How COVID-19 left Katie Noonan relying on JobKeeper payments

Acclaimed Brisbane artist Katie Noonan has revealed the extent to which coronavirus has impacted on her livelihood after her national tour was cancelled due to border closures and social distancing restrictions.

As reported by Courier Mail, Noonan says she has suffered “enormous financial loss”, speaking after she was unmasked as Sloth from Ten’s The Masked Singer Australia.

Noonan revealed that since touring ground to a halt in Australia, she has been relying on JobKeeper payments to stay afloat financially.

“We were the first industry decimated and I sadly think we will be the last to recover,” she said. “JobKeeper has been a lifesaver and I was lucky enough to get on that.”

The singer-songwriter, who has won multiple ARIA Awards, produces and releases her music independently, and says that COVID-19 “crippled” her operation, leaving her unable to pay the creatives who help her produce music.

Noonan pointed out that coronavirus isn’t entirely to blame for the situation she and other creatives find themselves in. Rather, it has shone the spotlight on issues with the industry like the falling value of recorded music.

The result has been an increasing reliance on touring, and without it, the dire situation has been laid bare for all to see.

“There’s an entire generation that believes that music is a free thing on the internet and unfortunately it is, so the only way to make a living is to play live to a large gathering of people which is precisely what we cannot do right now,” Noonan said.

She also took the opportunity to call out Australian commercial radio for failing to step up and support local artists, suggesting that stations largely don’t even adhere to the required 25% Australian content quota.

“No one adheres to them, there’s no reporting system or accountability,” she said. 

“Unfortunately when I listen to the radio I do not hear Australian music… and other than Kylie Minogue there are no women over 40 played on Australian radio.”

“What I would’ve loved was the Minister of Communication and Arts to instil 50 per cent Australian content on Australian radio until this COVID shit show is over, and of that, there would have to be distinct content quotas for female musicians and First Nations artists.

“I think that would be great leadership that enabled art to make royalties at a time they desperately need it.”

SPOILER ALERT: Sloth is unmasked in 3… 2… 1… #MaskedSingerAU pic.twitter.com/w9PPywQjXC

— The Masked Singer Australia (@maskedsinger_au) August 18, 2020