WRITER/BROADCASTER

Myf Warhurst grew up in regional Victoria and studied music and fine arts at Melbourne University. After writing arts and music stories for The Age, she became Managing Editor of Inpress in 1999. After her first radio gig as showbiz reporter on Merrick and Rosso's Triple J Drive Show, she moved to the Triple J Saturday night request show in 2000 and landed the afternoon shift in 2003. In 2008 she joined Peter Helliar on the Pete and Myf Triple M Melbourne Breakfast Show.

Since then Myf has hosted the ABC Radio daily afternoon show, been a columnist for The Guardian and The Age and reports regularly for The Project on Network Ten. Best known for her seven-year stint as a team captain on ABC TV's Spicks and Specks, Myf currently presents the Bang On podcast with Zan Rowe, discussing the biggest issues in art, music and pop culture. She also lends her voice to popular ABC Kids show Bluey, and recently presented on Play School: Story Time. She entered the South African jungle for the sixth series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia, where she was one of the most popular contestants.

Since 2017, Myf has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest alongside Joel Creasey. And Spicks & Specks lives on!

CEO - GREEN MUSIC AUSTRALIA

Berish Bilander is a composer, pianist and CEO of Green Music Australia, a globally recognised not-for-profit dedicated to helping the music scene reduce its environmental impact.

Berish has toured extensively with his own ensembles and as a freelance musician for bands like Vika and Linda Bull, and dedicated his activist life to climate and social justice – fighting back toll-roads and campaigning for refugee rights.

He is a fellow of the prestigious Banff International Jazz and Creative Music Program and the Change Agency’s Community Organising Fellowship.

MUSICIAN / EDUCATOR

Carissa Nyalu is a Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung singer/songwriter and storyteller based on Boonwurrung Country on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia.

Carissa expresses her stories through singing in language as well as taking you on a journey to a place where you can feel her deep connection to her ancestral roots.

Carissa also works as a cultural awareness educator and has a strong passion for creating culturally safe spaces, whether that be in the music scene or in mainstream organisations and is a board director for Songlines Music Aboriginal Corporation, a peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in Victoria.

BAKEHOUSE STUDIOS

Helen Marcou AM has spent decades at the coalface of music culture. Alongside her long term partner Quincy McLean AM, she co-founded grassroots movement SLAM (Save Live Australia’s Music) and Melbourne’s Bakehouse Studios. In 2019, she was recognized with an ‘Order of Australia’ for her contribution to music and the arts.

Helen was an inductee to the Victorian Women’s honor roll in 2017, a recipient of the Sidney Myer performing arts facilitators award. She is a curator, speaker, mentor and advocate.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, RMIT

Dr Catherine Strong is an Associate Professor in the BA (Music Industry) program at RMIT University. Her academic work focuses on forms on inequality in music and popular culture, particularly gender, and popular music as a form of collective memory and heritage.

Recent publications include Music City Melbourne and the edited collection Towards Gender Equality in the Music Industry. She is also a committed climate activist.

Catherine is also a part of ENCORE, an RMIT University initiative to help facilitate the re-entry of women and GNC people into the music workforce.

MUSICIAN

BATTS is the project of Melbourne based musician and space enthusiast Tanya Batt. Creating a blend of folk and rock, whilst previously weaving in samples collected from space missions courtesy of NASA, throughout her music.

2022 sees BATTS moving away from space collaborations and onto collaborating with one of her songwriting idols - Sharon Van Etten with her new single ‘Blue’. This comes with the signing announcement to Australia’s indie darlings ‘Mistletone’ and the launch of her own label I Feel Fine Records’ ahead of her Sophomore release.

MUSICIAN

Benny Clarke is a proud Gunai/Kurnai and Djapwurrung man, based in Naarm and having performed for the likes of Baker Boy, Dallas Woods, The Merindas and Chasing Ghosts, has an extensive list of performances that span over 2 decades!

Performing at some of Australia’s major festivals including, Splendour in the Grass, Groovin’ The Moo and Laneway Festival, Benny’s experience expands past his identity as performer.

