Rolling Stone AU/NZ has appointed music and entertainment journalist James Jennings as its new editor.
Having spent a decade writing for the previous incarnation of Rolling Stone, Jennings is a former editor of Empire magazine and has written for titles and clients including NME, The Walt Disney Company, Foxtel, StarWars.com.au, SBS, and Jaxsta – which recently rebranded to Vinyl Group and acquired The Brag Media, publisher of Rolling Stone in Australia and New Zealand.
He currently writes gig reviews and musician interviews for The Sydney Morning Herald.
James Jennings
Of his new role, Jennings said: “To work with a crew of fellow passionate music lovers who are committed to honouring Rolling Stone’s rich history, while still pushing the title forward, is a dream come true and I’m incredibly excited about where we’ll be taking Rolling Stone AU/NZ in the future.”
The announcement accompanies the reveal of the magazine’s March-May issue cover, starring Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby. The issue hits newsstands across Australia and New Zealand from today, 18 March.
The cover story, written by Rolling Stone contributor Jenny Valentish, chronicles Gadsby’s story as they address the Netflix drama off the back of the viral but polarising 2018 special Nanette. The show was intended as a farewell to the industry that began a new era spawning two further specials, a Ted Talk, a Variety cover, and a memoir.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ editor-in-chief, Poppy Reid, added: “This is our first non-music cover since The Brag Media brought Rolling Stone back to Australia, so it was important that the person we chose truly captured a moment in culture. Hannah has been one of the most impactful Australian comedians of recent years, thrilling audiences with their discordant take on stand-up both here and overseas.”
Gadsby said: “It was never my dream to be on Rolling Stone magazine, certainly not the cover. Because why would you bother dreaming about something that’s highly unlikely.”