{{Short description|Australian radio announcer and music journalist}} {{For|the English politician|Richard Kingsmill (MP)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox person | image = | caption = | name = Richard Kingsmill | birth_name = | birth_place = | birth_date = | education = Macquarie University | occupation = {{hlist|Radio announcer|music director| producer| music journalist}} }} '''Richard Kingsmill''' is an Australian radio announcer and music journalist. He worked for ABC radio station triple j from 1988 until his redundancy in December 2023, and was the station's longest-serving presenter. From 2017 he was group music director of triple j, triple j Unearthed, Double J, ABC Country, and ABC Local Radio.
==Early life and education== Richard Kingsmill studied mass communications at Macquarie University in the early 1980s. After working at community radio stations in Lismore, Kingsmill moved to Sydney to find a job, and did some training at educational radio station 2SER while studying at university.<ref name=2ser2019>{{cite web | title=2ser 40th Birthday: Robbie Buck and Richard Kingsmill | website=2SER | date=1 October 2019 | url=https://2ser.com/2ser-40th-birthday-robbie-buck-and-richard-kingsmill/ | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> 2SER was run jointly by Macquarie University and the University of Technology Sydney.<ref>{{cite web | title=2SER celebrates four groundbreaking decades on the airwaves | website=The Lighthouse | date=30 October 2019 | url=https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/media-releases/2ser-celebrates-four-groundbreaking-decades-on-the-airwaves | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
==Career== While at 2SER in 1988, Kingsmill made a four-part series on the Australian music industry called ''Money, Not Harmony''.<ref name=nfsa>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/richard-kingsmills-radio-2ser-documentary-1980s-music-industry| website=National Film and Sound Archive of Australia| title=Australian music industry in the 1980s| first1= Liz |last1=Giuffre| first2=Richard |last2=Kingsmill| format=text (2019, updated 2023) + audio (1988)}}</ref>
His career at the ABC started in 1988 as a producer for triple j.<ref name=mediaweek2023>{{cite web | title="I've given my heart and soul": Richard Kingsmill leaves triple j | website=Mediaweek | date=11 December 2023 | url=https://www.mediaweek.com.au/ive-given-my-heart-and-soul-richard-kingsmill-leaves-triple-j/ | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> He presented on-air for the first time in 1990.<ref name=cashmere/>
He introduced and hosted the shows ''The J Files''<ref name=2ser2019/> (8 years<ref name=abcfarewell/>) and the ''Australian Music Show'' (10 years<ref name=abcfarewell/>), and was co-founder of triple j Unearthed in 1995,<ref name=mediaweek2023/><ref name=abcfarewell/> a fact of which he is very proud, in particular "being able to uncover the likes of Missy Higgins, Grinspoon, G Flip, and Genesis Owusu".<ref name=themusic2023>{{cite web | title=Richard Kingsmill Leaves Triple J After 35 Years | website=The Music | date=11 December 2023 | url=https://themusic.com.au/industry/richard-kingsmill-leaves-triple-j-after-35-years/BdG7GRgbGh0/11-12-23 | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
Kingsmill began hosting triple j's new releases show on Sunday evenings, named for the current year, in 1996. This show continues as of 2023 as one of the highest-rating shows.<ref name=abcfarewell/><ref>{{cite web| url=https://au.linkedin.com/in/zanrowe| website= LinkedIn| title=Zan Rowe}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=More from 2023 | website=triple j | date=10 December 2023 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/kingsmill/episodes | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
In 1998, Kingsmill hosted an Australian music-themed program on ''Rage'', for Australian Music Week.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.abc.net.au/rage/guest/archive/1998.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220074738/http://www.abc.net.au/rage/guest/archive/1998.htm|archive-date= 20 Feb 2008 |website= ABC Rage Guest Archive |title=1998}}</ref> In 2009, he presented the triple j Hottest 100 of All Time on ''Rage'' with Zan Rowe.<ref>{{cite web | title=triple j Hottest 100 of All Time Special | website=ABC Rage | date=6 August 2009 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/rage/guest/triple-j-hottest-100-of-all-time-special/9650734 | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
In 2003, Kingsmill was promoted to the position of music director<ref name=mediaweek2023/> after the retirement of Arnold Frolows, who had been in the position since the inception of Double Jay (as triple j was then known) in 1975.<ref>{{cite web | title='New' Triple J goes alternative | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=24 May 2003 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/new-triple-j-goes-alternative-20030524-gdgtac.html | access-date=12 December 2023| url-access=subscription}}</ref>
From 2004 until 2019, he curated the annual "One Night Stand" live concerts in remote or regional towns.<ref name=abcfarewell/>
