Junkee Media was founded in 2000 when Matt Callander, Libby Clark, and Andre Lackmann launched their dance music website Inthemx.[1] The website began as a part-time hobby for the three,[2] who were soon joined by Neil Ackland. Ackland discovered the site online and got in touch with its creators.[3]
Sound Alliance acquired Mess+Noise in October 2008 from failed media group Destra Corporation.[1]Mess+Noise has been operating since 2005 when it began as a bimonthly print publication.[4] In 2006, Tim Duggan co-founded the national LGBT site Same Same with Sound Alliance.[5]
Sound Alliance launched Junkee in March 2013, an online title aimed at an audience aged 18 to 29 years.[6] The publisher told its audience that Junkee would be built on principles uncovered in a comprehensive youth survey of a few thousand 18- to 29-year-olds.[7] Sound Alliance used Junkee to trial native advertising, which is now used across all of its publications as of October 2014.[8]
Sound Alliance formally rebranded itself as Junkee Media in July 2015.[9][10] CEO Neil Ackland told media the name change reflected the company's transformation from being a music-only publisher to becoming a youth-focused lifestyle publisher.[11] In September 2015, Junkee Media sold the LGBT title Same Same to Evo Media.[12]
In 2016, oOh! Media purchased an 85% shareholding in Junkee Media.[13] It acquired the remaining 15% several years later.[14]
In April 2017, FasterLouder was rebranded to Music Junkee,[15] and a new site targeting Generation Z, Punkee, was launched the following month.[16] In November 2018, Junkee Media closed down Inthemix after 18 years.[17]
In December 2021, Junkee Media was sold to RACAT Group. Oh!media retained Junkee's branded content and production arm, Junkee Studio.[18]
Junkee was named media brand of the year at the 2014 Mumbrella Awards.[22] Qantas and Junkee Media's AWOL was named the content marketing strategy of the year in 2015.[23]
In 2011, Sound Alliance was named to the Digital Media Top 10 Power Index, lauded for disrupting their larger traditional media competitors.[24]
Sound Alliance was named one of Australia's best places to work in both 2010 and 2009 by the publication BRW.[25]
Punkee was named the media brand of the year at the 2018 Mumbrella Awards.[26] Junkee Media was named publishing company of the year - large publishers at the 2018 Publish Awards. [27]
