2026 JUDGES

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN JUDGES

Bianca Nilsson

RENEGADE RECORDS

Adelaide-based artist manager Bianca Nilsson is the founder of Renegade Records (female & LGBTQ+ owned). She manages Bri Carter and JesseMelancholy, works end-to-end across strategy, marketing, and touring, and has booked national/international runs for emerging artists, her ethos: success isn’t about fitting in, but standing out.

David Turley

Producer

David Turley is an international producer, songwriter, artist manager, mentor and artist. With over 25 years of experience working in the music industry, David has had recording and publishing contracts in multiple countries including the UK, Germany and Australia. He is currently signed with Kobalt publishing for his producing and songwriting work. In 2019 David returned to his home town of Adelaide where he continues to work with international artists and local artists at his studio in Willunga. He has also worked on number of projects with local organisations inc. Northern Sound System, Carclew, Music Development Office, APRA, Music SA & Base10.

Felicity Edwards

City of Adelaide

Felicity has worked in community development, arts and music in Adelaide and Melbourne for over two decades and is passionate about equitable social and financial access to music and the performing arts. She manages partnerships with creatives to showcase local live original music and reach new audiences through projects like Music in the Square, Friday Night Live, Westbound, CUSP Cabaret, Eat Your Greens, Make Music Day, Park Up and Ruck n Roll.

Helen Karakulak

INDAILY/CITYMAG

Helen is an award-winning journalist at InDaily and CityMag. Helen often spends her days reporting on the theatrics of state parliament and her nights at a local gig. She writes about Adelaide’s pub scene, festivals, challenges facing live music venues and artist representation.

Isaac Selby

Three D radio

Isaac Selby is an Adelaide-based music lover, broadcaster and journalist with a deep passion for live music and the local scene. For the past decade, he’s been part of Three D Radio, sharing his enthusiasm for emerging and established artists. Away from the airwaves, Isaac DJs regularly across Adelaide’s nightclubs and writes for a range of music and print publications.

Joe Hay

Adelaide UNESCO CITY OF MUSIC

Joe Hay is the General Manager of UNESCO Adelaide City of Music and has enjoyed a career spanning borders, from regional Australia to the nation’s capitals, overseas, and back again. From touring everything from Japanese punk bands to former Prime Ministers and organising events big and small.

As a change-focused consultant, Joe harnesses the power of the creative industries to leverage inherent strengths and cultivate international markets. A driver in changing the way governments around the country support the music industry and the late-night economy, Joe relishes his role in celebrating the state’s diverse music community and creating opportunities across the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and beyond.

Lilla Berry

carclew

Lilla is a Yankunytjatjara woman, multi-disciplinary artist, arts worker, film maker and producer, who has had the privilege of calling Kaurna Country (Adelaide) home. She chooses not to be limited by any specific artform or practice, and allows herself the freedom to tell her stories through whichever medium is best suited. As a result, she has an active practice as a photographer, painter, weaver, film maker and dancer, and finds as much joy being the artist as she does in supporting other creatives to tell their stories. Whilst managing her indpendent practice, she is also dedicated to providing artistic opportunities for First Nations young people and support to early career artists through her role as Manager, First Nations Programs at Carclew, South Australia’s peak youth arts organisation.

Nat Edwards

THE GOV

Nat Edwards is a lifelong gig fanatic, who lives and breathes live music and has spent the last 15 years working in our vibrant music scene. From her role as Operations Manager at The Gov to touring with TISM and volunteering with the UNESCO Club of Adelaide, she’s a true staple of our arts community.

Particularly passionate about fostering upcoming talents and uplifting local artists, her work with youth music initiatives including The Push’s Music Careers Expo, Northern Sound System’s ‘Backstage Pass’ and her own regular event Homegrown At The Gov, sees her constantly creating new opportunities to enrich our local arts scene and uplift South Australia’s original musicians.

Shannon Mowling

WOWFM

As the host of local music program High Fidelity on WOWfm, Shannon Mowling has spent nearly a decade interviewing South Australian musicians and showcasing the local scene’s new releases. More than 200 bands, artists and promoters have appeared on the program to promote their music and gigs.

Sonia Smith

Composer, songwriter + musician

Sonia Smith is a First Nations Gugada (Kokatha) Artist, Singer, Songwriter and Composer. Sonia has been making waves across stages in South Australia since 2023. With her powerful voice, music and lyrics, Sonia shares the story of her life, from rock bottom times to the warrior woman she is today. Delivering a unique blend of blues, gospel, folk, country and rock, Sonia shares her endless strength and resilience with heart and soul.

A deeply collaborative and community driven artist, Sonia has performed both solo and shared stages with such incredibly talented artists including Coloured Stone, Jason Lee Scott, Kutcha Edwards, Russell Smith, Glenn Skuthorpe, Jungaji, Nancy Bates and Toni Janke.

NATIONAL JUDGES

Alex Wilson

GYRO MUSIC

I am currently Head of Operations at GYROgroup. Myself, Andy, Viv and Andrew founded G.Y.R.O (then GYROstream) in 2018.

