Arwen Hunt Joins Various Artists Management as Head of ANZ

Arwen Hunt is back in the game.
The experienced music industry executive is named as head of Australia/New Zealand for Various Artists Management, The Music Network can exclusively reveal.
With effect from this month, Hunt leads VAM’s global expansion in these parts, overseeing the newly-opened ANZ office in Sydney and reporting to the talent agency’s CEO David Bianchi. VAM has existing businesses in London and Los Angeles.
“It took one meeting with Arwen to know that she was the person to run Various in Australia/New Zealand,” comments Bianchi in a statement. “Her management background with Catfish and the Bottlemen and Kate Nash was super-impressive. Mixed with her publishing background at Universal she is just perfect! We are so happy to welcome her to the global VAM Family.”
VAM’s roster includes Ashnikko, who opens for Billie Eilish on the Australian leg of her Hit Me Hard & Soft Tour, and will play Sydney Mardi Gras; along with Good Neighbours, The Libertines, Supergrass and Spice Girl Melanie C, who will be guest host of The Voice Australia, which begins filming in February for the Seven Network. All of those artists will be in market in the weeks ahead.
VAM represents a full-circle moment for Hunt, who has worked in music since the age of 17, and learned the ropes as a manager, an A&R, a publisher, a label manager, a product manager and a promoter.
In her new role, Hunt works across VAM’s management, record label and publishing activities, with a focus, for now at least, on management.
The new Australian office completes the loop. “Having a global team for an artist within management here means they have point people in every major English-speaking market,” Hunt notes.
Born in the U.K., Hunt served as vice president, creative / head of A&R for UMPG Australia and New Zealand, from June 2016 to September 2023.
In that time, she signed the likes of Ruel, DMA’S, Alex the Astronaut, Sam Littlemore (PNAU), The Chats, Lime Cordiale, Hiatus Kaiyote, producer/writer Chelsea Warner, producer/writer Styalz Fuego, writer/artist/producer PH Harding, and writer/producer Josh Fountain (Benee’s main collaborator).
Hunt also negotiated and signed new deals with Gang of Youths, Timmy Trumpet, Guy Sebastian, and Jessica Mauboy and was the architect behind the Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba collaboration: Cordi Elba.
Before relocating to Australia, Hunt was an artist manager and partner at ATC London, where she guided the careers of Catfish and the Bottlemen, Kate Nash, Augustines, Half Moon Run, Black Lips (UK & Europe), Tegan and Sara (UK & Europe), and others.
“I have found my tribe and I am beyond excited to be welcomed into their exclusive club of legends,” Hunt comments in a statement. “I’m looking forward to growing the careers of VAM’s incredible roster here in ANZ, and cannot wait to add to that roster (management, publishing and records) with some of the best talent Australia and New Zealand has to offer, safe in the knowledge that anyone I bring in will have the finest (and coolest) global team there is behind them.”