Queen’s Birthday Honours for Ian James, Hugh Jackman, Fifa Riccobono and Peter Rix

Hugh Jackman, Ian James, Fifa Riccobono, Frank Stivala and Peter Rix are among the Australian music identities tapped for awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Mushroom Group veterans Frank Stivala and Ian James receive Order of Australia medals.

Stivala, managing director of Premier Artists, is awarded for “service to the music industry,” while James, managing director of Mushroom Music from 1986 to 2018 and now senior consultant for the indie music publishing power, is recognised for his “service to music publishing and rights.”

James, the chairman of the board of AMCOS, thanked his friends, family and colleagues for their support.

“Today the Governor General announced the Queens Birthday list for the Order of Australia Medal and I have been selected for services to music publishing and rights,” James wrote in a message Monday to Mushroom Group staff.

“I know that my daughter Katie James and my mentor Michael Gudinski had a lot to do with that which is terrific and I am very thankful to them,” he continued. “If it wasn’t for the many years that the Mushroom people and I have worked so very well together, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what Mushroom Music has done over the years. So they all share this honour with me. It was particularly satisfying to win the APRA Song of The Year with Amy Shark as an exclamation point to my career as managing director.”

Savage Garden

Also this week, veteran artist manager and ARIA Music Awards founder and former chairman Peter Rix was awarded an AM for “significant service to the music and events industries, and to philanthropy.”

Rix paid tribute to his many colleague and supporters along the way. “The music business is a harsh mistress so I’m very proud and pleased to have my journey recognized this way. However, I need to acknowledge the many maniacs who have helped and participated along the way,” Rix wrote in an email to TIO. “I could never have played the game without them. Thanks.”

Meanwhile, Riccobono is celebrated “for significant service to the music industry” and receives an AM. It’s the latest top honour for Riccobono who is best known for guiding Albert Music, in doing so becoming the first female CEO in Australian music business history. Riccobono was the recipient of the prestigious Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music in 2015.

Pop singers Darren Hayes and Guy Sebastian enjoyed some glory. Hayes, who as a member of Savage Garden twice led the Billboard Hot 100, in 1998 with “Truly Madly Deeply,” and again in 2000 with “I Knew I Loved You,” earns an OAM “for service to music as a songwriter and performer.”

Sebastian, the chart-topping former Australian Idol champ receives an AM for significant service to the music recording industry, and to charitable initiatives.

Guy Sebastian

One of the highest honours goes to Hugh Jackman, who has been handed a Companion of the Order, No. 1 of four levels of the Order of Australia.

Jackman, who starred in The Greatest Showman and sang on the accompanying soundtrack, the best-selling album of 2018 in Australia, according to ARIA, was awarded for “eminent service” to the performing arts as an “acclaimed actor and performer, and to the global community, particularly as an advocate for poverty eradication.”

This year more than 1,000 Australians were feted for their outstanding achievements, with women making up 40 per cent of recipients.

Download the full list here.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.