Nicholas Pickard (APRA AMCOS)

Nicholas serves as Executive Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations at APRA AMCOS, where he has driven strategic policy development and industry advocacy since 2018. His unique background spans journalism, senior government advisory roles in cultural policy, and extensive experience championing creator rights across Australia’s creative industries.

A recognised leader in cultural policy and digital transformation, Nicholas commissioned APRA AMCOS’s groundbreaking 2024 AI and music report, which ignited global policy discussions and earned a prestigious Mumbrella PR Award for its public impact. His strategic approach to complex policy challenges has established him as a key voice in navigating the intersection of technology, creativity, and intellectual property rights.

Nicholas brings significant experience through his board positions with the Australian Government agency Screen Australia and the NSW Government’s Creative Communities Council, while chairing the NSW Literature and Writing Artform Board. His international perspective was shaped through early career studies in theatre directing in Slovenia and theatre studies in the UK, fostering a deep understanding of cross-cultural creative collaboration and the global nature of artistic expression.

This combination of policy expertise, international outlook, and practical experience in creative industries positions Nicholas as an ideal advocate for strengthening partnerships between Australia and India’s rapidly expanding creative economy sectors.

Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS)
APRA AMCOS represents 124,000 music creators and publishers across Australia and New Zealand as the region’s largest music industry organisation. Combining the Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society, we serve a diverse membership spanning emerging and established songwriters to independent and major international publishers, while licensing content to all major broadcasters, streaming platforms, and commercial music users.

For fifteen years, APRA AMCOS has pioneered strategic partnerships with government to accelerate music industry growth through targeted investment in live music infrastructure, digital distribution pathways, venue development, education, and international market expansion. Our flagship initiatives have established new industry standards: the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office champions First Nations music, SongMakers delivers professional songwriting education in schools nationwide, the Live Music Office strengthens venue ecosystems, SongHubs fosters career defining music creation, and our internationally acclaimed export program Sounds Australia has become the definitive gateway for Australian music in global markets.