MAICC 2026 Round 2 recipients announced

From Ibiza to Berlin: Australian music publishers step into global music rights conversations

Fourteen Australian music publishers will attend some of the world’s leading music industry conferences in 2026 through support from the Music Australia International Conference Contribution (MAICC) program.

The initiative reflects the growing international engagement of Australian music publishers as they expand relationships with global rights organisations, licensing partners and creative markets.

The latest round of funding will see publishers participate in major international gatherings including IMS Ibiza, Classical:NEXT in Budapest, A2IM Indie Week in New York, the IMPF Global Music Summit in Spain, Amsterdam Dance Event, All That Matters in Singapore, WOMEX and ICMP Music Minds Berlin.

AMPAL CEO Damian Rinaldi said international engagement remains critical for the region’s music publishing sector.

“International conferences provide essential opportunities for Australian publishers to build relationships, develop licensing partnerships and ensure our repertoire is represented in global markets.

Programs like MAICC help ensure our sector is present in key international conversations around music rights, licensing and the future of music publishing.”

Many of the supported conferences focus specifically on global music rights, licensing frameworks and industry policy, underscoring the growing importance of international collaboration for the publishing sector.

European events dominate the calendar, with publishers attending gatherings in Budapest, Ibiza, Berlin, Spain and Amsterdam, reinforcing Europe’s role as a major hub for music publishing and rights management.

Independent publishing businesses are strongly represented among the successful applicants, with recipients spanning companies including Liquorice, Sweat It Out, Peppermintblue, ORiGiN, GYRO, The Music Soups and Sunset Club Music, alongside established global publishers.

Recipients will attend conferences across Asia, Europe and North America throughout 2026, expanding international networks and strengthening the global presence of Australian music publishing.

MAICC 2026 Round 2 by the numbers

14 music publishers supported

3 continents represented - Asia, Europe and North America

6 European industry gatherings attended

9 conferences focused on music rights, music publishing or licensing

Independent music publishers strongly represented across the cohort

MAICC 2026 Round 2 – Successful Applicants (in Conference Date Order)

Tanja Aafos - WISE Music - Asia Pacific Region Orchestra Summit - Japan - 30 March-1 April

Isabella Brown - WISE Music - Classical:NEXT 2026 - Budapest - 8-11 April

Patrick “Smiley” Cleary - Peppermintblue - IMS (International Music Summit) 2026 - Ibiza - 22-24 April

Frank Rodi - Alchemy - IMS (International Music Summit) 2026 - Ibiza - 22-24 April

Karen Hamilton - 120 Publishing - IMS (International Music Summit) 2026 - Ibiza - 22-24 April

Art Phillips - 101 Music - IPMG Spring Event + ICMP Music Minds - Berlin - 26-28 May

Dan Gibson - GYRO - A2IM Indie Week 2026 - New York - 8-11 June

Emily Norton - The Music Soups - All That Matters - Singapore - 2–7 October

Evan Buist - Melodie - PMA Conference 2026 - USA - 6-8 October

Philip Mortlock - ORiGiN - IMPF Global Music Summit 2026 - Spain - 6-9 October

Erol Yurdagul - Mushroom Music Publishing - IMPF Global Music Summit 2026 - Spain - 6-9 October

Alexander Franco - Liquorice - ADE 2026 - Netherlands - 21-25 October

Kristy Lee Peters - Sweat It Out - ADE 2026 - Netherlands - 21-25 October

Adam Dunning - Sunset Club Music - WOMEX 2026 - 21-25 October

This project is assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia.

AMPAL announces Round 4 recipients of the 2025 Music Australia International Conference Contribution (MAICC) – Music Publishers Progra

AMPAL is delighted to bid bon voyage to four more recipients courtesy of the 2025 Round 4 Music Australia International Conference Contribution (MAICC) – Music Publishers Program! 

In this latest round, four outstanding AMPAL members have been awarded funding to represent Australian music publishing on the global stage at four key international industry events: Reeperbahn Festival, All That Matters, IMPF Conference and The Midwest Clinic. 

The MAICC program is a key initiative delivered by AMPAL and supported by Music Australia. It enables Australian music publishers to attend international events, forge new connections and showcase the strength and diversity of local talent to the world. 

Congratulations to our Round 4 2025 MAICC recipients: 

Julian McGruther – Sony Music Publishing 

Reeperbahn Festival 2025 

Hamburg, Germany | 17–20 September 

“AMPAL has long been a champion of Australian music publishers and songwriters, and this initiative with Music Australia gives us the opportunity to enhance the international presence and success of more incredible local talent. Creating exciting, creative and global opportunities for our roster is an ongoing priority for Sony Music Publishing Australia, and I’m proud to be representing that roster and SMP at Reeperbahn this year. Big ups to the AMPAL and Music Australia teams for making it happen!” 

