Fanny Lumsden Named Bigsound Country Ambassador

Fanny Lumsden is the inaugural ambassador for Bigsound Country, a new country-themed stream that’ll run through this year’s conference and showcase programme.

In her official capacity, Lumsden will join a “Country Music Taskforce” comprised of reps gathered from key festivals, presenters, streaming services and artist managers.

Lumsden, a multiple award-winning artist who was shortlisted for the live production touring honour at the 2022 Australian Women In Music Awards, presented this week in Brisbane, is said to be the “perfect ambassador” for this new country arm to Bigsound, which organisers hopes will tap into a wider audience and a new wave of talent.

The singer, songwriter, bandleader and label owner (Red Dirt Road), is one of the leading lights of Australia’s country scene.

Her third studio album, 2020’s fallow, collected an ARIA Award, an AIR Award and five CMAA Golden Guitars.

She supported the release with her own touring brand, The Country Halls Tour, which sold out 200-plus halls across the country, and in March 2022, dropped part two in fallow & Variations.

“It’s so exciting not only be bringing the country music community and industry together, but is also an opportunity to mix with such a rich and diverse offering of artists from different genres and walks of life,” she says in a statement.

“I’m so excited to be the ambassador for this inaugural event and can’t wait to get amongst it in the heart of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley to help showcase how incredible Australian country is and what it has to offer as another vital part of the greater Australian music industry. Bigsound is known for being a melting pot of fans and musicians, and I think bringing Australian country to it only will make it a richer experience for all.”

Announced in April, Bigsound Country will be threaded into 2022 summit, in the form of networking, conferences, showcases and other initiatives with its producers hope will bridge the gap between emerging industry and the power players in country music here and abroad.

“Our feedback in the past has been that a large proportion of country music artists and industry haven’t felt that Bigsound serviced them,” comments Kris Stewart, CEO of QMusic, organisers of Bigsound.

“We want to change that. We want artists from every spectrum of country music; pop, alt-country, bluegrass, First Nations country artists. Everybody!”

Bigsound Country is developed by APRA AMCOS and The Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA), and supported by the Brisbane Economic Development Agency.

Spread over the four days of Sept. 6-9 and held once again in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, the 21st edition of Bigsound promises to be “bigger than ever,” organisers say.

In other Bigsound news, the deadline for submissions is extended to May 25, “fueled by an overwhelming response to artist applications,” a statement reads.

Visit bigsound.org.au to apply.