international colleagues? Don’t panic. “At times it can get incredibly hectic and busy” she says. “But I’ve found if you ask, there is always someone who will offer their expertise and help ease the load.”

Pete Simmons

Head of A&R, Universal Music Publishing Group

Reinvigorating UMPG’s roster has been the defining achievement of Simmons’ past year, bringing in Zach Nahome (Olivia Dean), Shift K3Y (Becky Hill, Tinie Tempah), and solo act-turned-songwriter Willow Kayne, who is starting a new writing lane in K-Pop. “The best part is that they all work together and share opportunities – they have this brilliant community around them. It’s refreshing, and deeply inspiring,” the 33-year-old says of these songwriters and producers. For Simmons, his role is “really quite simple” and ultimately comes down to one thing: being useful. “Whether that’s finding songs, sessions, collaborators or even occasionally restaurants, through providing access, insight and expertise, your value is in how useful you are,” he says.

Guv Singh

CEO, Catalyst Management

Catalyst Management founder Singh, 36, expanded his remit over the past year, becoming senior cultural advisor to Robert Lavia, the CEO of UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle (UMHL); the team is now gearing up to launch UMHL’s latest project, an ultra-premium hotel and beach club in Tulum. On the music side, Catalyst-signed producer Tru Skool produced “Morni” by Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh, while Steel Banglez collaborated with Burna Boy on recent track “Birthday.” Elsewhere, Singh is continuing to shape Breaking Borders, his music festival in Malta that champions South Asian creatives and musicians. “Stay true to your own vision,” Singh says to his fellow rising executives. “Outside noise and opinions can distract you and throw you off track.”

Emma Tivnen

A&R director, Kobalt

Tivnen had a front-row seat to one of British music’s biggest breakouts, working closely with Kobalt-signed Max Wolfgang, a key collaborator of Olivia Dean; Wolfgang has songwriting and production credits throughout her The Art of Loving LP, and on Dean’s contribution to “Rein Me In,” a record-busting collaboration with Sam Fender. Elsewhere the 35-year-old continued her work with Barry Can’t Swim, whose forthcoming third album – set to be released by Atlantic – she describes as a career-high. Even as technology rapidly reshapes the business, Tivnen says that nurturing relationships with clients remains at the heart of A&R. “Despite the switch to data, and AI, the music industry is still very much a people business,” she says. “Especially in A&R: people sign to people.”

Cindy Truong

Senior awards manager, The Ivors Academy

Truong helped to lead operations across delivering the 71st Ivor Novello Awards earlier this year, which featured appearances from Elton John, Harry Styles, Rosalía, Thom Yorke, and more. Her work at The Ivors Academy has also centered on advocating for composers, from participating in industry dates on AI and supporting new BBC commissioning guidelines for media composers to making the case for Basic Income for the Arts internationally. “Through my work at The Ivors Academy, I’ve seen first-hand the value of protecting, empowering and celebrating a community,” the 38-year-old explains. “Applying this approach more widely across the music industry could give young people better access to opportunities, mentors, practical knowledge and guidance they need to turn their passion into a sustainable career.”

Chloé van Bergen

Vp operations, U.K. & Europe, Secretly Group

The operational engine behind Secretly Group’s U.K. and European business is led by van Bergen, 36, who spearheaded the building of in-house systems that were designed to help the independent music company move quickly through increasingly complex supply chains. That infrastructure was put to the test in August, when Phoebe Bridgers’ Lost Weekend debuted at No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart, following an operation spanning half a million physical units manufactured worldwide, U.K. retail coordination and large-scale fan activations; the LP was Secretly Group’s first chart-topper in the U.K. “Chart weeks like this are lost at the supply chain far more often than at marketing,” van Bergen says. “Our team delivered on both.”

Jeremy Vuernick

Executive vp, Atlantic Music Group

One of Vuernick’s guiding principles is to be “more than an email” and build “meaningful and lasting relationships that are not transactional.” The current landscape should encourage his peers to “be present and figure out ways to add value and not just identify a problem. Make it your business to be the person who can turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes.’” It’s an approach that has served him well as Atlantic Music Group continues to sign and develop homegrown talent such as Mulaa Joans, Erin LeCount, Barry Can’t Swim, and rising artist Sofia and the Antoinettes, who he describes as “such an important storyteller.” Vuernick concludes: “We feel more confident than ever that the state of the U.K. business is strong.”

