For Artists

Building a career in the music industry can be tough. We're here to help.

#Opportunities and programs

QMusic’s events and programs support the professional development of emerging and established artists, and connects them with an international music industry network.

The Queensland Music Awards is a platform for unearthing the best new songwriters from Queensland, and also recognises the contribution of established artists. Every entrant gets their song heard by industry judges from around the world. Finalists and winners benefit from significant exposure across our media partner platforms.

QMusic Connect is our professional development program for emerging Queensland artists. The masterclass program takes participants through the process of setting up a music industry business and releasing a song into market. And it’s free!

QMusic also administers grants for recording projects (The Billy Thorpe Scholarship, Carol Lloyd Award and Dennis 'Mop' Conlon Scholarship) and songwriting (The Grant McLennan Fellowship).

Our signature event, BIGSOUND, offers the opportunity for 150 of Australia’s best new acts to play to an audience of music industry influencers and a public audience looking for their new favourite band.

#QMUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Grant Mclennan Fellowship

$15,000 grant

Carol Lloyd Award

$15,000 grant

Billy Thorpe Scholarship

$15,000 grant

Dennis 'Mop' Conlon Scholarship

$15,000 grant

#Resources

AMIN Legal Pack Resources

This Music Industry Legal Pack includes fact sheets and checklists that explain some of the common agreements you might need to enter into as a music professional.

Fundraising Support

Creative Australia’s fundraising programs and services aim to build the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of artists and organisations, supporting financially sustainable creative careers and business models.

Social Checklist

Formulate your brand and social strategy with the best go-to tips from our friends at GYROstream.

Gyrostream Release Checklist

A comprehensive list of everything you need to think about when you're releasing!

QMusic Concert Care

Safer spaces in live music so everyone can have a top night out.

Fact Sheet Music & Copyright

This fact sheet provides an overview of the music copyright issues for songwriters and composers.

Understanding Fan Analytics: Luminate Execs Weigh In

The entertainment data company’s Helena Kosinski and Jaime Marconette give tips on using the power of numbers to build your fan base.

#Grants Guide

International Performance and Touring Activity

The program has been developed to support emerging, breakthrough and established acts and is made available to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are current practising music professionals. This includes solo artists, instrumentalists, bands, ensembles, electronic artists, producers, songwriters and composers.

Applications close December 2, 2025.

International Professional and Artistic Development

The Music Australia Export Development Fund forms a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists at distinct phases of their international careers.

Applications close December 2, 2025.

International Market and Audience Development

The Music Australia Export Development Fund is a bold partnership between the Australian Government and the Australian music industry – a matched funding initiative, designed to provide financial support to a diverse range of Australian artists.

Applications close December 2, 2025.

Dennis 'Mop' Conlon Scholarship

The annual $15,000 Dennis ‘Mop’ Conlon Scholarship provides the opportunity for an emerging Indigenous Queensland musician or band to develop and record a song or series of songs, to support and develop their ongoing career in the music industry.

Applications close January 8, 2026.

Carol Lloyd Award

The $15,000 Carol Lloyd Award honours the contribution the late Carol Lloyd made to the Queensland music scene and awards $15,000 to support an emerging female-identifying or gender-diverse singer-songwriter Queensland musicians to record a full-length album or record and tour an EP.

Applications close January 8, 2026.

Billy Thorpe Scholarship

The annual $15,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship provides the opportunity for an emerging artist or band to record with an established producer and receive career planning support from Chugg Entertainment.

Applications close January 8, 2026.

Grant McLennan Fellowship

Now in its 18th year, the Fellowship honours the musical legacy of the late singer songwriter and The Go-Betweens co-frontman, Grant McLennan. Funded by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and presented by QMusic, the $15,000 Fellowship offers the recipient an opportunity to travel to New York, London or Berlin to be immersed in a foreign and vibrant musical culture to further develop their artistic skills.

Applications close January 8, 2026.

RAF Quick Response Grants

Quick Response Grants aim to support small arts or cultural projects that cannot be funded by other means because of their nature or timing. For example, you may wish to attend a workshop or complete a project within a certain time frame and cannot access appropriate funding through any other means.

Please note that Quick Response grants are competitive, and as part of your application you will need to detail why your project cannot be funded through other means.

This is a rolling fund.

Australian Cultural Fund

The Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) is a fundraising platform for Australian artists.

Through the ACF, artists upload their project, start their fundraising campaign and invite art lovers and supporters to donate with 100% of donations going directly towards artists’ creative projects.

The ACF has helped raise millions of dollars for Australian artists, enabling a wide range of projects to come to life and offering support to Australia’s cultural sector.

Ongoing Fund.