Management & Production Team
Led by highly respected music producer and cultural specialist Vicki Gordon, the AWMA team is made up of experts with extensive experience in the production of large scale event management, digital media, strategic planning and development. AWMA is overseen by a Board of Directors with extensive experience in the arts and the music industry, accountancy, community engagement, not-for-profit governance, stakeholder engagement and law.
FOUNDING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Vicki Gordon
“The Australian Music Industry wasn’t listening so we fixed it!”
VICKI GORDON (Ngati Kahungunu) is a Helpmann Award winning music producer recognised for her life’s work to empower diverse new voices to the stage as an ongoing commitment to Australian culture.
Vicki has worked as a Musician, Music Theatre & Documentary Maker, Record Label Executive, Cultural Producer, Tour Manager, Artist Manager, Marketing Manager, A&R Director & ARIA Board Director. She brings a wealth of experience as a Creative Producer and Leader in Management, Corporate Sponsorship, Government Lobbying, Strategic Planning in the NFP sector, First Nations Engagement, Cultural Governance and Advocacy.
“a dynamic champion of gender & cultural equality”
In 1990 Vicki established the Australian Women’s Rock Institute, the first organisation of its kind in Australia set up to address the status of women in the Australian Music industry. As Artistic Director she produced Australia’s first Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Women’s Contemporary Music Festival; first All Girl Rock Festival, first Training program for Female DJ’s and the very first Fanzine for female musicians.
She has been Music Manager to First Nations singer/songwriters Emma Donovan and Ursula Yovich and as an independent Record Label Director was integral to the success of Vanessa Amorosi’s 5x platinum debut album The Power and world wide hit, Absolutely Everybody.
As Producer & Curator for the critically acclaimed First Nations Women’s ensemble Barefoot Divas (Emma Donovan, Ngaiire, Ursula Yovich, Whirimako Black, Maisey Rika & Merenia Marin ) Sydney & NZ International Arts Festivals 2012 & QLD Music Festival 2013. In 2014 Vicki independently toured the company to sold out houses in North America, Canada and Hawaii selling out the Hong Kong Concert Hall in 2015.
In 2019 Vicki was the only Australian Music Executive recognised in the AFR Top 100 Women of Influence and was a finalist in the 2020 Telstra Women’s Business Awards.
Vicki commissioned the multi award winning First Nations Women’s Rock Musical Barbara & the Camp Dogs picking up 4x Helpmann Awards in 2019 including Best Musical and Best Score and 4x Green Room Awards in 2020.
She is currently co-producer with Bunya Productions to develop the work as a feature film. Vicki holds a Certificate of Completion in Indigenous Cultural Protocols for Business, a Human Rights Commendation and numerous awards in recognition of her contribution to industry.
LEAD PRODUCER & CEREMONY DIRECTOR
Gina Hall
GINA HALL joined Australian Women in Music Awards in 2020 as Lead Producer for the 2022 event and from 2023 took on the role of Ceremony Director. Gina has an extensive career across the broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry with demonstrated success in producing and project directing high profile and large scale festivals, theatrical productions, events, and initiatives both nationally and internationally.
Career highlights include: Founding Director/Producer Public Event Group, General Manager Swy (Perth) Theatre Company, Company Manager for commercial theatre productions including Cats and The Buddy Holly Story, Producer Tropfest, Producer Sydney Dreaming, Head of Exhibition for the Biennale of Sydney, Event Manager Sydney Writers’ Festival, Project Director for the Cultural Festival for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and as a Ceremonies Producer for Doha and Jakarta Asian Games.
FIRST NATIONS PROGRAM MANAGER
Dizzy Doolan
DIZZY DOOLAN (Charmaine Armstrong) is a proud Takalak, Agwamin, Gureng Gureng and Wokka Wokka woman from Townsville Queensland. She is passionate about being a positive role model and making a difference in her community and currently works as a youth worker with disadvantaged young people in Cairns.
