LGBTIQ+ List 2024: Rhys France, CAA

The LGBTIQ+ List 2024 – IQ Magazine’s fourth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s fourth Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on yesterday’s interview with Priscilla Nagashima (she/her), VP of engineering at DICE.

The series continues with Rhys France (he/him), corporate and private events booker at CAA.

Rhys France is a member of the Music Brand Partnerships team at CAA, serving as the corporate & private events booker. He works across a diverse music roster, from legendary icons to new emerging talents. Originally from Australia, Rhys began his career in Shanghai, China. There, he spent five years as a music promoter, booking artists for performances across Asia. Eight years ago, he relocated to London where he has since collaborated with hundreds of artists on thousands of shows across the world while working in the live music touring industry. Additionally, Rhys is one of the leaders of the CAA LGBTQ+ Alliance, contributing to annual Pride events, charity partnerships and yearly programming.

Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2024 so far.
Connecting with client Kim Petras backstage at her sold-out Apollo show earlier this year about the impact she has had on me personally and the queer community was pretty special. In that moment I was proud to work for an agency that represents such influential LGBTQ+ talents.

Tell us about a professional challenge you’ve come across as a queer person in this industry.
Learning to integrate my queer identity into my professional life has been a challenge. I’ve always tried to be proudly and unapologetically myself, in all spaces at all times. But when I was younger, I felt pressure to conform to heteronormative expectations to be taken seriously in a professional setting. Over time I learned the power and strength of my own authenticity – that this is what made me unique – and the sky was the limit.

“[Feature] more queer, trans and non-binary artists prominently in campaigns, playlists, line-ups and award shows”

You’re involved with CAA’s LGBTQ+ Alliance. What do you hope to achieve through the alliance?
Being a leader of the Alliance at the CAA is a complete privilege. As a group, we aim to achieve an inclusive work environment for all LGBTQ+ colleagues and foster a safe space for everyone. We meet regularly and through open dialogue and discussion, our Pride Panel event aims to amplify queer voices and stories and celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences that queer artists/professionals bring to the table. Our panel last year was filmed and shared worldwide with thousands of colleagues.

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
I’ll always be pushing for more queer visibility and representation in all aspects of the industry. Featuring more queer, trans and non-binary artists prominently in campaigns, playlists, line-ups and award shows, as well as ensuring more opportunities for queer artists to showcase their talent and reach wider audiences. We have a lot of progress to make in these spaces.

“Over time I learned the power and strength of my own authenticity – that this is what made me unique – and the sky was the limit”

 Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
One is going to be impossible. One client on this list is Durand Bernarr, an absolute vocal powerhouse, who you can catch at We Out Here. Fellow Aussie, Troye Sivan, at Wembley will be iconic, Charli XCX’s arena show at the O2, queer icon Kylie Minogue at BST, and shout out to Mighty Hoopla – my favourite weekend of the year where I’ll be excited to catch Gok Wan & Jodie Harsh to name a few. 

Shout out any LGBTIQ+ cause(s) you support.
We previously partnered with Stonewall Housing, which provides specialist housing advice, advocacy and support for LGBTQ+ people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. They do amazing work.

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