NME has promoted associate editor Alex Needham to deputy editor. It means he is now No2 to editor Conor McNicholas.
Needham, above, will continue to write for NME each week, but will also be responsible for bringing in new writers and photographers.
The promotion is believed to be a result of his successful leadership of NME’s festival coverage this summer. The Glastonbury and joint Reading and Leeds festival issues were big sellers.
He said: “NME is an iconic title and is currently the best it’s been for years. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to make it even better and to continue working with such a fantastic team of people.”
Needham joined Smash Hits as a junior writer in 1996 and worked his way up to assistant editor before leaving in 1999 to join The Face as features editor. He joined NME in 2001. He has also contributed to Entertainment Weekly, the Evening Standard’s ES magazine, Observer Life and Heat.
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