Dizzy studied acting, dancing and music at the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts completing her Diploma Certificate III and Certificate IV in Screen and Media. As a Hip Hop artist, Dizzy performs at various community events and festivals; facilitating workshops to motivate youth by delivering positive messages through music, song and dance.
She worked with Vibe Australia for six years performing and running workshops across the country promoting healthy living for Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people in different cities and remote communities.
In 2009, Dizzy was invited on the Australian tour and performed as the support act for international artists Fatman Scoop and Omarion in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. In 2016 Dizzy toured to South East Asia for the dance project “Move for reconciliation” where she performed and facilitated workshops in Bali, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. In 2017 Dizzy was the opening act for international artists Akon, T-Pain, Kevin Lyttle and Grammy Award Winning artist Mya.
2019 Dizzy performed at Australian Women in Music Awards alongside Australian legend Rénee Geyer, their performance was recently featured on Channel 10. More recently she has had the honour of collaborating and performing alongside Troy Cassar-Daley, a highlight of Dizzy’s career. She is currently working on her solo EP.
In 2022 Dizzy is curator for the inaugural First Nations Women’s Hip Hop Showcase ‘Love for My Sisters’ as well as Hip Hop performer and Co-Emcee with Yumi Stynes, for Australian Women in Music Awards in Brisbane.
MARKETING LEAD
Founder & Managing Director, Milestone Creative Australia
Alana Hay
ALANA HAY is a specialist in strategy and marketing of major events, festivals, tourism, business events, creative industries and arts. Her 25 year career spans strategic planning, branding, event acquisition, tourism development, event development and destination marketing.
Alana founded Milestone Creative Australia in 2008. She has been instrumental in the strategy, acquisition, development and marketing of the largest and most prestigious major events, festivals, precincts, venues, destinations, arts organisations and corporates acrossAustralia.
These include Sydney Olympic Park, Royal Botanic Gardens,Vivid Sydney, Sydney Royal Easter Show, Mardi Gras, CorroboreeSydney, Merivale Group, Sydney’s West, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Theatre Company, Bangarra and Performance Space.
Alana is active in the industry, is a judge for many industry awards programs, was a Director of the Board of Directors of Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) 2016-2020, is an Accredited Fellow Member of MEA (AFMEA) and an Associate for the Australian Marketing Institute and is a keynote presenter on AMI’s Virtual & Hybrid Events course.
Account Director
Milestone Creative Australia
Marley Hole
Currently based in the stunning Tweed Region, Marley has 9+ years of experience in marketing and communications within the event and creative industries.
After graduating from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT)with a Bachelor’s degree in Entertainment Industries, Marley pursued her passion for major events by working within the production team of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the 2019 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Sydney.
Since 2017, Marley has freelanced for several businesses within the entertainment and tourism sector, managing social media accounts, developing strategies and implementing them across both owned and paid channels.
This has included consulting ARIA award-winning children’s music songwriter, Donna Dyson.
Marley has been a part of the Milestone Creative team since 2020, where she has lead marketing campaigns for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney, Bondi Festival, Rosé Coast Gold Coast and Sydney Olympic Park Association’s Park Sounds.
Digital Director
Milestone Creative Australia
Dhawal Damania
DHAWAL DAMANIA is a transformational leader with a team-first attitude, leveraging out-of-the-box thinking and innovating strategic initiatives to achieve common goals.
Apart from having the required technical expertise, he enjoys challenges and finding creative solutions to gain opportunities and solve complex problems.
Dhawal has worked with several SMEs and large enterprises, helping them build & grow their digital presence across multiple channels.
He has also worked with businesses in APAC, India, MEA, USA and in the UK market which has given him a greater understanding of diverse work cultures and some of the digital challenges across the globe.
Juror Chair
Dr Diana Tolmie
DIANA TOLMIE is Senior Lecturer of Professional Practice at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and a D’Addario International Artist. She is also a freelance woodwind specialist in a multitude of genres performing both nationally and internationally.
