Sony Music Australia promotes four staff in comms, A&R

Sony Music Australia has rewarded several key communications and A&R staff with internal promotions, TIO can reveal.

Kate Bonanno rises from Director, TV & Radio Promotions Strategy to Senior Director, Television Promotions & Communications.

Bonanno joined Sony Music in 2016 as Senior Manager, National Television Promotions, following stints at Warner Music Australia and Nova Entertainment.

Reporting to Grant Donges, VP, International Marketing & Communications, Bonanno will continue to have responsibility for all television promotion strategies and will take on duties for leading the communications team that will now report to her.

Also, notes Donges in a company memo, Bonanno will “work closely with the label’s communications team to deliver strategic multi-channel plans, identifying and targeting key audiences to promote and amplify our artists music and stories.”

Lucy Baker

Meanwhile, Lucy Baker is elevated to Communications Manager, with responsibilities for raising public awareness and developing strategic plans for Sony Music’s international and domestic acts.

Reporting to Bonnano, Baker will work closely with the marketing, promotions, and audience development and digital communications teams to develop multi-tiered strategic communication plans, Donges explains.

Baker joined Sony Music in 2017 as Communications Coordinator and was promoted two years later to Artist Relations and Communications Representative.

Annastasia Robertson

Also rising up the ranks is Annastasia Robertson, who is named Media Manager, reporting to Bonanno.

Robertson will be responsible for developing media relations across online digital publications, key New South Wales dailies, weekend newspapers and more, and for identifying integrated artist promotional opportunities with influential music and lifestyle podcasts.

Robertson served as a producer at Nova Entertainment prior to joining Sony Music in 2019 as Communications Coordinator.

Katie O’Hagan

In other news at Sony Music Australia, Katie O’Hagan is promoted to A&R and Analytics Manager, reporting to Pat Handlin. VP, A&R for Sony Music ANZ.

O’Hagan has been with the company since 2015, initially as an intern in the Brisbane office before taking on the position of Queensland Branch Coordinator in 2016.

Shortly after, O’Hagan relocated to Sydney to join the A&R Academy program and, in 2017, was appointed A&R Representative.

Another promotion would follow in 2019, when she named A&R Analytics and Insights Representative with additional responsibility for A&R analytics.

In her new post, O’Hagan will be responsible for her own roster for A&R and artist development, and she’ll continue with her specialist responsibility for A&R analytics that helps support and inform A&R decisions.

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