Oliver Ward

Agent, United Talent Agency

British pop stalwarts Take That have had a blockbuster year, with Ward working across the release of the group’s acclaimed Netflix documentary and a “life-affirming” reboot of their iconic The Circus Live tour, which tallied up 17 nights at U.K. and Irish stadiums over the summer. “Treat everyone you work with like they are part of the same team. Enthusiasm and positive energy go a long way,” says the 39-year-old, whose year has also included the announcement of a 2027 European tour for Take That, spanning 35 new dates. Among his other priorities is TOMORA, the collaborative project between The Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and AURORA — whose live show, in Ward’s words, is “a heady mix of the electronic energy, warmth and ritual; all to the backdrop of bombastic visuals.”

Adam Wood

Manager (Yungblud), Special Projects

In the past year, Yungblud has earned two No. 1s on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart and scooped up his first-ever Grammy for best rock performance (for his cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at Ozzy Osbourne’s Back to the Beginning farewell concert). For Wood, a key player of Yungblud’s management team, he’s most proud of a more intimate affair: launching the B.R.A.T. store on Denmark Street in Soho, London. “We wanted a space where a community that is constantly connected online, could come together in the real world,” Wood says of the space, which features wares from Yungblud’s fashion line and hosts regular events. “When an idea comes to life in the exact way you envisioned it to, and is received, used and appreciated by fans in the way you intended, it’s always very special to watch.”

Asmaria Zerabruk

General manager, Young Recordings

As the newly-appointed general manager of Young Recordings, Zerabruk works across a roster spanning the likes of The xx, Sampha, Jamie xx and Kamasi Washington, alongside newer talent such as 1000 Rabbits and Murex. Over the past year, she has brought Erykah Badu and The Alchemist to the label and led Robyn’s Sexistential campaign, which included the veteran Swedish pop star’s first arena dates alongside a Harry Styles support slot. The success of the latter, which has seen Zerabruk support “a pop icon reimagining her sound” in bagging a U.K. top 10 album, has been “testament to what our team can build when we approach each artist’s ambitions on their own terms,” she says.

Willard Ahdritz, the co-founder and longtime CEO of Kobalt Music Group, has launched a new music and media technology investment fund, Ahdritz Capital Partners, and named its second big hire: investment partner Isabel Keulen. The news was announced Thursday (Oct. 1).

Keulen was previously CEO of the Stockholm School of Economics’ startup incubator, SSE Business Lab, and its early-stage venture capital fund, SSE Ventures. Based in Sweden, the investment banking and tech venture veteran will work alongside Stephen Langer, who joined Ahdritz Capital earlier this year from Lazard’s Media, Entertainment & Sports group, where he helped build the group’s music M&A practice.

Over a multi-decade career in the music and fintech industries, including 20 years as Kobalt’s CEO, Ahdritz has managed $1.7 billion in music assets and facilitated $10-$12 billion in creator funds at Kobalt. Since stepping down from his role as chairman of Kobalt following its sale to Primary Wave in July, his goal with Ahdritz Capital has been to help international companies establish themselves in the United States and other key markets by helping with introductions, resources and hands-on support from Ahdritz’s New York headquarters.

“Twice I have been out on the street in New York pitching my own start-up, so I know firsthand how hard it is to land on a new continent and build the operations and network from nothing,” said Ahdritz. “We will be hands-on with founders on the hard questions. To be big globally, you have to be big in the U.S.”

Ahdritz’s $20 million fund has made investments in New Dehli-based distributor Madverse Music Group and superfan music platform Even, in addition to Fever, Soundtrack, un:hurd music and other creator engagement platforms including Telly, Sweet, SCOR and Airspot.

