The ANCHOR Board 2023

We are happy to announce the ANCHOR Board 2023, a prestigious group of international insiders from different parts of the music industry to choose the six Nominees from all applicants.

This year's board members are: 

Allison Shaw (USA) - Founder & CEO, Manic Monkee 

Allison Shaw (Allie) is multi-faceted and experienced music industry professional. Allie’s passion for music prompted her to create boutique firm Manic Monkee which specializes in festival operations/talent buying, artist mgmt, brand partnerships and strategic business development for music/tech/brands.  

Allie started her music career writing for MTV/Vh1. She then started national/international music magazine Hyperactive and Hyperactive Music Conference and Festival and served on the New Mexico Music Commission. She was the Director Of Live for TV personality Rachael Ray/Watch Entertainment and co-creator/producer/ talent buyer for Rachael’s Feedback party during SXSW. Shaw was also the operations director for Listen Records/Sony. Allie got the absolute privilege of working with Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee's Public Enemy as head of brand development.  

Her love for bringing music discovery to fans found her working on multiple festivals and events as talent buyer/producer including Moogfest, Tarfest, Sunstock Solarfest, Santa Fe Muzik Fest, Rock The Ranch and more. Allie currently is the SVP of Operations/Talent Buyer for Pure Imagination Festival in Arizona and co-founder/talent buyer for the annual Whole Foods showcase at SXSW. Allie currently sits on the Board of Directors for Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and Charity Bomb. 

Bethan Elfyn (UK) - Presenter, Producer, Project Manager, BBC 

BBC Project Manager, Presenter and Producer with 25 years’ experience at the forefront of new music, working for over a decade with BBC Radio One, BBC 6Music, and hosting and DJing and curating stages at a number of high profile festivals – Latitude, Reading Festival, Greenman, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, ATP Australia and others. Bethan now heads up the development and strategy of BBC’s public value partnership with Arts Council of Wales under the banner Horizons/ Gorwelion – a music talent development scheme to develop new, independent contemporary music in Wales, UK. Horizons is a member of talent development European exchange called Excite, who showcase at a number of partner festivals. 

Bjørn Rogstad (NOR) - Managing Director, Universal Music Group Norway 

Bjørn Rogstad is a Norwegian record director. Since 2013 he has been with Universal Music Norway where he played a fundamental role in driving the business forward. Moreover, he was responsible for signing artists such as Astrid S and Seeb. As a result of his hard work, he got promoted to General Manager of Universal Music Norway in 2017. Prior to joining Universal, Rogstad served as the director of EMI Music Norway and A&R Director and Coordinator of Nordic Repertoire. 

Cahleb E. Derry (USA) - Artist Marketing Manager, Spotify 

Cahleb is a music and culture aficionado originally hailing from Spring Valley, NY, where he grew up in an artistic family and fell in love with music before he could speak. This adoration both as a vocalist and industry nerd developed into a passion for creative direction, artist marketing & development, and music and cultural criticism. He got his formal start in the industry on the music team at Paradigm Talent Agency. Cahleb has since served as the assistant to EMMY-award winning film composer Nicholas Britell and sang with Cape Cod-based Tik Tok sensation Hyannis Sound.  

He currently works as an Associate Manager in Artist Marketing at Spotify, where he helps lead creative campaigns for R&B and GLOW, Spotify's newest global music equity program celebrating LGBTQ artists and culture. Cahleb also manages "CD Radio," a music and culture platform where he reviews music, discusses pop culture and builds playlists. Additionally, he works with several independent artists including Tsebiyah, LEMMONS, Charlie Belle, KLARK, Joy Nesbitt, and more.  

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in History & Literature and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. 

Cecilia Soojeong Yi (KOR) - EXCECUTIVE MANAGER ZANDARI, FESTIVAL KOREA 

Cecilia Soojeong Yi is formerly known as the executive manager of Zandari Festa, Korea’s premier independent and international showcase festival. In 2018, she co-founded “DMZ Peace Train Music Festival” and has been in charge of programming, artist communication, and international relationships. In 2021, she expanded her business sector by co-founding a new company, ALPS, that goes beyond the model of a once-a-year festival to connect unique music and cultural content with the world continuously. She also served as one of the curators for Naver On Stage, which discovers Korea's best emerging artists, and has been a jury for Korean Music Awards since 2019. 

Fabian Schmied (GER) - Senior Artist Relations Manager, Amazon Music  

Fabian has been working at Amazon Music since 2016 and is responsible for the strategic direction and management of artist campaigns in his role as Senior Artist Relations Manager. He is also responsible for Amazon Music's live events and charity partnerships, such as with the All Hands on Deck project. Previously, Fabian worked at Zughafen Erfurt in the management of Clueso, most recently as Product and Label Manager. 

