Eilish Gilligan wins 2019 Josh Pyke Partnership

The Josh Pyke Partnership has been awarded to singer-songwriter Eilish Gilligan for 2019.

The Melbourne-based artist is awarded a $7,500 grant to help kick-start her career.

She’ll also receive mentorship from Josk Pyke, and meetings with Wonderlick Entertainment’s Gregg Donovan and Select Music’s Stephen Wade.

“I am so, so humbled, grateful and excited to be the winner of the 2019 JP Partnership,” said Gilligan.

“This vote of confidence from Josh Pyke, APRA AMCOS, Wonderlick and Select means a lot to me as an artist, and it also means that I will be able to continue to work towards my musical, artistic and professional goals for 2019, now with the extra guidance of these industry veterans.”

The Josh Pyke Partnership began in 2014, and previous winners include Gordi (2015), Alex Lahey (2016) and Angie McMahon (2017).

“The Josh Pyke Partnership assists artists holistically through financial support, alongside creative and business mentoring,” said APRA AMCOS head of member services Jana Gibson.

“It’s an initiative that APRA AMCOS is honoured to be involved in, and we congratulate Eilish on her incredible achievement.”

“Eilish Gilligan is an artist that has achieved a hell of a lot under her own steam, but it’s the potential in Eilish that’s truly exciting,” said Pyke.

“I’m a huge fan of multi-faceted artists, and in 2019, having more than one string to your bow is paramount to having longevity in the creative arts.

“Eilish is a songwriter but also a gifted technical producer, collaborative songwriter, as well as being the star of her own show. This is what makes for a long and fruitful career. Being not just a ‘musician,’ but a ‘creative’.”

Pyke also gave “honourable mentions” to several other acts including Riley Pearce, Moreton, Eaglemont, OM Collective, Mookhi and Fluir.