Founded in 2023 by CEO Rohan Nesho Jain, Madverse provides digital distribution services to independent music clients for a monthly fee starting at $19.99, similar to TuneCore and DistroKid. It differs from those competitors in that it uses AI to enhance its publishing, administration, advertising and other services to keep pace with its rapid growth. Madverse has added around 100,000 users over the past 18 months for a total of 200,000 independent artist and label clients across more than 40 countries.

The addition of Keulen will add to Ahdritz Capital’s eye for AI innovators, Ahdritz says. Before SSE, Keulen was a principal at Spintop Ventures backing early-stage technology companies.

“[Ahdritz] has spent 25 years proving that backing creators and founders on fair terms builds real, lasting companies, and he started before Sweden even had a unicorn,” Keulen said in a statement, referring to the business nickname for start-ups with valuations of more than $1 billion. “Today, Stockholm produces more unicorns per capita than any city outside of Silicon Valley, with several of the biggest tied to music and the creator economy.”

Langer, who joined Ahdritz Capital in May, brings a decade of experience in entertainment and media finance, most recently at Lazard. Not only did Lazard serve as the exclusive financial advisor to Primary Wave on its acquisition of Kobalt from Francisco Partners, it was also the exclusive financial advisor to Searchlight Capital on its strategic investment into Chord Music Partners.

“It’s been incredible to work alongside Willard, an innovator in our industry, and build ACP with him the last few months,” Langer said in a statement. “We have a great team in place to support the next wave of music and media technology companies.”

A judge says it’ll take too long to review more than 7,000 pages of documents in litigation between Pandora and the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), so he’s having a jury decide the fight over streaming royalties.

The MLC, a group created by the Music Modernization Act to apportion mechanical royalties from streaming services, sued Pandora in 2024 for allegedly misclassifying its free tier to avoid paying the higher rates owed by “interactive” platforms like Spotify. The SiriusXM unit denies those claims, and both sides asked a judge earlier this year to enter judgment in their favor. But Judge Eli Richardson in Nashville federal court declined to even consider these requests in an unusual Wednesday (Sept. 30) court order, first obtained and reported by Billboard.

In a typical summary judgment order, a judge weighs all the evidence collected by both sides in discovery and decides whether there are genuine factual questions requiring a jury trial. Judge Richardson didn’t do that here, though, citing the “corpulent” collection of 263 documents totaling more than 7,000 pages cumulatively submitted by the MLC and Pandora.

“The court in its discretion finds that it would be more efficient to deal with all contested issues and examine the fulsome factual record at trial rather than expending the (very substantial) judicial resources necessary to dispose of the motions,” wrote the judge.

Judge Richardson also noted in his order that the “huge volume” of documents in the case suggests to him that a trial would be unavoidable no matter what. “If a summary judgment motion requires so many different pillars of support, there naturally is an increased mathematical likelihood that one of the essential pillars is unsteady,” he wrote. “Or to put it differently, if a party has to file thousands of pages and hundreds of documents to explain why there is nothing for a jury to decide — i.e., to explain that, in today’s parlance, ‘there’s nothing to see here’ — then the volume suggests that there is indeed something for the jury to see.”

A trial date is not currently scheduled. And there’s still the possibility that the MLC and Pandora could reach a settlement instead. In a statement to Billboard, Pandora emphasized that Wednesday’s ruling “was not a determination on the merits of the case.”

“Pandora is committed to compensating songwriters and publishers in accordance with the law, and we remain confident in our position,” added the company.

A spokesperson for the MLC said the group “welcomes” the ruling, adding that it “means our case continues.”

“The MLC will continue to pursue this action to enforce Pandora’s royalty payment obligations under the statutory license, supported by the substantial evidence that the MLC has compiled,” said the spokesperson. “Congress authorized The MLC to take legal action to enforce the payment obligations of digital services under the compulsory blanket license that The MLC administers, and we remain committed to fulfilling that statutory responsibility.”

The MLC’s lawsuit centers on the distinction between “interactive” streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, which allow users to pick their songs on demand, and “noninteractive” platforms like Pandora that provide an experience more like radio. It’s a key dividing line, since interactive and noninteractive services pay very different royalty rates to songwriters and publishers.

