Independent Music NZ Announces New Chair and Board
Independent Music New Zealand Announces New Chair and Board
Independent Music New Zealand, the association of
New Zealand-owned record
labels and distributors, has
forged into the first part of 2006 with some
new
developments.
At the IMNZ Annual General Meeting held on
April 28, a new Chairperson was
elected, and four new
Board members were inducted also.
Bernie Griffen, who has
been Chair of IMNZ since its inception in 2001,
has
stepped aside from that role to concentrate on other
projects; however he
will remain a member of the IMNZ
Board. Griffen is also Director of
independent
distributor Global Routes and its subsidiary label Flaming
Pearl
Records.
Griffen says, “It was time to hand the
reins over to a younger person. I had
achieved the goals
I had set for myself and IMNZ but with the digital
area
becoming more and more a focus we need a good
understanding of the issues
and it will be safe in Mark’s
hands.”
Taking over the role of Chair is Mark Kneebone of
Tardus Music, a label
which represents acts such as
Minuit and Cassette.
Kneebone says, "I'm really excited
and feel particularly privileged to take
on the role
of
Chairperson of the IMNZ board. It's a great time for
local music and I think
that over the past five years
IMNZ has played a vital role in helping to
strengthen the
local music market to the point is at now. We have some
great
plans for the future of the organisation and look
forward to getting down to
the challenges that await as
we try and get out music more coverage in both
NZ and
abroad"
In addition to Griffen, the other Board members
announced were Callum August
of Dirty Records, Dean
Cameron of Elevenfiftyseven Records, Ben Howe of
Arch
Hill Recordings, Joost Langeveld of Reliable
Recordings, Jim Pinckney of
Round Trip Mars and Steve
Popham of King Music.
IMNZ has also been ratified as a
member of the WorldWide International
Network, a
coalition of independent recording associations from around
the
world. This is a major step for IMNZ, as it will be
working with similar
organisations who represent
thousands of independent music companies from
Australia
(AIR), the UK (AIM), Brazil (ABMI), the USA (AAIM), Spain
(UFI),
Canada (CIRPA), the EU (IMPALA and its member
associations in France, Spain,
Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Germany and the UK). Labels represented include
some of
the largest independents in the world such as Beggar’s
Banquet,
Tommy Boy, Shock Records and many
more.
Membership of IMNZ has also grown to 60 members,
from around 10 when the
organisation commenced, and now
covers most of the key independent labels
and
distributors in the New Zealand music industry. Members
include Global
Routes, Rhythmethod, Border Music, King
Music, Jayrem, LOOP, Intergalactic,
DawnRaid, Arch Hill,
Dirty Records, Mai Music and a wide range of others,
who
release by far the greatest percentage of New Zealand music
each
year.
ENDS