Jonathan Poneman

Career In 1983, Poneman began volunteering at the University of Washington's student-run radio station, KCMU, a forerunner to KEXP, and important champion of local independent music. Mark Arm of Mudhoney, photographer Charles Peterson, Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, and Poneman's eventual business partner Bruce Pavitt also worked regular air shifts at the station.

At a 1985 KCMU benefit show Poneman had booked, he first saw Soundgarden perform at the Rainbow Tavern near the University of Washington and was especially impressed by the band's singer, Chris Cornell.

He was the first person to me that planted that seed that, "You guys will be the future of rock music," Chris remembered. "You guys will be playing huge places. You guys will be the ones on commercial rock radio stations that kids listen to in their Camaros."

Poneman was the first record label executive to sign Nirvana to a record contract. In 2007, Poneman started an offshoot label called Hardly Art. Kurt Cobain stated in a 1993 interview that Poneman may have been the person to first come up with the term grunge for the type of music they were producing.

As of 2020, Poneman remains at the helm of Sub Pop Records and splits his time between Seattle, Brooklyn, and Lipce Reymontowskie, Poland.

Health In 2013 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Awards In 2014, Poneman was the recipient of the Independent Spirit Award, presented by the Music Business Association. In 2019 he was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).