 A talented photographer and songwriter, Benny’s skills have been transferable across the industry and the community, and with a strong understanding of mental health and wellbeing, he holds importance, as a touring artist of 25 years.

MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN

Originally born in Melbourne but raised in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Bree was lucky enough to attend the Music Audio Institute of New Zealand. Bree spent most of her youth drumming in punk and pop-rock bands within Auckland’s live music scene.

Bree returned to Melbourne in her early twenties where she thoroughly enjoyed the diverse music community the city had to offer. She began to shift her professional focus to emotional wellbeing after experiencing her own lived experience of mental health challenges. During this time, she wrote for an online music magazine, “Stimulate Your Soul“.

Bree has worked within digital crisis support, youth services, trauma informed support as well as consultancy positions across the mental health sector. She has her own mental health counselling practice, Bree Stewart Mental Health, as well as working at Music Victoria full time as a mental health clinician. Bree has been supporting Music Victoria’s community to rebuild their sense of wellbeing after the impact COVID19 had on our industry via one-to-one support as well as mental health workshops.

You can follow Bree on Instagram @feelzbloggy

PROJECT MANAGER/MUSICIAN

Kiwat Kennell is a proud Eastern Torres Strait Islander descendant from the islands of Ugar and Erub and holds a Bachelor of Audio Production from the SAE Institute in Byron Bay. Kiwat has spent the last 10 years on the ground working various roles in the entertainment industry in Naarm (Melbourne) as a freelance Audio Engineer, Producer, and former Owner Operator of Kiwat Kennell Productions.

Breaking into the scene with his award-winning band Key Hoo, Kiwat has shared the stage with artists such as the late Uncle Archie Roach, Dan Sultan, Baker Boy, Alice Skye and Kee’ahn. Working in large venues and events including The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Forum, Melbourne Arts Centre, Crown Casino Ltd, plus his extensive experience as a music booker, performer and host of various local live music bars over the years, has also provided him with a grounding sense of what the industry is like, from start to finish.

With a focus on community engagement and a passion for First Nations representation in the industry, Kiwat enjoys assisting artists on their creative journey’s on-and-off stage and aim’s to help strengthen the integrity of performers through guidance and ongoing support, whilst still actively performing in the scene.

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR/CONSULTANT

Chillout Festival Daylesford, Spring Bliss Festival Hanging Rock, Women to The Front.

Em has over 25 years of music and events industry experience. Having worked for Revolver Upstairs, Bar Open, The Big Day Out, The Byron Blues Festival, Meredith Music Festival/Golden Plains and the Ballarat Frolic Festival. She has run her own MultiArts company E.A.Z.E Multi Arts creating forums and infrastructure for all forms of art across Melbourne & interstate, and Oneyedog Management; Booking, artists development & management company Touring Both Nationally in Australia and overseas.

Emma spent five years at THE PUSH running Youth mentoring programmes and All Ages regional touring. She is a dedicated facilitator who excels at turning people’s ideas into events for everyone, seeing the importance of sharing and documenting artists so they can grow together as an industry in remote areas.

Em is a strong advocate for LGBTIQA+ youth empowerment, multiculturalism and diversity, women's socio-economic recovery in industry  and is 100 % committed to further development of community arts and Festivals in regional areas  and throughout Victoria.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR - PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL

Justin is a music professional with 20 years of experience as a performer, artist manager & booker, engineer, producer and venue and festival booker.

From venues including The Standard Hotel & The Spotted Mallard, to festivals including Leaps and Bounds Music Festival, Echuca Moama Winter Blues Festival, he has recently been appointed the third Program Director of the Port Fairy Folk Festival in western Victoria, a four day festival attracting daily crowds in excess of 10,000, entering its forty-fifth year.

As an artist manager and booker, Justin has guided the careers of Icecream Hands, Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen & Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk among many others.

As a performer, he has played thousands of shows, including over 100 shows across 2 European tours with Dirty York.

Justin has been an engaged member of the wider music industry, including 3 years as a board member with Music Victoria, and regular engagements with industry bodies including Creative Victoria.

