Shortlist announced for $50k Carlton Dry Global Music Grant

The shortlist nominees for this year’s $50,000 Carlton Dry Global Music Grant in conjunction with AIR have been revealed.

Fractures, Remi, SAFIA, Saskwatch, The Smith Street Band have been shortlisted in recognition of their achievements over the past 12 months and their potential to achieve great things overseas.

Established in 2013, the $50,000 Carlton Dry Global Music Grant was created in conjunction with AIR to help fund an international tour for an independent, emerging Australian act to boost their profile and further a career overseas.

Last year’s inaugural Grant was awarded to seven-piece garage rock gang King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The Grant funded King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s tours of the USA, with shows in Dallas, Chicago, Washington, residencies in New York City, a slot on Austin’s the legendary Psychfest plus shows in Canada, China, Iceland, Netherlands and the UK. The prize money was also used to rent a ranch for a month in upstate New York where the band recorded an album that has been signed to Castle Records in the USA and Europe’s Heavenly Recordings. This October will see King Gizzard return to the US to tour in support of their new album.

Rob Elder, Brand Manager for Carlton Dry says, “There is so much talent in Australian music right now and the grant is a way we can support young artists and give them the opportunity to take their music overseas”.

David Vodicka, Chairman of the Board for AIR adds, “This Grant is something that AIR is very proud of. We can’t think of a more direct way to help a great emerging artist in their career. The fact that the whole thing was instigated by Carlton Dry shows the value of our partnership with them.”

The winner of this $50,000 Grant will be announced at the 2014 Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards Wednesday October 8 at North Melbourne’s Historic Meat Market as part of a partnership with AIR. For more information on the Carlton Dry Global Music Grant visit www.air.org.au.