Billy Thorpe Scholarship

#2024 applications are closed.

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 from Chugg Entertainment.

Established in 2008, the Scholarship is named in honour of the late Billy Thorpe, a great Australian rock musician and the frontman of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Billy spent his formative years in Brisbane and made an enormous contribution to the Australian and global music industry over five decades of performing, writing and producing.

The Billy Thorpe Scholarship is presented by QMusic and supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

If you have any questions regarding the Billy Thorpe Scholarship please check the guidelines. For any other questions please contact QMusic at info@qmusic.com.au.

Applications are closed.

#Eligibility

Applicants must:
• Be an emerging musician or band (see guidelines)
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Have resided in Queensland for at least two years prior to the due date of applications
• Have satisfied the reporting requirements of any previous Arts Queensland grants
• Have an ABN

The Scholarship is for an emerging musician or band. Though not limited in musical genre, the Scholarship is primarily aimed at musicians from the contemporary/popular music sector, as it honours Billy Thorpe, a great Australian rock musician. The applicant/s must have written a minimum of four original songs.

View the full guidelines HERE

#Lottie Mcleod

Billy Thorpe Scholarship Winner

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that receiving the Billy Thorpe Scholarship offers me. To be able to work on an EP, with the financial burden lifted is phenomenal as an independent artist and I can't wait to start working. Thank you so much to QMusic and to Billy’s family."

NEISH

NEISH

2023 Scholarship Winner

"I am so incredibly grateful, words genuinely can’t describe just how life changing this is for me! This scholarship has given me the chance to finally produce and release my music with guidance from industry professionals and without the stress of financial difficulties. Thank you so much to absolutely everyone involved, I am truly so blessed."

Beckah Amani

Beckah Amani

2021 Scholarship Winner

“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.”

Harry Phillips

Harry Phillips

2020 Scholarship Winner

"Winning the Billy Thorpe Scholarship allowed me the opportunity to work with amazing producers and people I never would have had access to normally. The advice I received from Chugg Entertainment was hugely enlightening and helped me to clearly define my own path to success in the music industry. Overall the Scholarship helped me turbo boost this stage in my career, and gave me the resources to produce the best music I’ve ever made."

Pool Shop

Pool Shop

2019 Scholarship Winner

“Feeling very humbled, overwhelmed and grateful, receiving the QMusic Billy Thorpe Scholarship...Thanks to the judges who made the tough choice.”

Greta Stanley

Greta Stanley

2018 Scholarship Winner

"Being the recipient of the 2018 Billy Thorpe Scholarship has allowed me to create & soon release new music I otherwise would have been struggling to afford and manage to do successfully. It gave me confidence and reassurance that my art is important and appreciated by industry professionals and listeners alike."

Sam Hales (The Jungle Giants)

Sam Hales (The Jungle Giants)

2011 Scholarship Winner

"I won the Billy Thorpe Scholarship when we first started and literally bought my first guitar with the money. I’d been borrowing guitars from friends, so that was something special. Opportunities like that don’t come around so often, and it’s a beautiful thing that it came from my local community".

#Previous Winners

2023

2023

Neish

2022

2022

Cloe Terare

2021

2021

Beckah Armani

2020

2020

Harry Phillips

2019

2019

Pool Shop (Jaimee Fryer)

2018

2018

Greta Stanley

2017

2017

Marville (Ash Kerley)

2016

2016

Luke Peacock

2015

2015

Ayla

2013

2013

Jeremy Neale

2012

2012

Astrid & The Asteroids

2011

2011

Sam Hales (The Jungle Giants)

2010

2010

Andrew Redford

The Billy Thorpe Scholarship is funded by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and is administered by QMusic. The Thorpe family and representatives from Chugg Entertainment - Mr Michael Chugg and Ms Amanda Pelman - contributed towards the development of the Scholarship.

QMUSIC acknowledges the many Traditional Custodian groups all across what is now referred to as Queensland. We pay our respect to all elders: past and present. As a peak body we also acknowledge the important role that music has played and continues to play on these lands since the very first sunrise.

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