A trailblazer in Australian rock, Sarah Mcleod has been appointed the new Chair of the Australian Women in Music (AWM) organisation.
McLeod is a founding member, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the three-time ARIA Award-winning band The Superjesus, one of Australia’s most respected bands for the past three decades.
She has broken barriers in a male-dominated industry, and cemented her status as a role model for female and gender-diverse artists navigating the music landscape.
McLeod has been actively involved with AWM, serving on the Board of Directors for the past year, where she has worked alongside founder Vicki Gordon to champion inclusivity and drive meaningful change. Her appointment as Chair is a natural progression of her dedicated advocacy to furthering equity in the music industry.
An organisation driving change, AWM celebrates and empowers female, and gender-diverse artists, musicians, and music practitioners across all areas of industry and all genres of music.
Since its beginning, the organisation has worked to platform female First Nations and multicultural artists, women working in remote and regional communities, female producers, engineers and technicians, emerging artists, and industry leaders.
“AWM has come a long way, but there’s still so much to achieve,” said McLeod. “As the new Chair, I will be working with the Board to address the enormous gender research gap across the sector and focusing on opportunities beyond our Award Ceremony, First Nation’s Showcase and Conference to see where we can provide more support.”
Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA) was established in 2018 by founding Executive Producer Vicki Gordon to address the chronic gender inequality across the full spectrum of the Australian Music Industry.
“Sarah McLeod is a rock legend who represents the very best of what we need to see reflected, especially for young female and gender-diverse musicians. Her recent appointment as the inaugural Chair of Australian Women in Music couldn’t come at a better or more critical time for the sector,” said Gordon.
“I look forward to working with Sarah to continue our work to achieve gender equality and build a safer, more inclusive music industry for all.”
“I’ve spent a couple of years watching Vicki Gordon move and shake this industry to provide opportunities for women and gender-diverse folk. Her commitment to inclusivity and equality is nothing short of inspiring! I signed on to the Board of Australian Women in Music (AWM) a year ago because I felt it was time to give back to the industry which has kept me afloat for 30 years,” said McLeod.
Through her role as Chair, McLeod will play a pivotal role in an exciting new chapter for AWM as it continues its mission to amplify the voices of women and gender-diverse practitioners across all genres and all areas of the music industry.
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