BOOKING AGENT

Rebecca Young is the Director and Senior agent at Collective Artists, an independent booking agency which launched in 2016. Rebecca’s roster includes Aldous Harding, dameeeela, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, Julia Jacklin, Kaiit, Maple Glider, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Sarah Blasko, Tia Gostelow and more.

Rebecca is also the programmer for Fairgrounds Festival in Berry; and is a director at One of One, a not-for-profit charity that supports and celebrates women and GNC folk in the music industry.

CREATIVE VICTORIA

Chloe Turner is a grants manager at Creative Victoria, specifically working on contemporary music programs.

Previous to this, she has worked for Creative Partnerships Australia and Music Victoria, and has been involved in PBS FM, LISTEN, and has run two small independent record labels.

Chloe is also a musician and textile artist.

AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS

Dane Hunnerup started out as a busker and went on to spend fifteen years as drummer and singer in bands and as a turntablist DJ. During that time he worked as a venue agent and as a band manager.

Moving into festivals, Dane served in various roles across a wide range of mostly music festivals and delivered an industry program for Arts Tasmania where he co-founded Music Tasmania.

He now serves as an Artists Services Officer at the Australia Council for the Arts.

REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

Malcolm has over 30 years’ experience in arts management and community cultural development. He has a Bachelor of Education from Melbourne University and a Graduate Diploma of Arts and Entertainment Management from Deakin University.

Malcolm has worked in various management roles for the Bharatam Dance Company, the Centre for Adult Education, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, and Courthouse ARTS in Geelong.

Malcolm has worked for Regional Arts Victoria since 2013 as Creative Arts Facilitator for the Central Victorian region and since 2021 as the Senior Manager, Regional Partnerships.

He also serves on the advisory committee for Deakin University’s Arts and Cultural Management courses, on the Arts, Crafts and Cookery Committee of Melbourne Royal Show, and on the board of the Lake Bolac Bush Nursing Centre.

DIRECTOR, HEARTSTOP MUSIC

Alastair Burns is the Director of Heartstop Music, a Melbourne based artist management company that represents Marlon Williams, Julia Jacklin, The Weather Station, Phantastic Ferniture and Merk.

Burns began his career promoting shows, and releasing local singer/songwriter compilations while studying law at the University of Otago, funding these endeavours by performing popular songs at the university bars.

Moving to Melbourne in 2009, he founded BalconyTV Melbourne and The Melbourne Folk Club, and gradually shifted focus to artist management, setting up Heartstop Music in 2012 as a boutique company that focuses on building long term, global touring and recording careers.

OK MOTELS

Kate is the founder of OK Motels, bringing music, art and friendship down highways, and to motels all across regional Victoria.

From Charlton to Geelong and beyond, OK Motels brings locals and out-of-towners together in the most memorable ways, set against a curated backdrop of Australia's best musical acts – Amyl and The Sniffers, Tropical F%#k Storm, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, Blake Scott, The Nation Blue to name just a few.

From photographing for Frankie and Smith Journal, to launching Lunch Lady Magazine, a book, records and more – Kate's creative spark is spontaneous and infectious, inspired by the environment she surrounds herself with.

HEAD OF MUSIC & CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT, ABC

Meagan Loader has worked in radio, media and music for nearly 30 years.

As Head of Music & Creative Development at the ABC, Meagan looks after the ABC’s six national music networks – triple j, Double J, triple j Unearthed, ABC Classic, ABC Jazz and ABC Country, as well as rage on ABC TV.

Meagan was the Executive Producer of Double J’s award-winning ‘Inside the Big Day Out’ podcast in 2019. Before that, Meagan was involved in the start-up of FBi Radio in Sydney, designing the station programming, recruiting and training nearly 1000 radio presenters and producers, plus creating the Sydney Music Arts & Culture (SMAC) Awards to celebrate emerging creatives in her 8 years there as Program Director.

