Warner Music reveals new-look A&R team

Image credit: Sebastian White

Warner Music Australia (WMA) has unveiled its full A&R team.

The announcement comes a few months after CEO Dan Rosen made a number of changes to A&R, marketing, promotions and commercial across the business, in a bid to evolve the major label and its culture.

Rosen noted the newly assembled team would be crucial as the company looks for the next wave of dynamic Australian and New Zealand artists.

“I’m committed to breaking more artists from Australia and New Zealand on the global stage. To do that, we’ve assembled an amazing team to support our talent and help develop their careers. Their diverse backgrounds and interests reflect the different types of artists we’re looking to sign, and they’ll have their ears to the ground to help us find the freshest and most creative new talent.”

Over the past year, the label has signed Jessica Mauboy, BOY SODA, daine, Budjerah, Rory Noble and Kinder, as well as inking an exclusive partnership with Matt Corby’s Rainbow Valley Records.

The A&R team will be led by Paul Harris, SVP of A&R, who has worked with the likes of Tones and I, Amy Shark, Tash Sultana and Gang of Youths.

Harris said he now has the best team around him to achieve his dreams.

“When I was approached to join Warner Music, I knew it was the right move for me. The company is so strongly focused on identifying the best new talent from Australia and New Zealand, and breaking them not just here at home, but worldwide. I have spent the past 11 years in Australia trying to do exactly that, and now with Dan Rosen at the helm, I know I have the best team around me to make that a reality,” he said.

One of Harris’ new recruits is Jackson Christie, who began his career at Sony Music Australia as an intern. At Sony, he was promoted to A&R manager and signed GRAACE and Carmouflage Rose.

Mohamed Komba has also come on board as an A&R consultant. Komba was a member of hip-hop group Diafrix, and has since worked as a label owner, producer, writer, engineer and mentor. He’s received multiple ARIA nominations for his work with Miiesha and has also worked with Kaiit and Lisi.

Over in Auckland, Stevi Hill has changed roles to become A&R manager. Hill worked as a label manager in Melbourne at Xelon Entertainment and then Cooking Vinyl Australia. She joined Warner Music New Zealand as a marketing manager in 2020, but will now oversee the creative and A&R direction of locally signed artists for WMA.

Other recently recruited A&R managers include co-founder of Hutch Collective and TMN 30 Under 30 winner Larissa Ryan, and Christopher Kevin Au, who has worked as a writer, manager and host of the Spotify Original Podcast A1: The Show. 

Ryan and Au’s appointments were announced in July as part of Rosen’s restructure and cultural shift.

The new A&R recruits join A&R manager Marcus Thaine who has been on board since 2019, and signed daine, flowerkid, Budjerah, Jessica Mauboy and Kinder. Before his time with WMA, he was an artist & label manager at Spotify.

WMA has also promoted Rose Sejean to A&R production manager. Sejean has been with WMA since 2018, when she worked with the sync & licensing team. She will now be charged with keeping the A&R engine running across communication, logistics and creative.

The team has also recruited Jess Peach as creative producer. She will work across video, content production, photoshoots and styling.

In July, the company also announced the hires of Christina Erskine as SVP of marketing & promotions Australia, Cathy Oates as head of marketing for Australian artists, and Rich Wiles as head of audience. These appointments came in the wake of the departure of SVP of promotions and publicity, Billy MacLeod.

Hannah Pehi came on board in March in the newly created role of head of people and culture across Australasia.