Jeremy Furze was named as manager of the year at the 2024 AAM Awards in Sydney on Wednesday, May 1, recognition for his behind-the-scenes work guiding the Teskey Brothers’ stellar year.
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Furze collected the top honor at the third annual AAM Awards, following a stretch during which the Teskeys could do no wrong.
The Teskeys, Josh and Sam, hail from Warrandyte, Victoria, and had the touring world at their feet, selling 15,000 tickets in London, 12,000 tickets in Amsterdam, and 6,000 tickets in Los Angeles; their third studio album The Winding Way opened at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart; and the band won ARIA and Rolling Stone Awards. Just hours after the AAM Awards wrapped, another piece of silverware for the Teskeys, as they nabbed songwriters of the year at the 2024 APRA Music Awards.
Furze, founder of Applejack Music, is “an engaged member of the artist management community, recognizing the importance of mentorship and shared knowledge,” reads a statement from the Association of Artist Managers, the trade body that produces the annual awards. “He has mentored under the Co-Pilot program for the past two years and frequently opens his door to independent artists and managers for informal support and career consultation.”
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As festivals fall over, venues close and Australian artists struggle to impact the national sales charts, Furze told his peers from the stage, “We’re in a pretty deep crisis. It’s going to be up to all the people around this room to keep us on track in the next few years, and we need support ourselves…we’ve got to do it for each other.”
Other winners at the AAM Awards included Megan Rasmussen and Harry White (Future Classic) for breakthrough manager of the year; Kerry Kennell, chief of Kennell & Co, for community engagement award; Our Golden Friend’s Lorrae McKenna for the patron’s gift – an initiative of the late Michael McMartin; and Hayley-Jane Ayres, 360 Artist Logistics, who was the recipient of the APRA AMCOS Lighthouse Award, which includes a A$5,000 cash prize to support her business and professional pursuits.
As previously announced, Tame Impala manager Jodie Regan, founder of Spinning Top Music, scooped the Legacy Award. Presenting the award, Damien Trotter, managing director of Sony Music Publishing Australia, remarked that Regan, who is based in the remote Western Australia capital, Perth, led with “loyalty, trust and integrity,” and got about her work “without a hint of arrogance.”
AAM executive director Maggie Collins delivered the quote of the day when she told the house that AI “will never replace artist managers, because even robots wouldn’t want to do our job.” Collins also unveiled a touring initiative, “Michael’s Rule,” named after McMartin, that the management community hopes will give homegrown artists a much-needed lift.
Guest speakers at a packed Sydney Crowbar included John Graham special minister of state, minister for roads, minister for arts minister for music and the night-time economy, and minister for jobs and tourism; and performers included Folk Bitch Trio and Miss Kaninna.
The AAM represents over 300 active managers, who in turn represent over 1,000 artists in contemporary music.
2024 AAM Awards winners:
Manager of the Year (Presented by Oztix)
Jeremy Furze, Applejack Music
Breakthrough Manager of the Year (Presented by DMT Law Firm)
Megan Rasmussen and Harry White, Future Classic
Community Engagement Award (Presented by Live Event Logistics)
Kerry Kennell, Kennell & Co
Legacy Award (Presented by Sony Music Publishing)
Jodie Regan, Spinning Top Music
Patron’s Gift (Presented by AAM Patrons)
Lorrae McKenna, Our Golden Friend
APRA/AMCOS Lighthouse Award
Hayley-Jane Ayres, 360 Artist Logistics