Her international artistic practice has been supported by a Churchill Fellowship and Queen Elizabeth Trust Scholarship. Passionately teaching performance, pedagogy, musicians ‘health’ and vocational preparation, Diana’s excellence has been awarded an AEL Group Learning & Teaching Citation (2014), Highly Commended in the ‘Employability within the Curriculum’ category of the Griffith University Awards for Excellence in Teaching (2016) and a University Australian Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2018).
Diana continues to contribute to the Australian music industry via her post-PhD research into musicians ‘lives’ and the release of solo and chamber music recordings. She has been an AWMA Juror Council member for the past 2 years.
ARTIST LIAISON MANAGER
Jodee Sydney
JODEE SYDNEY is an advocate for social and environmental change and thrives on projects that ignite her passion.
From broadcasting to documentary making, waste recycling to modelling, she channels her energy into diverse avenues of change-making.
Jodee is committed to reshaping perceptions about women, graceful ageing, and fostering harmony with the planet, infusing each endeavour with her heart and soul.
CONFERENCE & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Elly Hanlon
ELLY HANLON is well versed in all areas of event management.
For nine years she was the driving force behind the Airlie Beach Festival of Music and Passport to Airlie, leading the team to present massive line ups on multiple stages. With Elly at the helm from conception to delivery, the event won Festival of the Year at the Queensland Music Awards in 2022.
Other unique events in her portfolio include an SES cyclone relief concert, fundraisers on tall ships and ‘Party Bands in Paradise’. During the pandemic, Elly adapted to host events like ‘Tunes in the Marina,’ where artists performed from a ferry to audiences on their balconies, and ‘Mini Fest 2020,’ a Queensland-only event that kept the community connected despite restrictions.
She has also contributed to Schoolies Airlie Beach and the Great Barrier Reef Festival with everything from street parades and raft-making to fashion shows and art installations.
Elly’s passion for the music industry and way with words also sees her as co-founder of Rock n Roll Australia Magazine. Elly navigates all her roles with playful enthusiasm and determined belief, striving to harness the power of music to inspire, connect and create positive change in the world.
Content Manager
Crystal Wilkes
CRYSTAL WILKES comes from a background in small business management and entrepreneurial ventures.
With her qualifications and experience in Tour Management, Audio Engineering and Music Composition for screen, she joins the AWMA team this year as Assistant Producer working on the Audio Visual content as well as playing a key role in the coordination and delivery of the entire program.
Crystal is passionate about recording, producing and encouraging up and coming female singer/songwriters. With an ear and eye for the finer details she is tech savvy and highly attuned to finding solutions to problems.
Music Director
Zoe Hauptmann
ZOE HAUPTMANN is one of Australia’s most in demand session musician’s who has recorded and performed with some of the country’s most iconic artists including Paul Kelly, Neil Finn, Wendy Mathews, Kate Ceberano, Missy Higgins, Ian Moss, Kasey Chambers, Katie Noonan, Tim Rogers and Peter Garrett.
Zoe has recorded on over 80 albums, performed at every major Australian festival and at a multitude of venues in both capital cities and regionally. In 2017 and 2018 Zoe was a finalist in the National Live Music Awards for “Australia’s best bassist”. Internationally Zoe has toured throughout Asia, Europe and America.
Regional and Remote Delegate Coordinator
Caitlin Stanway
CAITLIN STANWAY is a social change strategist and facilitator bringing together a unique background in journalism, marketing, impact strategy and yoga to create collective change. As the creator of Embodied Impact, Caitlin works with individuals, communities and organizations to develop strategies, resources and leadership capacity for a more regenerative and equitable world.
Caitlin has weaved her passion for the arts and their role in global change-making throughout her career including as Assistant Director of the 2022 Human Rights Arts & Film Festival, Head of Marketing for the 2021 Humankind Film Festival and as an impact consultant for Naarm based youth theatre and leadership initiative Western Edge.