About the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA):
Established in 2008, we are a not-for-profit trade body and membership organisation.
The SMIA’s mission is to…
Create and nurture a diverse, accessible and inclusive membership community that reflects the full spectrum of Scotland’s music industry
Ensure that Scotland’s music industry has an effective voice within government, parliament and development organisations that facilitates understanding and awareness of key opportunities and challenges
Produce and support projects and programmes to stimulate sustainability, domestic and international growth, development and innovation
In order to strengthen and increase the value of Scotland’s music industry both at home and on the world stage; economically, socially and culturally.
The SMIA receives regular funding from Creative Scotland, the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here.
Creative Scotland distributes funding from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.
Our Membership
We currently support a network of over 4,000 music practitioners.
We want everyone working in – or aspiring to work in – music in Scotland to be an SMIA member. Whatever point you’re at in your career, whatever genre of music you work in and wherever in Scotland you’re based; the SMIA exists to support you.
Our membership is free, to find out more click here.
Our Projects and Programmes
From celebrating outstanding Scottish albums through the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award to fostering innovation in the music business, our projects and programmes resonate with the ethos of empowerment and growth. Delve into our flagship initiatives, partnerships and collaborations, and see how we’re working with our membership to shape the future of Scotland’s music industry. Learn more about our efforts here.
Our Academic Partners
We work with further and higher education institutes as Academic Partners to support and develop the future talent pipeline of Scotland’s music industry.
Our Academic Partnerships bridge the gap between education and the evolving music industry; ensuring that skills are mapped to industry needs to enhance employability and drive sector growth.
From course accreditation to guest lectures to placement opportunities, we work to ensure the next generation of music industry professionals are equipped and inspired for the future. We’re proud to be working with UHI Perth, endorsing their BA Hons in Music and BA Hons in Music Business programmes.
SMIA Executive Team
Robert Kilpatrick
CEO + Creative Director
Having been involved in the SMIA since 2014, Robert has spent almost a decade building the organisation in a range of executive roles; delivering work to support and champion Scotland’s music industry.
With a proven track record in creative and strategic direction, project management, leadership and business development, Robert was appointed CEO and Creative Director in 2023. He leads the SMIA’s executive team and is responsible for designing, developing and implementing an effective company strategy; working with the SMIA company board to fulfil the company’s mission.
Since 2017, Robert has led the development and delivery of the SMIA’s flagship project and Scotland’s national music prize; the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award. The SAY Award has grown year on year and has now distributed over £360,000 in prize money to Scottish artists since its inception in 2012.
Aja Garrod-Prance
General Manager
Aja joined the SMIA in 2024 as General Manager. Their role involves the day-to-day management of the SMIA’s business operations, including overseeing the successful delivery of our annual programme of services, projects and events; supporting the work of the wider executive team. They also work with our partners across SMIA projects and programmes, building effective relationships to support the SMIA’s strategic objectives.
Originally from the South of England, Aja has worked in a number of roles across the creative industries including operations, event programming and production, and funding. For the last four years, their career has focussed on talent development, funding support for grassroots music organisations and emerging music creators through roles at the PRS Foundation and Youth Music. They relocated from London to Glasgow in 2023.
Daria Jaszcz
Marketing & Communications Executive
Daria joined SMIA in 2023 as the Marketing & Communications Executive. Her job includes handling social media, website, and marketing efforts. She also works on the SMIA’s communications strategy and manages its website, social media, and other digital channels such as the monthly newsletter. She is a key contact for members, providing support across all digital communication platforms.
Daria is an experienced digital marketer working across a variety of industries, with a background in working with charities and the third sector. She earned her Masters in Music: Creative Industries from the University of the West of Scotland in 2022.
Beth O’Connor
Equalities And Industry Development Officer
Beth joined the SMIA in 2023 as Equalities and Industry Development Officer. Beth’s role is to identify and respond to challenges being faced within Scotland’s music industry, as well as lay the foundations for meaningful, long-lasting change that will place equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility at the heart of all of the SMIA’s work.
Beth has worked across the creative industries in a range of roles, including policy development and implementation to address systemic barriers to participation for independent artists; managing complex stakeholder engagement between government and creative communities; and governance and public programming at artist run initiatives. Beth was born on Taungurung Country and has lived on Wurundjeri Country for the past 10 years before relocating to Glasgow in 2023.
