New Artist Development Program Elevate Announced For NSW Artists

A new artist development program called Elevate has been announced to help support emerging artists in New South Wales who may lack the necessary access to industry resources.

The initiative is geared to happen annually, and aims to bridge the gap between artist and industry by offering professional mentorship and resources that’ll encourage artists to release their music while building themselves up for longevity.

One artist each year will be selected by a panel of industry experts, and that artist will receive support in management, PR, marketing, playlisting, distribution, live performance development, publishing guidance and arts law advice.

The pilot program in 2025 will launch solely in New South Wales with eventual plans to expand outside of the state in the future. The program is designed to deliver a high-impact release plan and professional development fitted to the successful artist under the guidance of leading industry professionals and collaborators. Assisting in all things management is Ben Pierpoint Management and Positive Feedback, who will work with the artist to develop a well-rounded multi-year strategy and lead a dynamic PR campaign that’ll help support the artist’s journey from single releases to a full length project.

The Annex will assist in marketing for the artist by providing key industry knowledge, Golden Hour is on board to provide consultations on distribution, playlisting and pitching to streaming platforms, Select Music will assist in pitching live performance opportunities and Community Music will look over the technical and logistical elements of digital distribution.

For publishing advice, Wise Music Australia will lead a one-on-one session with the artist to discuss sync and sync pitching, Dino Dimitriadis will assist in designing and developing a compelling live show and Creative Lawyers will jump on to provide expert legal advice to the artist about contracts, intellectual property and other music industry legal matters.

The program comes at a fitting time where artists and creatives alike are grappling with the cost of living crisis, ultimately compromising the amount of time, money and energy they are able to put towards bettering their craft. Elevate aims to address the current economic landscape within the arts industry and the system barriers riddled throughout in order to create more fair and equitable opportunities for artists.

In a press release, Elevate organisers wrote: “Beyond mentorship and release support, the program fosters independence and resilience, ensuring artists are equipped with the skills to thrive. By championing fresh voices, Elevate aspires to set a new standard for collaboration and empowerment in the music community.”

The ideal candidate for the Elevate program must be based in NSW, must make and aim to release original music, must not currently hold a team that includes established industry members and must be release ready or near release ready.

If you think you fit the bill (or know someone who does), the submission form can be found here. Keep up to date with more from Elevate here.