Amazon Music Names Laura Lukanz Head of Music Industry for Australia

Amazon Music has hired Laura Lukanz as head of music industry for Australia, effective May 30.

The executive will also take over the same role for the streaming service in the U.K. and New Zealand, and remains based in London.

She will lead the music industry teams in all three territories, overseeing label relations, artist relations, programming and editorial.

Lukanz called her appointment a “fantastic role, a dream job.”

“I am excited by the scale of innovation and impact at Amazon; the synergistic opportunities across the entertainment division are endless,” she said.

“I have spent my career championing artists and music, curating unique content, and building audiences. It’s my passion and purpose, and it will continue to be at the heart of everything I do at Amazon Music.”

Lukanz began her music career as a pirate radio and club DJ in her hometown Manchester.

She dropped out of school at 15, and enrolled at night school studying music technology and sound recording, going on to do her masters.

She was part of the team that launched BBC’s first national Black music station, BBC 1Xtra.

She worked there for ten years, starting as music assistant and ending up as head of music, building up to one million listeners.

She was most recently executive vice president of artists, writers and producers at FAE GRP (formerly First Access Entertainment).

She developed the roster and initiated label, publishing and management deals for them.

They delivered hits for the likes of BTS, Nicki Minaj, Zayn, Charli XCX, Afro B, Wizkid, Ozuna, Ellie Goulding, French Montana, Iggy Azalea, and Riton x Nightcrawlers.

She is a member of The Cats Mother initiative, supporting and mentoring young women starting in the music business.