‘I’m Truly Honoured’: Music Victoria Announces New CEO

Music Victoria has announced a new CEO set to start next month.

On Monday (February 24th), the peak body which represents the state’s industry sector including musicians, venues and businesses confirmed Fiona Duncan for the position, replacing Simone Schinkel who resigned at the end of 2024, and acting head, Kirsty Rivers.

“Fiona’s comprehensive understanding of the music industry, combined with her experience in local government and major events, makes her exceptionally qualified to lead Music Victoria into its critical and transformative next chapter,” said Chris O’Neill, Chair of Music Victoria’s Board.

“Her proven track record in artist management, event coordination, industry development, strategy and advocacy aligns greatly with Music Victoria’s commitment to supporting, growing and fortifying our vast live music industry.”

With over 30 years’ experience in artist management (Spiderbait), event and tour management, Duncan is a highly-respected figure in the Australian music industry.

As well as her work with Spiderbait and the City of Greater Geelong, Duncan has previously served on the board of Music Victoria and continues to serve as board member with the Association of Artist Managers (AAM).

She most recently worked as National Live and Local Program Coordinator at the Live Music Office.

“I’m truly honoured and excited to accept the offer to be Music Victoria’s next Chief Executive Officer,” Duncan said this week.

“With my diverse and valuable experience, I believe we can build a dynamic, inclusive and sustainable music ecosystem where artists, industry professionals, and audiences thrive. I look forward to working closely with our industry, partners, members, staff, and the wider community to strengthen Music Victoria’s impact.

“Let’s get to it!”

Duncan’s appointment, which commences on Tuesday, March 25th, comes as Music Victoria looks to rebuild its brand following last year’s “voting fraud.”

In November, organisers of the 2024 Music Victoria Awards confirmed that hackers has infiltrated the public voting categories, saying in a statement at the time: “[…] it has been found that targeted action by an unknown assailant/s has resulted in thousands of misregistered votes being falsely attributed to nominees, resulting in a change to the recipients of five of the six publicly voted categories.”