Music Victoria is proud to announce the members of its Victorian Artists Roundtable, a diverse and respected group of artists brought together to guide sector priorities, shape advocacy, and strengthen the future of contemporary music in Victoria.
The Victorian Artists Roundtable is part of Music Victoria’s ongoing commitment to artist-led consultation, cultural leadership and deep community engagement. Its members have already contributed significantly to Music Victoria’s issues papers, government submissions and strategic planning.
This group plays a crucial role in ensuring Music Victoria can accurately inform government about the key issues affecting artists, venues and the broader Victorian music ecosystem.
The Roundtable was established to:
2024–25 Victorian Artists Roundtable Members
Music Victoria CEO Fiona Duncan said:
“The Victorian Artists Roundtable is absolutely central to who we are and how we work at Music Victoria. These artists bring courage, clarity and lived experience that cuts through the noise and keeps us grounded in what really matters. Their leadership helps shape our priorities, sharpen our advocacy and ensure that the programs we design reflect the real needs of Victoria’s creative community. We’re profoundly grateful for their voices, their energy and their commitment - they make our work stronger, smarter and deeply connected to the people we exist to serve.
The Roundtable will continue to offer guidance, expertise and community insight throughout 2026.
Alice Ivy
Alice Ivy is an ARIA-nominated artist, songwriter, and producer from Naarm with three studio albums and over 100 million streams. Her 2020 album, Don't Sleep, was nominated for "Best Dance Release" and "Engineer Of The Year" at the ARIA Awards, as well as the triple j Award for "Australian Album Of The Year" and was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize.
Bumpy
A powerful vocalist and captivating live performer, award-winning Noongar woman and Naarm-based artist Bumpy delivers a singular blend of soul, pop and jazz that draws upon her distinctive experience. The lead vocalist of Naarm/Melbourne neo-soul outfit Squid Nebula, Bumpy emerged as a solo artist in late 2020 with her debut single ‘Falling’ and released her debut album KANANA in 2025.
Briggs
Born and raised in Shepparton, it has taken Briggs no less than a decade to make his mark as one of the country’s most diverse talents in media, music and comedy. Much like his people, Briggs casts a wide net in his creative pursuits. From an ARIA-dominating rap career, to the regular stints in LA writing rooms, to his most recent role as founder and director of his own Indigenous hip hop record label, Bad Apples Music.
Cash Savage
In an era when the world is falling apart with such a deafening roar, Cash Savage’s voice rings loud over the cacophony. With her songs of politics, grief and rage, Savage’s music is weighty and has been written to cut through the noise. Her band The Last Drinks have played just about every festival in Australia, sold out venues across the country and begun making inroads to securing a strong following in Europe with regular tours there each year.
Chelsea Wilson
Chelsea Wilson is a Melbourne based vocalist, songwriter, broadcaster, DJ and producer. An internationally acclaimed live performer she headlined the Arts Centre Melbourne stage at the Australasian World Music Expo; and made her UK debut at the iconic Glastonbury Festival. In 2023 she was nominated for the Creative Leadership Award at the Australian Women in Music Awards.
Dallas Frasca
With a career spanning over a decade, Dallas Frasca stands as a true force of her generation — a charismatic presence on stage, a fierce guitar slinger, and a commanding voice behind the mic. Having toured the world with over 1,200 live performances — including 10 international tours — Frasca has not only charted a #2 ARIA album independently but also garnered numerous accolades, including ‘Artist of the Year’ at the Independent Music Awards. She even fronted legendary Aussie rock band Midnight Oil in support of Amnesty International, and was invited by ZZ Top to join them on their Australian Arena Tour.
Davey Lane
Davey Lane has been honing his craft, on stages and in studios Australia and worldwide, for quite a while now – working with artists such as Crowded House, Jimmy Barnes, Todd Rundgren, The Saints as well as legendary ARIA Hall of Fame rock group You Am I, with whom he has been standing stage right on lead guitar since 1999.
Eliza Hull
Eliza Hull is a musical artist, writer, journalist, and disability advocate based in Victoria, Australia. An award-winning artist (Music Victoria Awards, AWME Women in Music Award), Eliza Hull is an engaging and captivating performer who has been drawing a loyal fan base across the country.
Emily Ulman
Emily Ulman is an artist, storyteller, and music industry powerhouse with a catalogue built on honesty, sharp lyricism, and magnetic performance. A fierce advocate for live music, Emily has helped shape the careers of countless artists, but now it’s her turn. Her return is a reminder of why she’s been such a respected name in the industry all along.
