Island Records Shines Spotlight on ANZ Talent With Inaugural ‘NOW & NEXT’ Showcase

Peach PRC, Baker Boy and Vera Blue were among the homegrown stars on hand for the inaugural NOW & NEXT showcase, presented ahead by Island Records Australia in the lead-in to ARIA Week.

All told, 10 artists showcased for the industry gathering at Market Canopy at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park last Friday, November 15th, an initiative dedicated to “discovering, signing, and developing the country’s brightest musical talent,” reps say.

Also taking the mic for the day-long event were recent signings Bella Mackenzie, Ben Swissa, Hellcat Speedracer, Jack Gray, Luca George, REDD, plus Charlie Collins.

There’s no argument: Australia’s music community is struggling. Breaking an artist in a streaming landscape with 100 million competing songs, a figure that’s growing exponentially, has never been tougher — or riskier.

During the 2024 AAM Awards, Maggie Collins, executive director of the trade body, unveiled “Michael’s Rule,” one potential solution to the discoverability problem plaguing Australian and Kiwi artists.

Named after the late, great artist manager Michael McMartin, “Michael’s Rule” is an industry code that would see at least one local act on the bill for major international tours of these parts.

NOW & NEXT is keen to pump the tires for the new guard of artists, says Nicole Richards, managing director of Island Australia, a division of Universal Music Group, the world’s biggest music company.

The concept, she explains, “was born to support our current (NOW) and emerging (NEXT) artists to showcase new music to influential industry and enthusiastic fans.”

Richards and the team “didn’t want to do the standard showcase; we wanted to build a brand through an immersive experience, and I couldn’t be prouder of this platform we are providing our exceptionally talented roster of artists to connect, grow, and develop their audiences.”

Sponsors included DiDi Australia, Heaps Normal and American Apparel, which provided exclusive merch on the day.

“In order to break acts, to be taken seriously on our commitments, and to provide a platform for discovery and amplification to the industry and fans we need to think differently, and we need to control our own destiny,” comments Sean Warner, president of Universal Music Australia.

Fixing the discoverability problem will require a concerted push, on multiple fronts. In a separate initiative, Music Australia in September launched the Music Australia Record Label Development Scheme, which is designed to support homegrown labels that are “actively discovering, developing, and promoting local talent.”

Grants valued at $10,000 to $150,000 are available to local independents through to affiliates of major labels, including Island Records.

NOW & NEXT 2025 announcements will be announced in due course.