Queensland Music Awards introduce emerging artist category

Citing the whirlpool of new talent emerging in the state, the Queensland Music Awards have announced a new Emerging Artists category for its March 3 event in Brisbane.

It’s open to early-career Queensland musicians who’ve had five years’ minimum of songwriting experience “and with a modest body of artistic work.”

Entries are now open for self-nomination and close on Thursday, October 24.

The winner receives a Noisegate Producer Package valued at $2905, as well a one-on-one session with a leading booking agent, manager and publicist as well as a QMusic one-on-one session and an invitation to attend the 2020 Amplify Songwriting Retreat.

QMusic CEO and QMAs executive producer Angela Samut explained the new addition:

“We support the careers of artists at every stage in their careers and with this new Emerging Award, we endeavour to identify new and exciting talent in Queensland and to be able to work with them in putting in place career pathways to help them achieve success.

“As well as the winner, QMusic will be reaching out to the five runners up for the Emerging Artist of the Year Award and place them in a QMusic Ones to Watch and Listen initiative providing them with opportunities as well as highlighting their work through our QMusic playlists and video storytelling.”

Jack Ball, Hit105 content director/head of content Hit Queensland, said the network was pleased to be involved in the new award.

“The Hit Network reaches more than 1 million Queenslanders across the state and we can’t wait to hear and support the next wave of Queensland artists to take on the world,” he said.