Immy Owusu
Immanuel “Immy” Kwabena Dreessens-Owusu is a Torquay based artist and multi-instrumentalist of Ghanaian Dutch heritage who grew up in two musical worlds; the rock’n’roll scene of Geelong and the Surf Coast, and the West African culture of his Ghanaian roots. His music has received rave reviews and substantial airplay around the world including on KEXP, Worldwide FM, NPR and Bandcamp Weekly and have been included in various mixes and playlists including by Dangermouse.
Kerryn Fields
With several awards and nominations to her name, Fields’ trademark warmth of character, evident in both life and music, fuels a creative offering that expands well beyond her mastery of guitar, voice and audience. Born and raised in Te Kuiti, New Zealand, Fields relocated to Melbourne to become a beloved figure in the local music scene. Kerryn Fields has graced stages at some of the most celebrated festivals, including Port Fairy Folk Festival, Out On The Weekend and Woodford Folk Festival.
Lachlan Stuckey
Lachlan Stuckey is the guitar player in Melbourne instrumental soul band Surprise Chef. He also runs the record label College of Knowledge which puts out their records and other likeminded contemporaries including The Pro-Teens, Temporary Blessings and Karate Boogaloo.
Lochlan Watt
Lochlan Watt is the vocalist of RUN, a promoter at Destroy All Lines and host of the podcast Music Is My Life. From 2012-2024 he was the host of The Racket, triple j’s metal program.
Mickey Cavs (King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard)
Mickey Cavs is the drummer for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. He has also released a solo album under CAVS.
Nina Las Vegas (Nina Agzarian)
With decades in the music industry, Nina Las Vegas has become a powerful female force in both the Australian & International music landscapes through her work as a label head, producer & DJ. Since leaving her decade-long post at triple j, Nina’s hit the stage of every major festival in Australia including Big Day Out, Stereosonic, Splendour In The Grass, Groovin’ The Moo, Parklife & FOMO.
Nkechi Anele
Nkechi Anele is a Nigerian-Irish Australian who grew up in Naarm (Melbourne) and spent over a decade in the Australian music industry as the lead singer in Saskwatch. In 2015, along with her best friend Lucie Cutting, she started The Pin, a discussion platform about race, identity, and culture through an Australian lens. A year later, Nkechi took over triple j's program Roots N' All, where she championed emerging local and international music scenes for five years. In 2024, Nkechi returned to the Naarm music scene with Owelu Dreamhouse, a psychedelic, afro-cinematic soul jazz collective
Queenie
Queenie; the trash queen alter-ego of Melbourne musician Eloise Thetford is a fearless performer who wears her heart on her sleeve. Her live shows shake, shudder and smolder with fiery charisma and freewheeling stagecraft whether she’s performing solo or with her band, a Rogues' gallery of Melbourne’s finest musicians.
Stephanie Ashworth (Something for Kate)
Stephanie Ashworth is an Australian bassist, photographer, artist and columnist, known for being a member with the bands Sandpit and Something for Kate.
Wild Gloriosa
The brainchild of Gloria Ragesh, Wild Gloriosa takes her name from Tamil Nadu’s state flower Gloriosa, or flame lily, Wild Gloriosa creates music that feels familiar yet unique, hypnotic yet forthright, prayerful yet seductive - a marriage of undertones that is sure to hold her audience on a journey beyond the here and now. With past performances supporting renowned artists such as Jessica Mauboy, The Jungle Giants, and The Bamboos, playing festivals such as Melbourne International Jazz festival and Queenscliff Music Festival and recently winning the Music Victoria Diaspora (2024) award, Wild Gloriosa continues to stand out, carving her own path in the soul music space.
Yeo
Melbourne-based Malaysian-Australian musical chameleon Yeo is known for continually exploring the dimensions of contemporary R&B, pop and electronic music. Yeo has been praised and as a multi-instrumentalist, in the studio and on stage, alternating between keys, bass and keytar. Yeo has toured nationally selling out Howler and Newtown Social Club and performed internationally in Ecuador, at Iceland Airwaves, Mosaic Music Festival (Singapore) and has supported the likes of HÆLOS (UK), Giraffage (US), Kimbra (NZ) and Harts (AU).
Visit Victoria and Music Victoria have partnered to engage six artists and bands from Phillip Island, Bendigo, the Dandenong Ranges, Geelong and the Bellarine, Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges and the Mornington Peninsula to create unique playlists that reflect their region’s sound.