Jessi Frick (USA) - Owner & Operator, Father/Daughter 

Jessi Frick is the founder of Father/Daughter Records, an independent record label based in San Francisco. Established in 2010, Father/Daughter is dedicated to the discovery of sounds that are immensely present and oscillating with imagination. From landmark releases from the likes of Anjimile, Vagabon, Home Is Where, Esther Rose, and Tasha, the label continues to explore dynamic styles while lifting essential voices into the conversation. She also co-founded Citrine Management, a queer & female-owned music management firm, aiming to create space for underrepresented artists & voices in the music industry. At Citrine, she manages Speedy Ortiz, Sad13, Chastity Belt, Diet Cig, Kristine Leschper (fka Mothers) and Remember Sports. 

Justin Sweeting (HKG) - Head of Music, Magnetic Asia 

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Justin Sweeting has over twenty years of music industry experience, centred within Asia. Justin is co-founder and Music Director of Magnetic Asia who run festivals & events: Clockenflap, Sonar Hong Kong, Ticketing and offer further agency services to a broad reach of clients including digital marketing, PR, production and consultancy. Connecting the dots between Asia and the global industry at large, Justin enjoys spreading the word on the region’s music potential and is actively involved in its positive evolution. 

Maria Amato (AU) - CEO, THE AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS ASSOCIATION 

Maria has worked in the arts and not-for-profit sector for over 25 years and is recognised as a change agent specializing in finance management and leadership with a track record of success in streamlining processes to increase the efficiency, productivity and profitability for the organizations she represents. 

As CEO of AIR, Maria is responsible for the overall management and financial reporting of the organization, including all commercial partnerships and events, advocacy and government relations. She also runs its Women in Music mentor program, aimed at empowering women in the Australian music industry to progress their careers and leadership aspirations. 

Elected as the first female and first person from the Southern hemisphere to chair the board of WIN as part of its annual rotation in Feb 2022, Maria was then elected as treasurer in Feb 2023 and continues to serve as member of WIN’s executive committee. She has previously served as a board member for the Adelaide UNESCO City of Music, The Australian Institute of Music and Music Victoria. 

Maxie Gedge (UK) – Artist Relation Manager, Secretly Group 

Born in Norwich (UK) Maxie is an enthusiastic and committed music advocate with a strong focus on talent development, creative communications and international network building. She has programmed hundreds of shows, worked for festivals, venues, and talent development organisations in a range of genres. She has sat on the jury for awards such as MOBO Unsung, the SAY Awards, and the BRIT Awards. In 2021 Maxie joined Secretly Group as European project manager, where she has a dedicated roster of artists across all Secretly Group labels.   

Maxie is especially passionate about supporting underrepresented voices in music. Before Secretly Group, Maxie worked at PRS Foundation, managing Keychange, the international movement for gender equality in the music industry.  

During her time at PRS Foundation, Maxie was recognised on the she said.so Alternative Power 100 List 2020, the IQ Magazine LGBTIQ List celebrating 20 queer pioneers, and the Music Week Women in Music Roll of Honour 2021. 

Ramera Abraham (UK) - Audio Engineer 

Ramera Abraham is a London-based vocal producer, recording engineer, and songwriter. After years of ABRSM classical music training in piano, vocals, and drums, Ramera finished her undergraduate degree in Canada and pursued an advanced diploma in sound engineering and music production from Abbey Road Institute in London. 

Upon graduating from the Institute, she earned an engineering residency at Spotify's Secret Genius studio, with mentorship from Berklee College of Music. It was there that Ramera dealt with daily studio operations while delving into the world of vocal production and engineering, often having to take on these roles with up and coming artists at the studio. After her EQL Spotify residency, Ramera was a runner and then assistant engineer at Metropolis Studios. At Metropolis, she had the pleasure of assisting producers and artists like Adele, Jess Glynne, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Little Mix, MNEK, Stormzy, Sam Fender, and Elton John. 

After her time as an assistant, Ramera progressed into a freelance recording engineer role at Platoon, a music distribution and artist services company owned by Apple. She was also recently included in SheSaid.So’s Alternative Power 100 List, and is shortlisted for Vocal Producer of the Year at the 2023 Music Producers Guild Awards. With vocal engineering and vocal production at the forefront of her freelance career so far, she continues to work within the pop genre. 

Zan Rowe (AUS) - Host of Double J Mornings and National Music Correspondent for ABC 

For over twenty years, Zan has worked as a  broadcaster and music journalist, championing the discovery of new music; whether at worldwide festivals and conferences, or on her national radio programs. For more than a decade, Zan was a key broadcaster with triple j, before launching a new Mornings show on sister station Double J.  

Zan is the host of ABC TV’s high rating New Year's Eve broadcast concert, creator and host of prime-time music interview TV series Take 5 with Zan Rowe, and a regular correspondent on morning television’s ABC News Breakfast. Zan has chaired panels and MC-ed events internationally, been part of the official Australian Eurovision Jury, and was the first Australian juror for the ANCHOR Award in 2019.