FIRST NATIONS COMMUNTY ENGAGEMENT & SOCIAL WORKER, SUPPORT ACT

Cerisa Benjamin is a proud Walpiri, Gurindji and Jawoyn woman, born and raised in Katherine, NT. Having relocated to Melbourne to follow her passion within the music industry and the mental health space, she has thrived in her role with Support Act.

Already, Cerisa has increased the engagement of First Nations people in music accessing the support act services and with her focus and attention on growing Support Act to be more culturally sensitive and inviting to First Nations people in music.

Cerisa has previously produced 14 shows for First Nations people in music with the Barpirdhila Foundations and is currently managing Kootsie Don, an aspiring up and coming rap artist. Her energy, enthusiasm and eyes-wide-open approach makes her an exciting and welcomed asset to the music industry.

MUSICIAN/FACILITATOR

Mitch Tambo got his turn on Australia’s Got Talent in 2019. Mitch’s debut album Guurrama-Li soared up the iTunes All Genre and World Music charts in Australia, UK, USA, Malta and Eastern Europe, including a #1 spot in Australia, #1 in Denmark, #1 in Malta, #2 in the UK and #34 in the US. The singer has been a headline act in some of the biggest shows in recent memory including the nationally televised Fire Fight Australia: Concert for National Bushfire Relief singing ‘You’re the Voice’ alongside John Farnham, Olivia Newton John and Queen’s Brian May, The T20 Women's World Cup pre-match show, and Eurovison 2020 Australia Decides.

Hailed as the “the new voice of our generation”, Mitch spent 2020 busy as ever, releasing ‘Love’, an upbeat anthem, sung in Gamilaraay and his electro-pop version of Vanessa Amarosi’s ‘Absolutely Everybody’. He was also a recent part of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics bid with his version of John Farnham’s ‘You’re the Voice’ used for the bid. Additionally, he took part in Australia’s Biggest Singalong for SBS and has collaborated with Twinings for their Live Well range of hot herbal teas and cold infusions. He also launched Season 4 of his online content series Tambo Talkon Facebook, and hosted Facebook’s NAIDOC Live –Celebrating Blak Excellence.

MUSICIAN

In the five years he’s been releasing music, Dallas has used his songwriting as a powerful platform to speak about his experiences in life as an Indigenous man, the justice system, racial stereotyping and his own personal struggles.

It is said that behind every strong man is an even stronger woman and growing up in East Kimberley, Dallas Woods was known only as Julie’s Boy. The legendary matriarch of their community raised her son on the storytelling of “Uncle” Archie Roach and had big expectations for her boy. And hasn’t he made her proud? Sold out shows across the country, appearing at Bluesfest, Groovin’ The Moo and supporting the enigmatic Sampa The Great and Baker Boy; the rise of Dallas Woods is set to continue with his new mini–LP Julie’s Boy.

Building on the 1m + streams of ‘Heaven of My Own’ and his viral earworm ‘If It Glitters It’s Gold’, Woods brings his wicked concoction of blak humour, black humour and truth bombs, eviscerating clout-chasing imitators.

MANAGER/ADVOCATE/A&R

Larissa Jane Ryan believes in the power of storytelling through music to enrich and progress society. She is a Wamba Wamba woman of the Gourrmyanjuk clan. In 2021, she made The Music Network’s 30 Under 30 List, for her work as an Artist Manager and co-founder of Hutch Collective.

Larissa has guided the careers of artists like Odette, Didirri and Kat Edwards. Growing up in the country on the outskirts of Ballarat and later Bundaberg, she always dreamed of moving to the city to pursue a career in the creative industries.

Larissa is proudly made by dyslexia and her experience being raised as a ward of the state gives her a realistic yet optimistic view of the world. While studying a Bachelor of Design in Creative Direction, she discovered a music industry career was possible, watching and learning from her friends in the busking music scene.

She is also a Director of live session and editorial project baked, a member of the Association of Artist Managers, the working group for cultural change in the music industry and recently has been working on the Our Soundtrack Our Stories initiative. Larissa recently joined the Warner Music Australia team as an A&R Manager, based in Melbourne on Wurundjeri country.