SMIA Board
Anneliese Harmon
Non-Executive Director (Co-Chair)
Anneliese Harmon is a multifaceted music, entertainment, film, fashion and brand professional with over 20 years of experience in music management, international marketing, promotions and business development with both major and independent artists & companies. Specialising in global strategy and blueprints for businesses, emerging artist talent and established artists she has worked in the UK, US & key International markets, with a vast network of contacts across the global entertainment industry.
After working with Def Jam in New York , Anneliese moved to London to start her UK music career at Richard Branson’s V2 Music. She was promoted to Global Marketing Manager for V2 working with artists such as RZA, The Jungle Brothers, Kymani Marley and Liberty X. She was recruited by MTV Europe/Viacom to join the Talent and Artist Relations and Development team where she leads on projects with global superstars including Pink, Usher and Missy Elliot before returning to V2 Music UK to work on Special Priority Projects.
Anneliese then started her own global music management, branding and creative business consultancy company prior to accepting an appointment to become the GM of the UK’s Music Managers Forum, the world’s largest representative body of music managers, in 2021. In addition to creating the strategy for the MMF, Anneliese leads on Digital Burnout and Mental Health and participates in working groups focusing on AI as well as bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Sarah Johnston
Non-Executive Director (Co-Chair)
Sarah Johnston has over 10 years of experience working within the music distribution and licensing sector. Currently the Client Relations Manager, EMEA for world-leading b2b music distributor, FUGA – a part of Downtown Music – Sarah has honed her skills and knowledge of the global independent music landscape and is a trusted voice for labels, distributors, DSP’s and trade bodies alike.
Nick Stewart
Non-Executive Director (Vice Chair)
Nick Stewart has been booker and director at Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, for fifteen years. He’s been involved in improving conditions for grassroots music venues in licensing and planning, and was Scottish Coordinator for the Music Venue Trust liaising with venues and informing Scottish Government funding policy during the pandemic.
Andy Duggan
Non-Executive Director
Andy Duggan has been a live music agent for over 20 years, previously at Primary Talent International, before joining WME in 2021. His current roster includes Kano, Self Esteem, Shygirl, Django Django, Jockstrap, Santigold, Mount Kimbie, Neneh Cherry, Yussef Dayes & Greentea Peng.
Jen Hunter
Non-Executive Director
Jen began her career as a touring musician and later moved into local authority arts, programming music for East Kilbride Arts Centre and working as Music Development Officer in Falkirk where she produced the Way to Blue Festival. Jen served as Regional Officer for Scotland and Northern Ireland for the Musicians’ Union from 2006 to 2014 before co-founding Hackaye Projects; delivering a program of hackdays and maker events challenging young people to visualise the change they wanted to see and connecting them to digital skills to drive transformation.
From 2017 Jen Hunter was Director of Culture Counts, whose mission is to protect the ecosystem of the arts, heritage and creative industries for our common future through administration and policy change. While at Culture Counts she secured key support for the sector within the Planning Scotland Bill and lobbied on behalf of the wider culture sector throughout Brexit negotiations and the Covid-19 pandemic; leading to sector recognition and support.
David Moggendorff
Non-Executive Director
David Mogendorff is Head of EU Artist Services at TikTok. He leads a team that helps artists get the most out of the platform by making use of TikTok’s growing set of product features to build fan bases, share their music, create content, and earn revenue.
Since joining the business in 2020, TikTok has become an integral part of today’s music industry. From discovering new talent to reconnecting catalogue and older artists with new audiences, TikTok has become the place for artists to experiment and share their creativity. Prior to TikTok, David was Head of Artist Partnerships for YouTube and YouTube Music for almost five years and previously spent time at MTV Europe.
Dougie Brown
Non-Executive Director
Dougie Brown is based in the Highlands of Scotland and works across a number of areas in the music and events industry including, producing Scotland’s largest camping music festival, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival (26,000 cap), being a director of the one day traditional/folk festival, The Gathering (5,000 cap) and managing Scottish singer-songwriter Katie Gregson-MacLeod as director of Into the Light Management.
