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Gold Coast soul-folk-pop newcomer Beckah Amani was awarded the coveted Billy Thorpe Scholarship at the 2021 Queensland Music Awards ceremony on 5 May.
Lynne Thorpe and Arts Minister Leanne Enoch presented Beckah with the scholarship, which provides her with $10,000 to record with an established producer and receive career-planning advice from Chugg Entertainment.
It was a big night for Beckah Amani, who also took home the award for Emerging Artist of the Year. The singer-songwriter was in good company with finalists Phoebe Sinclair, King Stingray, and Selve all in the running for the Scholarship.
L to R: QMusic CEO Angela Samut, Arts Minister Leanne Enoch, Beckah Amani, Lynne Thorpe, QMusic President Natalie Strijland. Photo by Nadia Achilles.
“Getting this scholarship means so much. It means I can write music the way I want to, present it the way I want to, explore different narratives and just produce some great music.”
Beckah Amani
Billy Thorpe Scholarship Recipient
“Congratulations to Beckah Amani, the 2021 Billy Thorpe Scholarship winner, who impressed the judges with her incredible voice and mature songwriting. The judging panel were impressed with her incredible story and believe that this funding will help Beckah continue her work over the next 12 months.”
Leanne Enoch
Queensland Arts Minister
Beckah Amani collecting her award at the 2021 Queensland Music Awards. Photo by Lachlan Douglas.
Beckah Amani and Arts Minister Leanne Enoch. Photo by Lachlan Douglas.
Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the scholarship is now in its 13th year and has supported emerging musicians such as Sam Hales (The Jungle Giants), Greta Stanley and Jeremy Neale in their developing years.
The scholarship, named in honour of the late Billy Thorpe, a great Australian rock musician who passed away in February 2007, was designed to help develop the future of rock and roll.
Click below to find out more about the scholarship, including profiles on each of this year's finalists and previous winners.
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