MUSICIAN/WRITER/DISABILITY ADVOCATE

Eliza Hull is an award-winning musician, writer and disability advocate. Her music has been featured on ABC TV shows and American network TV. Eliza has toured internationally and nationally, including performances at Natural History Museum in London and in Central Park New York.

Eliza is fresh from Austin, Texas where she spoke on a panel about accessibility in the music industry and performed at SXSW Festival. Eliza is a proud disabled person, with a physical condition ‘Charcot Marie Tooth.’ She has spoken at the Human Rights Convention ‘Free and Equal’, for the NDIS, DARU, Brunswick Music Festival, The Wheeler Centre and Changes Music Conference.

Eliza consults on accessibility in the music industry, working with live music venues and industry bodies. Recently Eliza was awarded the Music Victoria ‘Amplify’ award, the APRA mentorship for women in music and the National Leadership Award from the Australia Council and Arts Access Australia. She was also the recipient of the Australian Women in Music Award.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY & CREATIVE, DEATHPROOF PR

Emily is the co-owner of Melbourne-based PR-led Marketing company Deathproof. The agency initially specialized in niche heavy music tours and releases (Soundwave Festival, Bring Me The Horizon, Motley Crue, Smashing Pumpkins) but eventually its scope expanded to encompass cultural programs and arts festivals (Darebin, Port Phillip, Moreland, Yarra and Melbourne City Council) as well as a broader palate of musical clients including King Stingray, The Peep Tempel, Parkway Drive and The Chats.

Deathproof's services have also expanded to encompass events, marketing, production and content collaborations with venues (The Old Bar), comedians (Doug Stanhope), brands (Melbourne Bitter, Victoria Bitter, Goose Island), tech start-ups (Tixel), media titles (NME Australia) and more.

Throughout her career Emily has contributed weekly columns, features and opinion pieces to Stack Magazine, Beat Magazine, Rolling Stone and Junkee Media titles The Cusp and Faster Louder. Emily currently teaches as a Promotions and Publicity Sessional Lecturer at COLLARTS.

WRITER/BROADCASTER

Jane Gazzo is a broadcaster, TV presenter, music journalist and published author who began her career in radio, aged 16. Since then, she has presented nationally on Triple J and Triple M as well as XFM London, Capital FM London and BBC Radio 6 in the UK and has hosted music television shows such as The Sound and Recovery on ABC TV. Jane also spent eight years as a presenter on Foxtel's Channel V, where she reported from some of the biggest world music festivals, red carpet events and hosted live TV shows, interviewing some of the biggest and best names in the music world.

Jane is currently chair of the Australian Music Vault Hall of Fame advisory committee and serves on the board for government youth organisation The Push. Her first book, John Farnham - The Untold Story was published in 2015. Her second book Sound as Ever which celebrates Australian music is being released in September 2022. Jane is also co-founder of the Sound as Ever Facebook group - a place which celebrates and documents Australian music from the 1990s and whom to date has over 18,000 members.

BROADCASTER/MUSICIAN

Josh Meadows is the host of guitar pop show It’s a Jangle Out There on Castlemaine’s MainFM. The program has been a fixture of Main FM’s schedule every Thursday evening since 2013. He is also a singer and songwriter.

In the ’90s Josh and his brother Joel performed as The Sugargliders, releasing ten singles and one album for celebrated English label Sarah Records. Their follow-up band The Steinbecks released four albums and two EPs.

In recent years Josh has recorded and released new material as The Bell Streets with Nick Batterham and in synthpop duo Leaf Mosaic with Matt Sigley.

In his day job Josh is the media adviser for national environment group the Australian Conservation Foundation. He has worked in communications for non-profit NGOs since 2004.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR (MONASH UNIVERSITY)

Associate Professor Shane Homan is a music industries and cultural policy researcher at Monash University. He is the co-author of the 2021 Born Global report on Australian music exports for the Australia Council and APRA AMCOS; and the recent co-author of Melbourne Music City (Bloomsbury) on the history of popular music in Melbourne.

