PPCA & Aus Council’s $75k recording grant awarded to six artists
22-year-old Sophie Payten aka Gordi (pictured), Fascinator aka Johnny Mackay (from Children Collide) and Sean Congues with his five-piece band Northeast Party House are among six local artists who will share in $75,000 to go toward creating new sound recordings.
It’s the third recording grant funding round delivered in partnership by PPCA and the Australia Council. The initiative to offer assistance to Australian artists launched in October 2013 and announced its first grant recipients in 2014. Among the five recipients were Lance Ferguson (from The Bamboos, Lanu), The Grigoryan Brothers, Ben Salter, Ainslie Wills and Courtney Barnett.
Barnett used the grant to cover recording costs for her debut LP Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. The record went on hit #4 on the ARIA Chart, and #1 on four Billboard charts in the US. It also took out the 2015 Australian Music Prize award and was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2016 Grammy Awards.
Also sharing in the 2016 round of recording grants are Sydney Singer/Songwriter Martha Marlow, who will working on an LP with the Australia Youth Orchestra; Melbourne-born jazz pianist and composer and 2015 ARIA Award winner Barney McAll and Brisbane-based Singer-Songwriter Robbie Miller.
Australia Council Chief Executive Tony Grybowski said: “Our partnership with PPCA is an important part of the Council’s longstanding commitment to working closely with industry. We are excited to see another talented and diverse group of artists supported to make new Australian music through this highly successful initiative.”
PPCA Chief Executive Officer, Dan Rosen, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been able to partner with the Australia Council for a third successive year to give local artists an opportunity to create and record new music. We wish all of the recipients the very best with their recording endeavours. We look forward to hearing the recordings that emerge as a result of this funding. I would also like to thank the Australia Council for their ongoing assistance and look forward to our continuing partnership.”
The new round of recording grants is part of both PPCA and Australia Council’s continued support of local artists. In 2015 PPCA distributed almost $33 million to its registered artists and record labels.
Last month Australia Council included 128 arts organisations in its Four Year Funding program. Sounds Australia was given $300,000, The Australian Copyright Council was given $261,628, QMusic was given $280,000 for BIGSOUND, Sound Alliance was given $150,000 for the Electronic Music Conference and Darwin Symphony Orchestra was given $208,350.