Maree Hamblion promoted to Executive Vice President, A&R and Creative for UMPG in Australia and New Zealand

Maree Hamblion has been promoted to Executive Vice President, A&R and Creative, Australia and New Zealand, for Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), a global leader in music publishing. The announcement was made today by David Gray, UMPG Managing Director, UK, and Head of Global A&R, to whom Hamblion reports. Based in Sydney, Hamblion will lead UMPG’s creative and talent development strategy across Australia and New Zealand, continuing to strengthen the region as a global creative hub for the company, as exemplified by her recent and highly-competitive signing of multiple ARIA Award-winning Australian singer, songwriter and producer Tones and I.

In announcing Hamblion’s promotion, Gray commented, “Australia and New Zealand have always produced extraordinary music and some of the world’s most distinctive songwriters and artists. Having someone as talented as Maree leading our creative efforts on the ground, with her deep understanding of the community and how to develop talent, is incredibly important to UMPG. Maree and her team are a big part of the incredible music coming out of the region, and I’m excited about what they’re building and what comes next.”

UMPG Chairman & CEO Jody Gerson added, “Since Maree joined UMPG, she has made a tremendous creative impact on our roster in Australia and New Zealand while building strong relationships with our A&R teams around the world. She understands that developing songwriters and artists locally also means creating opportunities for them globally, and Tones and I is a perfect example of that. I’m thrilled to see Maree take on this expanded role and continue to discover and champion exceptional talent from the region.”

Hamblion said, “Thank you to David, Jody and [UMPG COO] Marc Cimino for entrusting me with the opportunity to further develop UMPG Australia and New Zealand’s next generation of global songwriters. Songwriters are at the heart of everything we do. I’m excited to continue building a creative hub that not only supports artistic development but also connects our writers with opportunities on a global stage. I’m incredibly honoured to step into my expanded role and look

forward to championing our exceptional roster alongside our dedicated Sync and Administration teams.”

As part of her expanded role, Hamblion will further enhance UMPG's creative ecosystem across the region, building on the success of the LVL 4 recording studio. This includes the introduction of a dedicated writing room and content space, designed to foster greater collaboration, creativity, and connection among songwriters.

Hamblion joined UMPG Australia and New Zealand in 2024 as Senior Vice President, A&R, overseeing the company’s roster of songwriters and producers. Since joining UMPG, she has signed a diverse array of talent, including Benny Morrell, Matthew Ifield, Esha Tewari, Rupert Bullard, Ownlife and Lach Bostock, and established a number of joint ventures. These include partnerships with Peach

Publishing, signing Huon Lamb-Kelly; THIS IS NOISE, signing New Zealand writer/producer Harry Charles; Apple Street Music, signing Ruby Rodgers; and Artist Labs, signing Midnight Til Morning, Lane Pittman and Lime Cordiale.

Prior to joining UMPG, Hamblion spent more than a decade at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, rising to Senior Vice President, A&R in 2015. In that role, she led the company’s international A&R efforts, discovering and signing songwriters and creating global opportunities and collaborations for its roster. Her signings included prominent Australian songwriters Sarah Aarons, Alex Hope, Jarryd James, Gretta Ray, Isabella Kearney-Nurse, Sam Sakr, Rory Adams, Ainslie Wills, Tina Arena, Ned Houston and Robby De Sa, as well as New Zealand songwriters Joel Little, Stan Walker, Alex Wildwood and Jawsh 685.

Hamblion began her music publishing career at EMI Music Publishing’s Sydney office in 1995, where she spent more than 17 years signing and working with many of Australia and New Zealand’s most successful songwriters, artists and bands. During her tenure, she worked with Divinyls, Jimmy Barnes, Grammy Award winner Joel Little, Lindsay Rimes, Ladyhawke, PNAU, Hayley Warner, Julian Hamilton of The Presets, Savage Garden, The Paper Kites, Tonight Alive, DNA Songs, The McClymonts and The Veronicas.