Cathy Nelson-Williams – Wise Music 

All That Matters 2025 

Singapore | 29 September–1 October 

“Excited and grateful to receive this MAICC funding from AMPAL, made possible through Music Australia, to attend All That Matters in Singapore — a fantastic opportunity to connect with the APAC music and media community, build new relationships, and strengthen Wise Music’s presence in a key growth region. 

I’m especially looking forward to immersing myself in the panels, discussions and networking opportunities at this dynamic event. With the APAC region now being led from our Sydney office, the timing couldn’t be better as we focus on making the most of the region’s potential for our writers and catalogue. This experience will allow me to also share insights with fellow Australian music publishers, contributing to a deeper understanding of the Southeast Asian music market.” 

Craig Redfearn – ORiGiN Music Publishing 

IMPF Conference 2025 

Palma de Mallorca, Spain | 7–10 October 

“ORiGiN Music Publishing is honoured and grateful to receive the MAICC grant from AMPAL, supporting our attendance at this year’s IMPF Global Music Summit in Palma in October.  

This opportunity allows us to further develop our international network and connection with global publishing partners. Most importantly we will have the platform to champion the incredible work of our roster of songwriters and composers.  

Thank you to everyone at AMPAL for the generous support.” 

Richard Snape – Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) 

The Midwest Clinic 2025 

Chicago, USA | 17–19 December 

“I am very grateful to AMPAL’s 2025 Music Australia International Conference Contribution program. By receiving this grant, it will allow us to attend the Midwest Music Conference in Chicago in December and further our connections with US print publishers which will allow opportunities for Australian composers and Authors to partner with these publishers. Thanks to this support, our participation is not only possible but positioned for meaningful impact. Thank you again for supporting Australian Music.” 

AMPAL is also pleased to announce dates for two further rounds of MAICC funding for conferences occurring January–June 2026: 

ROUND 1, 2026: For conferences in January–June 2026 

• Applications open: Monday 13 October 2025 

• Applications close: Monday 27 October 2025 (3pm AEDT) 

ROUND 2, 2026: For conferences in March–June 2026 

• Applications open: Monday 2 February 2026 

• Applications close: Monday 16 February 2026 (3pm AEDT) 

AMPAL congratulates all Round 4 recipients and looks forward to the insights, relationships and opportunities they’ll bring back to the wider publishing community. We can’t wait to see the impact these four publishers will make on the global stage and the new pathways they’ll help open for Australian songwriters and composers. 

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia. 

AMPAL’s 2025 Round 2 MAICC Funding Recipients Announced!

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of AMPAL’s 2025 Round 2 Music Australia International Conference Contribution (MAICC) – Music Publishers program!   

This game-changing initiative is designed to empower Australian music publishers by providing critical financial support to attend major international music conferences, helping them build global networks, expand market knowledge and maximise opportunities for their songwriters.  

Through MAICC funding, these incredible publishers will be representing Australian talent on the world stage, attending industry-defining conferences across the USA, Spain, India, the Netherlands, Singapore and Finland.   

Congratulations to AMPAL’s 2025 Round 2 MAICC recipients!   

📌 Fergus Jenkins – Dew Process Publishing – LA Sync Summit, USA   
📌 Rachel Kelly – Unified Music Group – A2IM Indie Week, USA   
📌 Mathew Tanner – Concord Music Publishing – All About Music, India   
📌 Charlton Hill – Uncanny Valley – Americana Fest, USA   
📌 Alvin Pandey – Gaan Baksho Music – All That Matters, Singapore   
📌 Art Phillips – 101 Music Publishing – Production Music Association Conference, USA   
📌 Linda Bosidis – Mushroom Music Publishing – IMPF Conference, Spain   
📌 Matthew Donlevy – Cooking Vinyl Publishing – IMPF Conference, Spain  
📌 Karen Hamilton – 120 Publishing – ADE, Netherlands   
📌 Tess Nicolaou – peermusic – ADE, Netherlands   
📌 Adam Dunning – Sunset Club – WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo), Finland   
📌 Briese Abbott – Kobalt Music Publishing – Music Tectonics, USA   

Charlton Hill (Uncanny Valley), one of our newest AMPAL members and a first-time MAICC recipient, shared:  

“Just a note to say that we are delighted to hear news of our successful MAICC grant application! The timing could not be better for this support, and our plans for Nashville are already in full swing… thank you again for your support in helping us as a publisher to keep building a stronger international pipeline for our current and emerging songwriters.”  

We can’t wait to see the impact these publishers will make on the global stage!  

For more information about MAICC funding and future rounds, visit https://www.ampal.com.au/maicc-2025 or contact maicc@ampal.com.au.  

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia.