Denis Handlin celebrates 30 years at the helm

Celebrating 30 years atop Sony Music Entertainment and 44 years with the major label, Denis Handlin AM, Sony Music Entertainment’s Chairman & CEO of Australia & President, Asia, celebrated with approximately 700 artist and industry figures on Friday night.

Held at The Star in Sydney and hosted by Sunrise’s Samantha Armytage, Today’s Karl Stefanovic and entertainment reporter and fellow Today presenter Richard Wilkins, the celebration featured performances from Delta Goodrem, Jessica Mauboy, Guy Sebastian, Justice Crew, The Veronicas and The Script and video messages from Bruce Springsteen, P!nk, Pharrell Williams, Doug Morris, Ke$ha, Barbra Streisand, Ricky Martin, The Foo Fighters, Billy Joel, John Farnham, Colin Haye, Human Nature, One Direction, Slash, Paloma Faith, and Simon Cowell.

Speeches were given by broadcaster Alan Jones AO, Columbia Records’ Chairman Rob Stringer and Edgar Berger, Chairman & CEO of Sony Music International. Those in attendance included artists Samantha Jade and Timomatic and industry stalwarts like Molly Meldrum, Michael Chugg, presenter and TV personality Kerry-Anne Kennerley, cricketer Denis Lillee, NOVA FM’s Kent ’Smallzy’ Small, actress Emily Symons and Channel [V] presenter Carissa Walford.

All proceeds from the night went to Sony Foundation’s new fund to support families from its Children’s Holiday Camp Program. The fund allows the Foundation to provide an annual grant to a different Holiday Camps family each year. The first recipient of the grant is 12-year-old Jack De Rooy Harris from Brisbane; Harris suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II. The grant, awarded to Harris on Friday night, will be used to purchase a specially modified van, allowing Jack to leave the house with his family, without the need for a maxi taxi or social services.

The Sony Foundation raised $200,000 for the fund.