The Brag Media has appointed Jake Challenor as the Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s print editor and announced Grammy-winning trio RÜFÜS DU SOL as its upcoming ninth issue cover act.
Jake Challenor continues to oversee editorial for Variety Australia, The Music Network, and The Industry Observer as executive editor, B2B, reporting to Editor in Chief, Poppy Reid.
Challenor told Mediaweek, “When Poppy rang and asked me if I’d like to edit the Rolling Stone AU/NZ magazine, it took me all of five seconds to say ‘yes’. Few music and culture mastheads have managed to grow in relevance, but Rolling Stone certainly has. The local edition is no exception, which is exactly why readership jumped by more than 44% in Roy Morgan’s last reporting period.”
Jake Challenor
Editor in chief, Poppy Reid said, “We really did have a dream team working on this latest cover and magazine.”
“Jake Challenor is such an accomplished journalist and editor and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with him more closely now. More than that, launching this new chapter at Rolling Stone AU/NZ with RÜFÜS DU SOL on our latest cover — with such a powerful image taken by Shervin Lainez and designed by our Creative Director Katie Taylor — feels fitting.
“Rolling Stone is about pairing an iconic brand with people who are changing the game, and the new Grammy winners are doing just that, all whilst helping to keep Australia on the global map.”
The upcoming issue will be RÜFÜS DU SOL’s first feature on the cover of Rolling Stone. Additionally, the issue will be the first black and white cover for the magazine since its return to the market.
RÜFÜS DU SOL collected their first-ever Grammy last month, for best electronic/dance release, for their 2021 single Alive. The band — made up of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George, and James Hunt — previously had two Grammy nominations in 2020.
The album blasted to No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, No. 1 on the U.S. Heatseekers Albums survey, No. 2 on the U.S. Top Dance/Electronic Albums tally, and earned the act a brace of ARIA Awards for best group and dance release.
RÜFÜS DU SOL on cover of Rolling Stone
Also appearing in the next issue, which arrives on newsstands on June 13, are interviews with 5 Seconds of Summer, Jack White, Ben Lee, Drag Race favourites, plus features on polyamory, the new internet, and the secretive world of private gigs with large price tags.
Last year Rolling Stone Australia expanded its brand with the inaugural Sailor Jerry Rolling Stone Australia Awards, and, according to Roy Morgan data on the national magazine market, Rolling Stone Australia reached 191,000 readers in the six months to December 31 2021, ahead of staple Australian mastheads Golf Digest, Family Circle and Who.