Though Pandora pays interactive royalties for its premium tier with on-demand functionality, it has long treated Pandora Free — the core radio-like product that fueled the company’s rise in the late 2000s — as a noninteractive service, since it largely serves users a mix of songs based on their preferences.

But in its 2024 lawsuit, the MLC alleged that Pandora Free had crossed the line into “interactive” status by offering so-called “Sponsored Premium Access” sessions, which allow users to briefly play specific songs in return for watching ads. The organization sought to hold Pandora liable for what it characterized as an “unlawful underpayment of royalties.”

Pandora has called those claims “plainly and unmistakably wrong.” The company argued in its summary judgment motion that the MLC is “abusing” its powers to bring unconstitutional legal claims that far exceed its one simple job mandated by the law: to collect and distribute mechanical royalties.   

The case was filed just months after Pandora’s parent company, SiriusXM, was separately sued by SoundExchange for allegedly underpaying recorded royalties by manipulating how it bundles satellite and web streaming services. A judge threw out that lawsuit last summer after determining that SoundExchange does not have any power to initiate litigation. This finding, which could alter the music industry’s royalty enforcement landscape, is now on appeal.

The MLC, meanwhile, followed up its lawsuit against Pandora by launching another high-profile legal action in 2024 that accused Spotify of bundling music with audiobooks to unfairly slash mechanical royalties. The MLC’s core claims against Spotify were later dismissed, though some additional allegations are still being litigated. Bundling is also now a key issue in the Copyright Royalty Board’s ongoing Phono V rate-setting process.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The longtime headquarters of Mushroom Group, the Australian independent music powerhouse established by the late, great music entrepreneur Michael Gudinski, is now on the market.

A former biscuit factory, the building at 9 Dundas Lane, in Melbourne’s inner-south suburb of Albert Park, has been a sweet spot for the city’s independent music community for almost a half century.

The likes of Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes, Split Enz, Skyhooks, Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, Hunters & Collectors, Yothu Yindi, Vance Joy, The Temper Trap, Vika & Linda, Dan Sultan and The Teskey Brothers have signed deals within its walls.

The site is also the spiritual home of Frontier Touring, one of the leading promoters in these parts, which has produced tours for the likes of Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters and many others.

Frontier Touring is, today, one of more than 20 businesses operating under the Mushroom Group banner.

“Dundas Lane has been an incredible part of Mushroom’s history and is globally renowned in the music industry,” comments Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski, Michael’s son.

“I’ve been coming here my entire life, and it’s hard to overstate what this place means to everyone at Mushroom. As we look ahead, finding the right custodian to carry Dundas Lane’s storied history into its next chapter is incredibly important to us. It will be sad to leave so many memories behind, but we’re excited for what the future might hold for this iconic address.”

The space occupies a 525 sqm freehold corner landholding with three street frontages and approximately 1,080 sqm of building area, combining warehouse-scale proportions and character with a rooftop terrace. The property comprises approximately 490 sqm* across each of its two main levels, with a further approximately 100 sqm upper-level office and rooftop terrace component.

Marshall White, in conjunction with Stonebridge and acting under instructions from Advise Transact, have been appointed to represent the property.

“The building stands as a tangible piece of the Mushroom story and Australia’s rich music history,” reads a statement from the indie music powerhouse. “If the walls could talk, they’d have one hell of a story.”

The business was founded in 1972, originally headquartered nearby in St Kilda, before a shift to Dundas Lane in 1980.

Mushroom Group celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2023 with a slew of releases including an all-star covers collection, Mushroom: 50 Years of Making Noise; and the theatrical release of Ego, The Michael Gudinski Story, a documentary on the legendary music man whose death in 2021 was mourned by many of the superstars he worked with; and culminated with a concert at Rod Laver Arena led by Mushroom family acts.

Earlier in the year, Mushroom Group announced a move to Little Collins Street in Melbourne’s East End, to a standalone warehouse style building that will house its staff and operations across international and domestic touring, record labels, talent management, event curation and production, music publishing, creative services, booking agencies, merchandising, brand and marketing services, film production and distribution, neighboring rights, and more.

The Dundas Lane property is for sale here.