Dr. Richard James Burgess will step down as president/CEO of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) in early 2026, he announced at the annual general meeting that closed out A2IM's Indie Week on Thursday (June 13).
The board has launched a search for Burgess' successor.
During Burgess's 10-year tenure at A2IM, he oversaw a period of significant growth in the organization's membership, which has grown to include more than 750 member companies. On the advocacy front, he was also a lobbying firm based in Washington, DC, worked with other trade associations on policies and initiatives, and was personally involved in a multitude of other advocacy efforts. Also under his watch, A2IM launched initiatives to support underrepresented communities and balanced and diversified its staff, board and events team.
Elsewhere, Burgess introduced a health care plan he offers for A2IM member companies, their employees, contractors and artists. grew the annual A2IM Indie Week gathering from a one-room event to a premier international conference. and turned the A2IM Libera Awards into a premier gala dinner honoring independent labels and released music, including live acts.
A2IM was founded in 2005 in response to the digital disruption of the music industry, serving as a vehicle to address the concerns of the broad spectrum of the independent sector.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/a2im-president-ceo-richard-james-burgess-step-down-2026/