Have also played in a band, Shag Rock, since 2011. We have toured Aus / NZ extensively and had a stint in the U.S. We have done 100+ million streams across services / had a single achieve platinum status and are egotists of the highest order.

Amelia Vesperman

GOOD INTENT

Amelia Vesperman is an Artist Management and Venue Bookings Coordinator at Eora/Sydney-based agency Good Intent, where she oversees the programming of Darlinghurst’s Burdekin Bandroom, Newtown’s Bootleggers, and Penrith’s Elton Chong. In addition to this, she currently assists on the day-to-day management of artists Bootleg Rascal, Close Counters, FANGZ, and Fool Nelson.

With a focus on artist development and creating opportunities for emerging artists, Amelia is passionate about building a more connected and sustainable live music scene.

Catherine Satour

SUPPORT ACT

Catherine Satour is Pertame Mirning from Arrernte Country Alice Springs. Catherine’s involvement in the music scene spans over two decades as a passionate advocate for music art, developing and implementing programs and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music artists and workers. Catherine is the Chair of Music NT and Indigenous Women in Music Reference Group, and is the Support Act First Nations Programs Manager leading social emotional wellbeing and support, events and resrouces for music workers.

Liam Saunders

PILLAR talent agency

Liam Saunders, Senior Agent at Pillar Talent Agency, boasts a career deeply rooted in regional touring. Starting his journey at 15 in Portland, he promoted his first concert out of necessity – to bring beloved bands to his hometown – being too young to travel to Melbourne or Adelaide any time a band was touring.

This early initiative blossomed into a robust network across the Portland/Warrnambool/Hamilton/Mount Gambier circuit, hosting acts like Parkway Drive, In Hearts Wake, and Trophy Eyes. This hands-on experience laid the groundwork for his professional career. After honing his skills at New World Artists, representing diverse talent from Frenchy to Wombat, Ocean Sleeper to JK-47, and masterminding 50+ date regional tours for his roster, Liam is now spearheading Pillar Talent Agency.

LUCY SUGERMAN

TRIPLE J / MUSICIAN

Canberra-born songwriter Lucy Sugerman writes soft folk-pop that reads like a diary: honest, gut-wrenching and beautifully unfiltered, with sticky melodic hooks that balance sweetness with bite. After early attention through her collaboration with LANKS and mentorships with APRA AMCOS, she released two independent EPs before teaming up with US writer-producers Drew Pearson (Kesha, Goo Goo Dolls) and Suzy Shinn (Dua Lipa, Alex Lahey) on her latest singles ‘crumb’ and ‘like dad, like son’. A captivating live performer, Lucy has played Groovin’ the Moo, BIGSOUND and SXSW, and supported Thelma Plum, Gretta Ray, Ben Lee and Sons of the East. She also fills in as a host on triple j’s Prism and Unearthed shows, and is now working on a larger collection of songs.

Maddy Smith

UNIFIED

With over a decade of global experience in the music industry, Maddy is an accomplished Artist Manager with a proven track record of developing artists, executing award-winning campaigns and building sustainable careers across local and international markets. She manages the careers of Cat & Calmell, PASH and Selve, while also overseeing the day-to-day management operations of Ocean Alley and Jack Botts at UNIFIED Music Group.

Mardi Caught

THE ANNEX

Mardi Caught carries a weight of global and domestic experience, operating as a leader in the Australian music industry for nearly 30 years. Across her career, Mardi’s held multiple senior executive positions within Warner, EMI and Sony in Australia and the UK. In the early ‘00s she took a diversion into broadcasting, assuming the role of VP of Talent and Music at MTV UK.

Mardi established The Annex in 2018 and since then the company has worked on campaigns for artists including Lime Cordiale, Bluey, Genesis Owusu, Matt Corby, Porter Robinson, Keli Holiday, Alice Ivy, Jess Mauboy and Hiatus Kaiyote.

Sarah Hamilton

Golden hour

Sarah Hamilton has been working in digital distribution and the online music space since its inception in Australia in the mid 2000s, and was the Regional Manager of Australia and New Zealand for Ditto Music for close to ten years. She loves helping independent artists gain access to opportunities, understand the digital world, and promote their music internationally. Sarah is also a co-founder of the charity One of One, which highlights women and non-binary people working within the music industry.

Sarah has been listed in The Music’s Power 50 list of influential people in the Australian music industry twice, and was also awarded the Music Victoria inaugural award for an Outstanding Woman in Music for her work with One of One. She launched her music consulting company Golden Hour in 2023, and is working with people and artists she loves.

Tess Wait

Sounds australia

Tess Wait joined Sounds Australia in 2024 bringing over a decade of experience across music, arts, and events to her role as Creative Producer. At Sounds Australia, her collaborative approach and cross-disciplinary experience inform her work across export strategy, creative development, and international engagement.

Tommy Faith

Triple j unearthed

As an unapologetic Australian music nerd, Tommy Faith’s passion for uncovering and showcasing young Australian music talent is unparalleled. As Executive Producer, he oversees all operations of the triple j Unearthed team and is responsible for bringing major campaigns like Unearthed High, music festival partnerships and everything in between to life.