AJ Maddah tops Australian Music Industry Directory's Power 50 list Harvest festival organiser AJ Maddah named most powerful. Photo: Tessie Vanderwert Music festival promoter and Twitter warrior AJ Maddah has been named the most powerful person in the Australian music industry for 2013. Maddah, who promotes the Soundwave and Harvest music festivals and is also known for his tempestuous tweeting, beat Mushroom supremo Michael Gudinski to the top of the Australian Music Industry Directory's Power 50 list. Scott Fitzsimons, of Street Press Australia, said Maddah's place was recognition not only for a hugely successful Soundwave festival - which drew an estimated 270,000 fans around Australia - but also his role in the growth of metal, emo and punk music in Australia. "Soundwave has built those scenes back up again," Fitzsimons says. When he put on the Harvest Festival I'm sure a lot of promoters thought 'that was a great idea' and he's also bringing the Vans Warped Tour to Australia. But the thing that really did it was that he has this relationship with his punters that no one else in Australia and I daresay the world has. On a surface level it might seem trivial, but he involves and empowers his audience and they become part of the process in shaping his festivals. Maddah has been involved in several high profile Twitter stoushes this year, including with Joel Madden and Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, but most of his tweeting is friendly responses to queries and feedback about his festivals. Maddah came sixth last year and rose five places, but he wasn't the biggest mover. That was Triple J music director Richard Kingsmill who rose a remarkable 36 places to number 9 on the list, after being on extended leave during 2012. The other big mover was Richie McNeill, director of the Totem Onelove Group, which runs electronic dance music festival Stereosonic, who rose 33 places to number 7. The top 10 included three women: co-director of the Splendour in the Grass music festival Jessica Ducrou; iTunes music manager Janelle McCarthy and Sounds Australia executive producer of Sounds Australia, Millie Millgate. The highest placed musicians were Tim Levinson (aka Urthboy) at 25, Sia Furler at 28, Nick Cave at 38 and Matt Colwell (aka 360) at 47. The directory is produced by Street Press Australia, which publishes Drum Media, Inpress Magazine and Time off. It's Power 50 list is based on the opinions of Street Press staff, but is regarded as a solid reflection of the state of the industry. AJ Maddah, Soundwave/Harvest festival promoter Michael Gudinski - Mushroom Group chairman Michael Chugg, Chugg Entertainment executive chairman George Ash - Universal Music Group, president, Asia-Pacific Paul Piticco - Splendour in the Grass, co-director Jessica Ducrou - Splendour in the Grass, co-director Richie McNeil - Totem Onelove Group, managing director Janelle McCarthy, iTunes music manager Richard Kingsmill - Triple J, music director Millie Millgate - Sounds Australia, executive producer Colin Daniels/Ashley Sellers - Inertia records managing director/CEO. Danny Rogers - Lunatic Entertainment, managing director Denis Handlin - Sony Music Entertainment Australia & New Zealand - chairman and CEO Michael Coppel - Live Nation Australasia, CEO and president Richard Moffat - Way Over There, programmer Nick O'Byrne - Australian Independent Record Labels Association, general manager Peter Noble - Bluesfest, director Matt Gudinski - Mushroom, executive director Brett Murrihy - Artist Voice, CEO Source: The Australian Music Industry Directory