Sony chairman/CEO Denis Handlin was re-elected chairman of the Australian Record Industry Assn. (ARIA) in a vote Friday (March 5). The annual term will be Handlin’s sixth consecutive year in that post. “Next year,” comments Handlin in a statement, “it will be time to rotate the chairman role.”
Warner Music chairman/CEO Shaun James was re-elected by the ARIA board as vice chairman. Others on the board are George Ash (Universal Music Australia managing director), Charles Caldas (Shock Records managing director), Philip Mortlock (Origin Recordings managing director), John O’Donnell (EMI Music Australia managing director), Michael Parisi (Festival Mushroom Records managing director), Ed St John (BMG Australia managing director) and David Vodicka (Rubber Records managing director).
“I think that 2004 is going to be a great year for Australian music in particular and, even at this early stage, the ARIA Awards for 2004 look set to be the best ever,” adds Handlin. “We are also looking very carefully at staging a separate Hall of Fame presentation.” An announcement on that event is expected “in the very near future.”