This running initiative began last year with Evelyn Ida Morris, Tom Richardson, Alice Skye, This Way North, Benny Walker and Harry Hook Is Real. The series celebrates Victoria’s talented musicians and performing arts culture. It is supported by Visit Victoria’s Stay close, go further campaign, encouraging Victorians to turn the music up, hit the road less travelled and explore more of what Melbourne and regional Victoria has to offer.
Meet the makers below:
“Phillip Island is a great place to relax for a few days, go to the beach and on walks... If you head down at low tide you can walk inside and around a little cave that is on the beach. It can look particularly amazing when the sun shines in and creates shafts of light throughout.”
Get to know Dainis & Ambrin from Cool Sounds as they share their favourite spots in Phillip Island.
“This playlist represents a glimpse of the music being created across so-called-Victoria. Before this place was ever a goldfield… before it was Upside-down Country, it was, and always will be, Djaara Dja."
Yorta Yorta winyarr Allara shares her favourite destinations in Bendigo and beyond.
“It’s an inspiring and fascinating insight into the traditional lifestyle of Wurundjeri Ancestors. I loved finding out about some traditional Wurundjeri medicinal uses of plants and berries. I did this walk with my bandmate Nigel, and we learnt so much about the healing history of the forest where we make our music.”
“Bellarine (Bellawiyn) is known as a resting place, I think that is why so much creativity comes out of here. This playlist captures the history and the future of the music community, as well as the memories I have as a younger musician.”
Hollie Joyce shares her favourite spots in Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula.
“There's really old botanical gardens, which open up to the old viaduct. It plays with your eyes because it's like a backdrop from a Charles Dickens book. If you go up and around, you can walk along the dam wall and make it into a beautiful old cemetery.”
Singer-songwriter Jae Laffer shares his favourite spots in Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges.
“This playlist encapsulates some classic Peninsula artists that I would often (and still do) watch and play alongside, along with some of the best up and coming artists from the area. I also added some of my favourite Victorian road trippin' tracks! ”
Get to know musician Aaron Schultz as he shares his favourite spots in the Mornington Peninsula.
This live music workshop will give local musicians, bands, venues and live music businesses the opportunity to participate in discussions about what a thriving live music scene looks like for the local area. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders and council representatives.
The event will feature an array of panellists that understand the different challenges that regional communities face in comparison to their metropolitan counter parts. With speakers who will be representing both artists and venues, the event aims to create connections between these and foster relationships to help further the industry in the local area.
If you or anyone you know would like to get a head start on their creative journey, then RSVP now!
Companion Cards: Music Victoria events accept and welcome Companion Cardholders and their Companions. Simply RSVP for two tickets.
Access: If you have any access requirements, email kiwat@musicvictoria.com.au
Demographics & Identity questions: For more information about our demographics and identity questions in the registration process, please head to: musicvictoria.com.au/demographics-and-identity
Music Victoria acknowledges the Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri People and the Gunditjamara People, on whose unceded land we advocate, support and celebrate on. We pay our deep respects to Elders past and present, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities. We acknowledge them as the first artists, the first musicians, and the first creators of culture. We deeply respect the role that music and songlines play in the continuation of their culture for the past 60,000+ years.
In Mental Health at Music Victoria: The Casual Counsellor, Music Victoria's Mental Health Clinician/Consultant, Bree Chapman-Stewart, unpacks a three-step strategy to help members of the music industry better support the mental health of industry colleagues.
There are some basic steps you can take to support the wellbeing of bandmates, friends and family members, in counselling:
Watch this video to hear from Bree about how to support a band mate, friend or family member with mental health challenges.
Music Victoria offers the Victorian music community FREE and confidential mental health support services with support from the Headway Program funded by the Victorian State Government.
Outside of business hours, you can connect with the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline on 1300 375 330. For urgent support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Many venues, festivals, events, musicians, promoters and agents are aware of the need to make gigs more accessible and inclusive, to ensure we can reach a wider audience and include a wider range of artists. If this is new for you, knowing where to start and how to go about this can be overwhelming. 1 in 5 Australians live with disability, a huge proportion of our population, and there are a whole range of different access barriers and solutions that we need to consider to ensure we build an inclusive music industry.
Being accessible starts online. Access to information is critical for some people to make informed decisions about whether an event is going to be accessible for them to attend.
As part of the Music Venues Project, Music Victoria is providing free training in online accessibility to venues and other music industry stakeholders to show you how to make your digital content, from your website to your social media channels, accessible to everyone in the community.
