APRA AMCOS announces board election results

Australasian rights management organisation APRA AMCOS held two annual general meetings in Sydney yesterday and returned the incumbent directors to both boards.

Re-elected to the APRA board were writers Nigel Westlake, Brendan Gallagher and publisher Matthew Capper.

Jenny Morris and Ian James were named Chair and Deputy Chair of the APRA Board.

On the AMCOS Board, Publishers, Marianna Annas, Bob Aird, Philip Burn and Damian Trotter retained their positions.

Ian James and Marianna Annas were named as Chair and Deputy Chair of the AMCOS Board.

The election results come on the back of the organisation’s biggest year to date, which reported record growth in the release of its annual report in October.

Revenue for 2016/17 was up 16% to $386.6 million, and $335.9 million was paid to members and societies across 1.3m songs and compositions.

APRA AMCOS recently paid $7.2 million in live performance royalties to Australian and New Zealand members who submitted Performance Reports for their gigs during the 2016-17 financial year.

Of the 16,137 members receiving live performance royalties, 14,417 were unpublished – these are the DIY, grassroots musicians working hard to hone their craft and sustain a creative livelihood.  

Says singer-songwriter Alex Lahey, “It’s always fulfilling after a long year of touring to come home and find your live performance royalties sitting in the bank.

“I’m really grateful to APRA AMCOS for all the work they put in, working alongside venues, festivals and, of course, artists, to ensure that we are all
aware of the value of songs, songwriting and performing.”

Outgoing APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Brett Cottle points out: “We are very pleased to have paid live performance royalties to 1,000 more members this year.

It is an indication of a healthy music market that supports songwriters and values their intellectual property.”