The BIGSOUND50 Line-up & Conference Program Revealed

BIGSOUND has today unveiled exciting news, sharing The BIGSOUND50 list and conference program.

The announcement follows on from news month that the beloved Brisbane-based festival, set to take place from 21-22 October, would be moving entirely online in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.

In light of the changes, this year sees the introduction of The BIGSOUND50 list, showcasing artists from around the country.

“From The BIGSOUND50 to the conference conversations, First Nations voices are prevalent across the entire event as we hold valued perspectives on re-futuring the music industry,” said First Nations Programmer Alethea Beetson.

“Working alongside the festival programmers to curate The BIGSOUND50 list has led to an even stronger representation of Indigenous artists than ever before at BIGSOUND. This is supported by a First Nations program and a number of decolonial conversations within the wider conference schedule offering solutions to the issues faced by the music industry in 2020.”

Included in this year's artist line-up are acts like The Merindas, BIRDZ, Aodhan, L-FRESH The LION, Harper Bloom, Jaguar Jonze, Dallas Woods and more.

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“When it became obvious that we wouldn’t be able to do anything physical this year, we came up with a whole new way of showcasing our BIGSOUND artists in 2020” said co-programmer Dom Miller.

“The BIGSOUND50 are the 50 artists BIGSOUND believes the world should be paying attention to in 2020 and beyond.”

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“It was a massive undertaking to narrow down all of the incredible applications to 50, but we have managed to pick a group of talented and inspiring artists that we know will all become household names. We’ve discovered some of our new favourite artists through this process, and we can’t wait to showcase what’s next for The BIGSOUND50," added co-programmer Ruby-Jean McCabe.

In addition to the artist line-up, BIGSOUND has also revealed details for this year's conference.

Wait But Why co-founder Tim Urban - who wowed audiences with his procrastination TED Talk - joins already announced keynote speakers like Tom Morello, Tones & I, Kev Carmody, Amy Shark, Rhonda Roberts, Ziggy Ramo and Nat's What I Reckon.

Other conference presentations include the United Nations Of The Music Industry Sh*tshow and The Future Of Event Streaming, while Pay The Rent "will explore the use of Indigenous quotas across radio, festivals, and streaming as an agent for change" with panelists including ABC Radio’s Rhianna Patrick, radio NCI Canada’s Dave Mcleod and SGC Media’s Stephen Green.

L-FRESH The LION will present Putting Down The Master Tools which will "cover alternative pathways and unpack different models for artists and sustainability in music beyond the mainstream Western music system", while Ecca Vandal, Mo'Ju and Kira Puru will "lead an honest and personal roundtable discussion on how their lives and livelihoods have been affected by COVID-19".

Dameeeela, Busty Beatz and more will lead the Beyond The Bla(c)k Tile panel which is set to be a "discussion between people of colour and the music sector about performative allyship and real reparations from the music industry, with pathways and suggestions on how to dismantle and reform the systems from within".

The full line-up for BIGSOUND 2020 is available to view here. This year's event is totally free, head to the BIGSOUND website for all the info.