In 2009, Kingsmill was the initiator and curator of ''Before Too Long: Triple J's Tribute to Paul Kelly''.<ref name=abcfarewell/> The show ran over two nights at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne in November, with various artists performing tracks by Paul Kelly.<ref>{{cite web | last=Donovan | first=Patrick | title=Legend of song Kelly | website=The Age | date=12 October 2009 | url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/legend-of-song-kelly-20091012-ge8528.html | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> The concert was recorded for a 3× CD<ref>{{cite web | title=Before Too Long (Triple J's Tribute To Paul Kelly) (2010, CD) | website=Discogs | date=14 November 2009 | url=https://www.discogs.com/release/5707794-Various-Before-Too-Long-Triple-Js-Tribute-To-Paul-Kelly | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> and a 2x DVD of the same name released in February 2010.<ref>{{cite web | title=Before Too Long (Triple J's Tribute To Paul Kelly) (2010, DVD) | website=Discogs | date=14 November 2009 | url=https://www.discogs.com/release/9933352-Various-Before-Too-Long-Triple-Js-Tribute-To-Paul-Kelly | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
In 2011, Kingsmill created ''Straight To You: triple j’s Tribute To Nick Cave''.<ref name=abcfarewell/>
In January 2012, he took a break for six months to travel overseas, with Nick Findlay stepping in as acting music director.<ref name=cashmere/>
In 2015, Kingsmill selected the artists for the live concert "Beat The Drum: Celebrating 40 Years of triple j" The soundtrack once again took out an ARIA.<ref name=abcfarewell/>
In 2016, he started ''The Funhouse'' on Double J, which in 2023 celebrated its 350th show and is one of the station's most loved programs.<ref name=abcfarewell/>
Over the years, he hosted hundreds of interviews with well-known musicians, including David Bowie, Radiohead, Björk, Nick Cave, Daft Punk, Flume, Gotye, Lana Del Rey, and Kendrick Lamar.<ref name=abcfarewell/> In 1998, a remarkable interview with Tori Amos went to air live on the J Files.<ref>{{cite web | title=Hear Richard Kingsmill's most awkward interview ever | website=Double J | date=8 September 2017 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/listen/doublej/music-reads/features/hear-richard-kingsmills-most-awkward-interview-ever/10267216 | access-date=13 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Interviews Archive | website=Tori Amos | date=16 July 1998 | url=https://www.yessaid.com/int/1998-07-16_Triple_J.html | access-date=13 December 2023}}</ref>
In 2017, Kingsmill became group music director, coordinating the team of music directors for four stations on the ABC national network: triple j, triple j Unearthed, Double J and ABC Local Radio.<ref name="indobserver">{{Cite web|last=Reid|first=Poppy|date=2017-04-18|title=EXCLUSIVE: Nick Findlay steps up as Music Director at triple j|url=https://theindustryobserver.thebrag.com/nick-findlay-steps-up-as-music-director-at-triple-j/|access-date=2020-12-31|website=The Industry Observer|language=en-AU}}</ref> He also oversaw music content at ABC Country,<ref name=winter2023/><ref name=2ser2019/> and in 2023 another station, triple j's Hottest, was added.<ref name=mediaweek2023/><ref name=themusic2023/>
In December 2023, he announced his departure from the ABC, having been made redundant as part of a restructuring of the triple j network.<ref>{{cite web | title=Will triple j rue the day it dethroned the King? | website=Mumbrella | date=16 December 2023 | url=https://mumbrella.com.au/the-weekend-mumbo-will-triple-j-rue-the-day-it-dethroned-the-king-810542 | access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=ABC bosses made Triple J veteran Richard Kingsmill redundant | website=The Age | date=13 December 2023 | url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/abc-bosses-made-triple-j-veteran-richard-kingsmill-redundant-20231213-p5erb8.html | access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref><ref name=winter2023>{{cite web | last=Winter | first=Velvet | title=Richard Kingsmill announces departure from triple j after three decades with the youth station | website=ABC News | date=12 December 2023 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-11/richard-kingsmill-announces-departure-from-triple-j/103214438 | access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref> During his time at triple j, Kingsmill managed to double the amount of airtime given to Australian artists, from 30 percent to 60 percent.<ref name=themusic2023/> The station's audience increased from 980,000 in 2006<ref name=mediaweek2023/> to 3 million in 2022.<ref name=eltham2023/>
==Recognition and awards== *2010: ''Before Too Long: Triple J's Tribute to Paul Kelly'', winner, Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album in the ARIA Awards<ref>{{cite web | title=2010 ARIA Awards Winners | website=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) | url=https://www.aria.com.au/awards/past-winners/2010 | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref><ref name=abcfarewell/> * 2011: ''Straight To You: triple j’s Tribute To Nick Cave'', winner, Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album in the ARIA Awards<ref name=abcfarewell/> *May 2012: Voted International Music Director of the year at the Worldwide Radio Summit in Los Angeles<ref name=abcfarewell>{{cite web | title=The ABC farewells Richard Kingsmill | website=About the ABC | date=11 December 2023 | url=https://about.abc.net.au/press-releases/the-abc-farewells-richard-kingsmill/ | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> *2014: sections of Kingsmill's 1999 radio interview with the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith were used in the 2014 documentary of Elliot's life, ''Heaven Adores You''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/media/s2371161.htm|title=King Hit – Elliott Smith |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=20 October 2013}}</ref><ref>Heaven Adores You (2014) Director:Nickolas Rossi</ref> *2015: 2015 ARIA Award, Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album, for ''Beat The Drum: Celebrating 40 Years of triple j''<ref>{{cite web | last=McCabe | first=Kathy | title=Indie artists lead ARIA nominations | website=news | date=7 October 2015 | url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/awards/arias/australia-indie-artists-sweep-aria-nominations-with-taylor-swift-facing-off-against-boyfriend-calvin-harris-for-a-gong/news-story/4c02794e00071c9869ee9219149eae03 | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> *2015: Named no. 1 in the ''Australian Music Industry Directory'''s list, "Power 50"<ref name=abcfarewell/>
==Influence and legacy== Kingsmill was triple j's longest-serving presenter.<ref name=cashmere>{{cite web | last=Cashmere | first=Paul | title=Richard Kingsmill Takes A Break | website=Noise11.com | date=9 January 2012 | url=https://www.noise11.com/news/richard-kingsmill-takes-a-break-20120109 | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> Ben Eltham wrote in a 2015 article in ''Meanjin'' that Kingsmill's musical preferences (mainly in hip hop, indie rock, and pop music) influenced what was played on triple j, and that he has shaped its identity.<ref>{{cite web | last=Eltham | first=Ben| author-link= Ben Eltham | title=The Curious Significance of triple j | website=Meanjin | date=26 May 2015 | url=https://meanjin.com.au/essays/the-curious-significance-of-triple-j/ | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> Eltham later (2023) wrote of him as a "kingmaker", who had the power to make a musician's career, and artists ignored by him resented this.<ref name=eltham2023>{{cite web | last=Eltham | first=Ben | author-link= Ben Eltham | title=Kingsmill the kingmaker: Triple J veteran who shaped Australia's music tastes for decades departs ABC | website= The Guardian | date=13 December 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/12/richard-kingsmill-triple-j-resignation-career-bio-australian-music | access-date=13 December 2023}}</ref>
The longevity and present format of the TV program ''Rage'' was inspired by Kingsmill's radio show in which he hosted artists who would talk about music that they liked. An ABC staff member took this idea to management in 1998, after ''Rage'' had been running without any presenter for three years.<ref>{{cite web | last=Williams | first=Mike | title=Rage is turning 30, but it was never meant to last so long | website=ABC News | date=16 April 2017 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-17/rage-was-never-meant-to-last-30-years/8437704 | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
Kingsmill appeared in the 1998 Radiohead documentary ''Meeting People Is Easy''.<ref>{{cite web | title=Triple J | website=Citizen Insane | date=2 February 1998 | url=https://citizeninsane.eu/media/aus/triplej/03/i01a_1998-02-02_triplej.htm | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Grant Gee – Meeting People is Easy | website=The Slow Review |first=Rino| last= Breebaart| date=27 December 2016 | url=https://slowreview.com/2016/12/27/grant-gee-meeting-people-is-easy/ | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
In 2019, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia published excerpts of Kingsmill's 2SER radio series, ''Money, Not Harmony''. Archivist Liz Guiffre wrote: "Kingsmill would go on to become an extremely important part of the industry he so carefully documented here".<ref name=nfsa/>
==Personal life== Kingsmill's older brother, Mark Kingsmill, was the drummer in the Australian rock band Hoodoo Gurus.<ref>{{cite magazine | last=Brandle | first=Lars | title=Hoodoo Gurus Vow to Continue After Drummer Mark Kingsmill Quits | magazine=Billboard | date=5 February 2015 | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/hoodoo-gurus-vow-to-continue-after-drummer-mark-kingsmill-quits-6458538/ | access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>
==Publications== *{{cite book | last1=Kingsmill | first1=R. | last2=Mott | first2=T. | author3=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | title=The J Files Compendium | publisher=ABC Books | year=2002 | isbn=978-0-7333-1066-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v0v_AAAACAAJ }} *{{cite book | last1=Kingsmill | first1=R. | last2=Coupe | first2=S. | author3=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | author4=Triple J (Radio station) | title=Triple J Internet Guide | publisher=ABC Books | year=1998 | isbn=978-0-7333-0664-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r9S2PAAACAAJ}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/richard-kingsmill/8201972 Richard Kingsmill's page at the Triple J site]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingsmill, Richard}} Category:Triple J announcers Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Macquarie University alumni