Fiona Ellis
Non-Executive Director
Since 1995, Fiona has played a key role in DF Concerts & Events, Scotland’s leading live music promoter and organiser of large outdoor events. She has developed a valuable insight into venue management, all levels of concert production and promotion experience from grassroots to stadium level and held various operational roles in the delivery of live music festivals, including, T in the Park, TRNSMT and Connect.
In her current role, Fiona is the strategic lead across 4 divisions including Venue, Office & Facilities Management, Customer Service & Accessibility and has been instrumental in developing DF Concerts Sustainability Strategy and journey towards net zero. Fiona, is also a member of Green Nation and an Ambassador for the Glasgow City Chambers Circular Economy.
Horse McDonald
Non-Executive Director
Horse is a well-loved, award-winning, legendary Scots singer-songwriter. She’s currently working on her 8th studio album and was inducted into the Saltire Society’s Outstanding Women of Scotland.
Her portrait by artist Roxana Halls has been acquired for the nation and hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
“One of the finest singers in Britain” – Q Magazine
James Bruce
Non-Executive Director
James comes from a music programming and promoting background via working in grassroots music venues in Aberdeen at the start of his career, booking over 200 shows in a two and a half year period. He then moved to London where he spent 8 years working in the music industry. He joined SuperVision Management, leading artists through independent, major label and publishing deals. James was then Coca-Cola’s tour manager on the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay before joining CrowdSurge as Business Development lead in the UK, working on global ticketing campaigns for artists from grassroots level through to arenas.
James came home to Scotland in 2015, relocating to Edinburgh. After joining PCL Presents as a promoter, he joined The City of Edinburgh Council’s Cultural Venues in May 2017 where he is currently Programme Development Manager for Usher Hall, Assembly Rooms, Ross Bandstand and Church Hill Theatre. James also serves as a partner in artist development company, Post Electric Artists.
Jennifer Anderson
Non-Executive Director
Jen Anderson has worked in the music industry for almost 20 years in various roles for various companies, including Sound Travels Live as a tour manager and coordinator, DF Concerts as a promoter, King Tuts Recordings as a label manager and Back Yard Music as head of business affairs.
She currently splits her time between the music industry and academia, running her own music company – The Bothy Society (focusing on Contemporary Scottish Trad), as well as working as a live booking agent for Apex Music International, an A&R Scout for Universal-owned Fiction Records and has worked as a senior lecturer and module leader at Point Blank Music School since 2012.
Jonathan Tait
Non-Executive Director
Jonathan is currently the Rights Manager for STV, the largest broadcaster in Scotland where he looks after acquisitions and rights for the STV Player, music clearances and all matters of legal and business affairs matters. Before this, he spent nearly 20 years in the music industry working in A&R, artist management, tour management, as a rehearsal and studio owner and then latterly in music education before re-training as an IP and entertainment lawyer in 2016 and helping to head up BTO BeCreative. Jonathan is also a consultant who advises artists, new and established music industry professionals right across the whole industry. He is a mentor for the creative arts sector through Napier University as well as a Director for the Scottish Music Industry Association and the Academy of Music & Sound.
Phoebe Inglis-Holmes
Non-Executive Director
Phoebe Inglis-Holmes is a broadcaster, DJ, writer & record label coadjutor. Phoebe’s no-stone-unturned attitude to new music has led her to host & produce shows on BBC Radio 6music; BBC Radio 1; the BBC Scotland TV channel, & beyond. Phoebe is also the host of BBC Introducing on BBC Radio Scotland, every Friday night.
Previously working in music media as a journalist & PR, Phoebe has toured extensively across the UK & international circuits both as a DJ & club-night manager in her own right; and to assist on-road with various bands & production collectives.
Thursa Sanderson
Non-Executive Director
Thursa Sanderson OBE is Chief Executive of Drake Music Scotland which champions disabled artists, creating opportunities for them to work in the music industry. DMS offers progression routes at all levels, from young people learning basic skills to professional opportunities. Thursa’s interests are in the diversification of the sector and support for those experiencing barriers.
SMIA History
Previous Board Chairs:
Nick Stewart 2023 / Dougal Perman 2016 – 2023 / Stewart Henderson 2010 – 2016
Previous Executives:
Ronnie Gurr 2022 – 2023 / Jason Edwards 2021 – 2022 / Dougal Perman 2016 – 2021 (P/T)