After more than a thousand songs were uploaded to participate in this year’s Unearthed High competition, the triple j Unearthed team has somehow narrowed them down to just five finalists.
Proclaiming that “These are our five best high school-aged acts from across the country,” the finalists are: 14-year-old Sunshine Coast-based singer, songwriter and producer Alli Kate, Melbourne-based hip-hop loving teen Lithu, Newcastle indie rock/post-punk group Trophy Wyfe, Queensland heavy outfit TwoSeventy, and 15-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist Zoevi from Perth.
Listeners can tune in to triple j Breakfast throughout the week to find out more about this year’s finalists – the triple j Unearthed website also has some blurbs about each one, plus a focus track released by each artist – ahead of the winner’s reveal soon.
Last year’s Unearthed High was won by 16-year-old rapper DRIZZZ, while Kyla Belle took home the Indigenous Initiative.
In its near-two-decade run, Unearthed High has acted as the first crucial stepping stone for some of Australia’s biggest names, including The Kid LAROI, Ninajirachi, Genesis Owusu, Teenage Joans, Hockey Dad, and Mariae Cassandra, to name a few.
This year’s Unearthed High and Indigenous Initiative winners will take home “career-defining” prizes, per a recent announcement.
The titular winner will win a songwriting session with one of Australia’s favourite artists, whether it’s G Flip, The Rions, Genesis Owusu, or Kinder. Plus, flights and accommodation will be included in the prize, along with “hands-on industry support.”
Meanwhile, the artist who takes home the Indigenous Initiative win will have their next single mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Eric J Dubowski, who’s worked with the likes of Tame Impala, Dua Lipa, and Flume. They’ll also receive mentorship from Nooky, host of triple j’s Blak Out and member of 3%, and score radio play on triple j.