Shane is also the project leader on the Australian Research Council project, Community Music Radio: Building the Music-Media Ecosystem, examining the cultural and economic contribution of the sector to Australian music.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MAINFM

Castlemaine-based Rich Moffat got his first job booking bands in pubs at age 17, and spent several decades programming artists for venues such as The Punters Club (1992-1998), Corner Hotel (1995-2014), Evelyn Hotel (1990-1992), Northcote Social Club (2004-2014) and more.

In the early 2000s, he started programming festivals, including Queenscliff Music Festival (1998-2003), Falls (2005-2015), Groovin’ the Moo (2010-current), Parklife (2009-2014), and Splendour in the Grass (2014).

In addition to being an active presence in Melbourne’s music community, Rich has busied himself with a bunch of other music-related stuff over the years:

- Wrote and edited Form Guide, a monthly 60-page magazine featuring interviews, album reviews and a gig guide

- Founded Way Over There, an artist-run record label (distributed via Shock) that released 65 full-length albums from artists such as Machine Translations, The Dead Salesmen, Gersey, Mississippi Barry and Blue Grassy Knoll

- Hosted Triple R drive-time radio show ‘Incoming’ for 15 years, showcasing new Australian and New Zealand music

- Arranged music, sorted publishing and booked bands to appear on Channel Nine's Mick Molloy Show

Most of the work Rich has done – from booking bands in pubs, to programming festivals, to self-publishing magazines – has started out on a voluntary basis.

When he’s not booking festival shows, you’ll find Rich DJing at weddings, teaching Yoga and Qi Gong, or giving someone a shiatsu massage.

Rich is currently Program Coordinator at MainFM.

BROADCASTER/MUSICIAN

Annaliese Redlich is a Melbourne broadcaster, producer, DJ and musician.

Her weekly Saturday music radio show, Neon Sunset on Triple R has built a dedicated following over the past 8 years. She is the presenter and producer of Webby Nominated indie podcast All Ears, a series that looks at music in everyday life, how we make and manifest it, where we use it and why. The show spotlights stories of outsiders to the mainstream music world.

Annaliese is also a full time podcast producer at ARN/iHeartRadio.

MUSICIAN

Few groups in history, recent or otherwise, elevate mood to such singular, smoldering supremacy as the Australian duo of Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang aka HTRK [‘Hate Rock']. Across nearly two decades of work, wounds (co-founder Sean Stewart tragically took his own life in 2010), and world tours, their sound has shape-shifted between densities and intensities, noise and nakedness, but never wavered in its delicate poetic gravity.

HTRK’s albums have been released by an array of international labels. For the occasion of their most recent full-length Rhinestones, they founded their own artist imprint, N&J Blueberries. In the live setting they transform spectral torch songs into quiet storms of tension, texture, and transcendence.

Jonnine Standish’s solo work both dilates and deconstructs the damaged, sensual minimalism of HTRK. Skeletal rhythms slink and echo through dimly lit streets framed by fragments of guitar, bass, breath, keys, scrapes, and haze, anchored by Standish’s narcotic, nocturnal voice.

Her 2019 EP Supernatural (Good Morning Tapes) is a chic suite of stripped, spectral dub, both spoken and sung, between confession and come on. 2020’s Blue Hills (Boomkat Editions), ventures even further towards the outskirts of her sound, haunted assemblages of memory and melody, naked emotion and negative space.

MUSICIAN

Melbourne's Various Asses (Rachel Solier) is a master at creating powerful, build up-driven bass music, electrifying minds and dancefloors since around 2015. Their Filipino heritage and love of eclectic pop history often informs an alchemical approach to sample work, driven by smouldering energy with a smirk.

Their disrupted dancefloor forms are instantly recognisable, each rhythm and break building and colliding with the next with unstoppable intent.

In a live setting, word of mouth around VA's raw power and menacing charm secured her recognition as one of the most important abstract bass music artists of the last decade, performing frequently along the east coast of Australia.

