Advisory Council
The AWMA Advisory Council is made up of a high-level group of artists & administrators who can provide significant expertise, advice and perspective with a specialist overview of their state or territory.
Artist (TI/nsw)
Christine Anu
Christine is a multi-award winning recording artist, including ARIA Song of the Year for My Island Home, ARIA Best Female Artist for Stylin Up, ARIA Best Video for Bazmark’s Now Until The Break of Day with David Hobson and many Deadly, Green Room and Sydney Theatre Awards. More recently, Christine’s 1995 version of My Island Home was added to the National Film Sound Archive’s Sound of Australia registry and was the first recipient of the Australian Songwriters Associations inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Australian First Nations Music.
“…a national treasure and Australia’s most iconic female indigenous entertainer”
GENERAL MANAGER
BARELY DRESSED RECORDS (VIC)
Katie Besgrove
Artist (TAS)
Monique Brumby
Monique is the Ambassador and former Creative Director for Aardvark Worldwide, a not-for-profit organisation developing music skills for young people with chronic illness. She has worked in remote Australia in the areas of Women’s Leadership and conducted song-writing workshops across Australia for community groups and people with disabilities. Monique has been a valuable mentor to many young artists through her work with The Push inc. and Decibels Records imparting her insight and experience as a performer, producer and songwriter.
Having released 5 albums and 3 EPs of original songs, Monique’s move in to production was a natural career progression. Her passion for sound arose from her studies in this area couped with her 20+ years of recording experience in Australia and the US. She has produced a number of Australian songwriters and bands and currently resides in Hobart, Tasmania.
artist (Nsw)
Kween G
In 2017 Kween G made her debut theatre performance in Urban Theatre Projects award winning show Home Country and in the same year released her single Who I Am’ a fearless vision statement from a femcee who writes to encourage us all to fiercely pursue our unique passions until the wheels fall off. Kween is both and industry and cultural leader and Afro-Australian Icon.
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WAM (WA)
Claire Hodgson
Having previously worked in licensing and membership for APRA AMCOS; marketing for local festivals and venues; and a tour manager and band booker; more recently Claire has focussed on DJing; radio presenting on WA’s best loved indie radio station, RTRFM; and having fallen into making music late, vocalist and songwriter in Perth-based punk and heavy bands. All of these experiences have provided Claire the opportunity to build a hefty portfolio of skills which she enthusiastically applies to her various industry roles and is always keen to share the knowledge and networks she has gained to help emerging artists and industry practitioners build sustainable careers in music.
AWMA Advisory Council Chair 2018
Awards Co-Producer (Vic) 2018
Tracee Hutchison
“A pioneering and highly regarded ABC broadcaster”
artist (vic)
Sophie Koh
She was UnEarthed by Triple J in Darwin, Northern Territory in 2003 and she has since toured and collaborated with many, such as Ben Lee, The Eels, The Go-Betweens. She has guested on TV shows such as ABC’s Spicks and Specks, SBS’s Rockwiz and Neighbours. She has toured and tour-managed her band extensively around Australia as well as China and Singapore.
Sophie was born in New Zealand, to Malaysian Chinese parents and spent her childhood in Singapore. Her new album BOOK OF SONGS (2017) sees her divert course from pop into the classical-crossover world, revisiting her classical piano training and her ethnicity.
BOOK OF SONGS is a splendour of pop songs, inspired by Chinese poetry, played on predominantly grand piano, cello and viola; with a few songs in Mandarin. Co-produced with the magnificent J.Walker (Machine Translations).
Sophie’s other hats include motherhood and she also works as a clinical optometrist, with extensive experience in public health and indigenous eye health.
artist (NSW)
Isabella Manfredi
Isabella has also spoken out as part of the #metoo movement, connecting with fans via social media and emerging as a role model for young women nationwide. In 2018 she was invited to join the conversation as part of ABC’s special #metoo themed Q&A segment. In addition to this, Izzi has played sold out shows in Australia, the US and UK – providing her with a stage for so much more than performing. A strong feminist, Izzi feels strongly about the representation of women in music and is on the Advisory Board of the Australian Women’s Music Awards.
First and foremost, though, Izzi is a celebrated writer and musician. Having formed The Preatures with Jack Moffitt and Thomas Champion in 2010, she has since blossomed as an artist. In 2014 the band released their debut album Blue Planet Eyes and followed it up in 2017 with Girlhood. Isabella has also collaborated with friends and personal idols within the Australian music industry, including Flume and The Divinyls.
artist (qld)
Katie Noonan
Katie first rose to prominence as the angel-voiced vocalist behind george, the legendary Australian band who broke through in 2002 with their #1 album Polyserena. Since then, Katie’s extensive discography has spanned excursions between classical music, opera, jazz, folk and electronic sounds, with her extraordinary vocals always at the fore. Katie has also served as the Artistic Director of the Queensland Music Festival since 2015, a role that allows her to act as an ambassador for the arts and the home state she is deeply proud of.
But the Katie Noonan journey isn’t over yet. In her own words: “I will be making albums and singing until my last breath.”
AWMA REMOTE & REGIONAL LIAISON 2018/2019
Artistic Director of Cultural Services, Tanks Arts Centre, Munro Martin Parklands, Cairns Festival and Cairns Performing Arts Centre (QLD)
Roz Pappalardo
artist (Nsw)
Sophie Payten (aka Gordi)
Young Sydney-via-Canowindra artist-writer-producer Sophie Payten (aka Gordi) has taken the world by storm. Her debut LP, Reservoir blends honest feeling, introspection, and self-therapy with an alluring integration of digital and analogue soundscapes. The album was co-produced alongside Tim Anderson (Solange/Banks), Ali Chant (Perfume Genius/PJ Harvey) and Alex Somers (Sigur Ros), and recorded in Wisconsin, Reykjavik, Los Angeles, New York, and Sydney.
Over the past 2 years, Gordi has sold out headline shows around the world and supported the likes of Bon Iver, Asgeir and Tallest Man on Earth. She has also received nominations for two j awards, two FBi SMAC awards, and won the AWMA Songwriter award in 2018.
industry observer (nsw)
Poppy Reid
When not writing about music, Poppy is binge-watching Netflix series’ with badass female protagonists.
Program Manager, WOMADelaide (SA)
Annette Tripodi
Annette managed the biennial Australian Performing Arts Market from 1998-2009 and has held key marketing, publicity and other roles at other major arts festivals including Festival Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games 2006, Come Out (now known as Dream Big) and the Adelaide Fringe. She has also been Producer and Company Manager for a range of international theatre, dance and music touring to Australasia. In a former life, Annette worked at Reuters and Penguin Books in the UK, and for several years with public relations firm Michels Warren on high-profile corporate accounts.