QMusic CEO Kris Stewart has announced he will step down from the industry body after five years in the role.
In a post shared to LinkedIn on Monday, Stewart said he would depart “after some of the most enjoyable years of my career”.
“I feel that I can honestly say I’m leaving the organisation in an undeniably strong position, both financially and culturally, following five surplus years and long-term funding commitments from Federal, State and Local government. We’ve more than doubled the turnover – and the number of partners,” Stewart wrote.
“I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved with BIGSOUND_AU, Valley Fiesta, Industry Connect, and the Queensland Music Awards. But personally, I’ve always gotten my biggest joy from starting things, like the festivals Big Summer Block Party and Townsville’s Tropic Fiesta; the Concert Programs with partners such as Brisbane Festival, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Southbank Corp; the amazing Goolwal Goolwal at BIGSOUND and the Parliamentary Friends of the Music Industry with the Qld State Government.
“Mostly, I’m proud of the support we’ve garnered for the industry – more than $20m of QLD government support for initiatives such as the Qld Performing Arts Market Development Fund and the Qld music venues support package; $3.6m funding uplift for BIGSOUND; advocating as a witness in the Federal Government Inquiry in Live Music; and being a part of the creation of the Night Life Economy Commission.”
Next steps
In a separate statement, QMusic said its board will now look to appoint a new CEO as it transitions to a member-voted company limited by guarantee.
“His advocacy has helped shape our local industry – from the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into live music to the Queensland Parliamentary Friends of the Music Industry, the Night-Life Economy Commission, and strengthening First Nations programming through Goolwal Goolwal,” QMusic said.
“Together, we are proud of all we have been able to achieve under his guidance, and can’t wait to see what the future will hold.”
Stewart joined QMusic in June 2021 after working as Brisbane Powerhouse’s Artistic Director for eight years.
The announcement comes only days after the first international guests for BIGSOUND 2026 were announced, which Stewart also oversees in his role.
“Each year, alongside our Conference Curators Cathy Oates and Niriko McLure, our commitment is to bring global music industry decision makers to Brisbane,” Stewart said last week.
“We want people to leave BIGSOUND with relationships that support them across their entire career.”