In 2016 Various Asses released their debut EP ‘Loción’ on Melbourne/Naarm label Nice Music, and after the self-released ‘POSESIÓN’ in 2020 they are set to unveil their the a much awaited full length on NM in 2022.

Various Asses has performed alongside; Uniiqu3 (US), Elysia Crampton (US), HABITS, Marcus Whale, Holy Balm, Cable Ties, Brooke Powers and more.

Rachel also plays drums in Mod Con.

DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, APRA AMCOS

Artist, advocate and industry stalwart Chris O’Neill has been committed to music for more than a decade. While he graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Music, it’s been his work on and off the stage that had built his profile and reputation.

Chris makes a daily contribution to supporting songwriters through his role at APRA AMCOS as National Manager – Writer Services, where he regularly engages with industry organisations around the country, whilst rolling out the APRA AMCOS national events program and managing the APRA AMCOS grants program.

An acclaimed drummer, Chris has written and performed with artists from just about every genre, made numerous records, and performed on stages around the country including major festivals such as Primavera, Splendour in the Grass, Big Day Out.

Chris is currently on the board of Music Victoria.

MANAGER ALL AGES PROGRAMS, THE PUSH

As the Manager, All-Ages Program at The Push, an Australian youth music organisation that aims to give every young person the opportunity to participate and thrive in Australian music, Lisa is responsible for implementing and delivering a range of new contemporary music programs and events targeted towards young people.

She facilitates the FReeZA Support Service to 84 FReeZA Committees across the state, a program that supports teams to provides opportunities for young Victorians aged 12-25 across metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria to access live music events and other cultural, recreational and artistic events that are drug, alcohol and smoke-free in supervised and safe venues.

BOOKING AGENT/MUSICIAN

Sean Simmons has been involved in the music industry for 30 years. In that time he has worked as a broadcaster and staff member for radio stations 3PBS, 4ZZZ & 3RRR FM, booked venues, curated events, contributed soundtracks, DJ'd at festivals and toured the world playing in bands.

In 2012, Sean joined The Mushroom Group where he worked as a booking agent until the end of 2019.

He now runs his own touring company and agency, Press Play Presents where he tours artists from Australia and around the world including Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey), Kee’ahn, Black Cab, Bones & Jones, JAZZPARTY, Folk Bitch Trio, Cookin’ on 3 Burners and more. His international roster includes Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds (Nick Cave, The Cramps, Gun Club), Lydia Lunch, Mudhoney and SWANS.

Sean has also acted as Festival Programmer (2017) and Festival Advisor (2020) for City of Yarra’s Leaps & Bounds Music Festival and in collaboration with Trucked Up Entertainment is the creator of the Covid -Safe “Rock Around the Block” series.

LOOK OUT KID

Katie is a Co-Owner and General Manager of Look Out Kid - a leading artist management company. Based in Victoria but with an international footprint, Look Out Kid represents the domestic and international careers of Courtney Barnett, Middle Kids, Sarah Blasko, Beverly Glenn-Copeland (Canada) and Faye Webster (USA).

Katie is also a former Director on the Board of the Australian Record Labels Association and Steering Committee member for the Victorian Music Development Office. Katie was admitted as a solicitor in Victoria in 2012. She began her career in the music industry as a solicitor, specialising in the area of music and entertainment law. She has represented artists, managers, producers, record labels, music distributors and festival owners.

MUSICIAN

Cash Savage is a Melbourne-based musician. Since 2009 she has fronted and self-managed Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, a critically-acclaimed, internationally renowned six-piece, with strong ties to the Melbourne music scene.

Highlights of her musical career include festival shows across Australia including Meredith Music Festival and Golden Plains, six European tours, including ever-increasing sold-out shows across France, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic; releasing four studio albums Wolf (2010), The Hypnotiser (2013), One of Us (2016) and Good Citizens (2018); being long-listed for the AMP Music Prize in 2013, 2015 and 2018 and shortlisted for the EG Award for best song in 2013.

Cash grew up in a large, musical family. Her earliest performances took place on the porch of her family home in a small port town in south Gippsland.