This masterclass will share tips and tricks on digital accessibility and provide you with information and resources to go away and make immediate improvements to your online presence.
Presented by disabled musician and access consultant Morwenna Collett, this online session was delivered via Zoom in two parts and was open for anyone willing to to attend.
Music Victoria acknowledges the Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, on whose unceded land we advocate, support and celebrate on. We pay our deep respects to Elders past and present, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities. We acknowledge them as the first artists, the first musicians, and the first creators of culture. We deeply respect the role that music and songlines play in the continuation of their culture for the past 60,000+ years.
Applications for Creative Victoria's Live Music Restart Program - Festivals & Events have opened, with funding of between $250,000 and $1,000,000 available to support the delivery of a single live music festival or event (3000 capacity in-person or more) or a series of live music festivals/large scale events, in Victoria.
If you are an experienced event organiser with an established Victorian live music festival or event, hear directly from Creative Victoria as we work through the application process together spelling out requirements and key selection criteria to be addressed.
The Live Music Restart Program - Festivals & Events ('the program') is intended to support the return of large, complex live music festivals and events in Victoria (with a capacity of 3000 or more in-person attendees) delivered by event organisers with a proven track record of delivering these types of events.
The funding round will open 3pm 21 July 2022 and close at 3pm on 18 August 2022.
Submissions for the Music Victoria Awards are closing at 11.59PM on Sunday 31 July. Did you release music in the 21/22 financial year?
Submit your music! You must be an Essentials+ Music Victoria member to submit your work (sign up here).
The submission is best filled in on a computer.
Have you tried and had IT issues?
Some members have reported IT issues with our submission portal this year. We apologise if you were impacted, and we are confident the bugs have now been ironed out. If you encounter any issues, please email mvawards(at)musicvictoria(dot)com(dot)au
Submissions are now open for:
Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent
Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award
MAV Diasporas Award (previously Global)
Best Blues Work
Best Country Work
Best Electronic Work
Best Experimental or Avant-Garde Work
Best Folk Work
Best Heavy Work
Best Hip Hop Work
Best Jazz Work
Best Pop Work
Best Reggae and Dancehall Work
Best Rock/Punk Work
Best Soul, Funk, R’n’B or Gospel Work
Best Producer
Best Musician
Best Album
Best Song
Best Group
Best DJ (NEW)
Best Solo Artist
Best Metro Festival (NEW)
Best Regional Festival (NEW)
Best Large Venue (Metro)
Best Small Venue (Metro)
Best Regional Act
Best Regional Venue/Presenter (Established)
Best Regional Venue/Presenter (Emerging)
Music Victoria is proud to introduce the next instalment of Pathways to Success: Award Winning Stories!
To celebrate NAIDOC Week 2022, Music Victoria's Kiwat Kennell will be interviewing the 2021 recipient of the Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent, Allara.
These sessions are a chance for members of the Victoria music industry to chat to the artists and a member of their team. Attendees will hear their stories and learn how they have achieved success.
Live from the home of the Victorian music industry, Music Market, join us for a hybrid in person/online event, with a FREE lunch provided.
These events are exclusive to Music Victoria Essentials members and above. Renew or upgrade your membership here.*
*First Nations musicians and industry can obtain a free Essentials membership using the code NAIDOC22.
Access: If you have any access requirements, email kiwat@musicvictoria.com.au
Demographics & Identity questions: For more information about our demographics and identity questions in the registration process, please head to: musicvictoria.com.au/demographics-and-identity
Music Victoria acknowledges the Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, on whose unceded land we advocate, support and celebrate on. We pay our deep respects to Elders past and present, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities. We acknowledge them as the first artists, the first musicians, and the first creators of culture. We deeply respect the role that music and songlines play in the continuation of their culture for the past 60,000+ years.
Applications for Creative Victoria’s Music Works grants have opened, with grants of between $4,000 and $40,000 available for a range of music projects.
Join us and the team from Creative Victoria for our online info session on the Music Works Grants (June 2022 Funding Round).
In this session, hear directly from Creative Victoria as we work through the application process together spelling out requirements and key selection criteria to be addressed.
The Music Works Grants program accepts applications from Victorian-based contemporary music industry professionals. This may include artists/bands, managers, promoters, labels, and other music industry businesses and organizations across all genres and career stages. Applications close on June 30th, 2022 for activities commencing from October 1st, 2022.
For more information on the Music Works Grants, including Guidelines, Assessment Criteria, etc head to:
https://creative.vic.gov.au/grants-and-support/programs/music-works