The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) says it is stripping disgraced former Sony Music Australia chief executive Denis Handlin of a lifetime achievement award.
The announcement comes days after a Four Corners report revealed detailed allegations of systemic bullying, discrimination and misconduct towards staff under Mr Handlin.
Mr Handlin was fired by Sony in June after 37 years as chief executive of Sony Music Australia.
In a brief statement, ARIA announced that: "The Board of ARIA has today resolved to withdraw the ARIA award made to Denis Handlin in 2014."
The award being rescinded is the ARIA Industry Icon Award, and was presented to Mr Handlin by Molly Meldrum at the 2014 ceremony.
Mr Handlin was only one of five people to ever receive the honour.
Earlier this week, the Queensland Music Awards also announced that it was revoking Mr Handlin's 2020 honorary award for services to the Australian music industry.
Tamara Georgopoulos, who worked at Sony Music between 2011 and 2015, including as an artists & repertoire (A&R) coordinator, is disappointed it took ARIA so long to address the issue.
"While it’s positive to see ARIA taking this first step, I can't help but reflect on how disappointing it is that it's taken so long to get here and that it's taken victims advocating for themselves yet again to create any real change – particularly when it comes to our major peak body."
Four Corners spoke with more than 100 current and former Sony Music Australia staff, as well as prominent figures in the Australian and international music scene for the story.
What emerged was a clear pattern of abuse and a culture where discrimination and sexual misconduct were allowed to thrive.
An internal report, obtained by Four Corners, alleged in 1998 that Mr Handlin was often drunk, couldn't treat women as equals, humiliated staff on rotation and had employees followed by private detectives.
At the time, a Sony financial controller also compiled a brief of occasions when Mr Handlin had allegedly spent company money on personal expenses – including up to $15,000 on his school reunion in Brisbane.
After the reports were presented to Sony's head office in New York, Mr Handlin was briefly suspended but then reinstated as CEO for a further 23 years.
In a statement to Four Corners, Denis Handlin said: "I have always provided support and encouragement to women in the industry and personally championed diversity.
"I would never tolerate treating women in an inappropriate or discriminatory manner.
"At any time I was made aware of this sort of behaviour, I took action to ensure that it was stopped and didn't occur again."
Sony Music Entertainment said in a statement: "We take all allegations of bullying, harassment and other inappropriate behaviour from our employees very seriously and investigate them vigorously.
"Only recently did claims surface and we are examining them expeditiously."
Mr Handlin was a member of the ARIA board from 1984 until June this year.
He served as chair between 1999 and 2008, then again from 2010 until he was sacked by Sony.
Australian music critic Bernard Zuel is very critical of how ARIA has handled the fallout.
"There's no further comment, there's nothing yet to any victims. It's a continuation of, 'hope this blows over and do as little as they have to'."
"I'm very disappointed that artists and musicians haven't spoken out yet."
"[They] are under no obligation to speak, but there are others who now do have the chance and do have an opportunity to speak up on behalf of all the people who can't."
On Monday, after the Four Corners program aired, ARIA posted a statement on its website saying that no one should "feel unsafe, harassed, discriminated against, or bullied in the workplace".
"ARIA will continue to work towards safety, inclusion and equality across the music industry, including through the cultural change process that was started in May this year.
"We will listen to the voices that need to be heard and provide our wholehearted support every step of the way."
