Announcement: ARIA, PPCA, Arts Council Reveal First Nations Grand Recipients - Noise11 Music News
Daniel Wilfred by Sarah Walker

Daniel Wilfred by Sarah Walker

Announcement: ARIA, PPCA, Arts Council Reveal First Nations Grand Recipients

by Announcement on December 18, 2020

in News,Noise Pro

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in partnership with the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) and the Australia Council for the Arts today announced the grant recipients of the First Nations Sound Recording Partnership.

Five recipients have been chosen from all over Australia, and each will receive $18,500 towards the cost of creating a new sound recording, as well as access to managerial and industry support.

The five recipients are:

Jess Hitchcock (VIC)
Jess Hitchcock will co-write and record her second album Insight: an intimate collaboration with Australian pop icons Paul Kelly and Kate Miller-Heidke, alongside new collaborations with Alice Keath and Kier Nuttall. Jess will produce Insight with renowned pop producer John Castle in his Brunswick studio.

Miiesha Young (QLD)
Following on from her ARIA Award winning debut album Nyaaringu, Miiesha will record 2 EPs, a two part story exploring the challenging relationship with a loved one. Part 1 (Smoke) explores anger, sadness and hurt through chaotic production, while Part 2 (Mirrors) is reflective, stripped back and healing.

Luke Riches/The Struggling Kings (WA)
WA Music’s Indigenous Act of the Year The Struggling Kings will follow their debut EP Oceans with a new album, recorded under the mentorship of Shiny Joe Ryan of award winning, internationally acclaimed acts Pond and Tame Impala.

Daniel Wilfred (NT)
Daniel Wilfred will record Hand To Earth, a new collaboration with the Australian Art Orchestra, following on from two successful albums – Crossing Roper Bar volumes 1 and 2. The new songs will be ‘yuta manikay’ – songs that have been written in Wilfred’s language, Wägilak from Arnhem Land.

Dan Rankine aka trials (SA).
trials, a renowned producer and Ngarrindjeri man, is a member of ARIA Award winning A.B. Original. He will create a new work under his name that celebrates the spirit of collaboration between artists across disciplines.

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said:

“This investment recognises the central role of Indigenous contemporary music performers. This partnership initiative, part of the Australian Government Indigenous Contemporary Music Program, supports professional industry-based opportunities that will assist the recipients in furthering their promising musical careers. Congratulations to the successful applicants.”

Dan Rosen, CEO of ARIA, said:

“I want to congratulate the recipients of the First Nations Sound Recording Partnership. I am thrilled to see that these musicians come from all over Australia, and are working in very different styles of music. It shows the depth and breadth of creativity and talent from our First Nations’ artists. ARIA and PPCA are proud to help provide funding and a platform for these new recordings and I cannot wait to hear the results.”

Patricia Adjei, Head of First Nations Arts & Culture at the Australia Council, said:

“We are delighted this dedicated investment in First Nations musicians will build the profile and careers of First Nations musicians, helping create pathways for the next generation of First Nations musicians.”

This funding has been provided through the Australian Government’s Indigenous Contemporary Music Program aimed at increasing development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians and bands. It is one of five programs under the $30.9 million Australian Music Industry Package announced in the 2019-20 Commonwealth Budget.

The grant partnership was promoted through ARIA, PPCA and Australia Council. Applications opened in August 2020 and 37 applications were lodged by the October 2020 closing date. The five recipients were chosen by a specially convened industry advisor panel.

Noise11.com

Follow Noise11 on Social Media

NEW: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE

Noise11 on Instagram

You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter

Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook

Related Posts

Things of Stone and Wood
Things of Stone and Wood Release ‘Fade Away’ As Second 2026 Album Looms

Things of Stone and Wood have released "Fade Away", the latest single from their comeback album Rae Street, while confirming more Australian performances and signalling that a second new studio album will follow later in 2026.

July 31, 2026
Tame Impala Dracula
Australian Music’s ARIA Chart Struggles Continue in 2026

An Aussie Single Hasn’t Topped The Charts Since 2022 Mid-season report 2026: There’s good news and bad news.

July 1, 2026
ARIA Billboard Offical Charts
Streaming Charts And Streaming Fraud: Why Modern Music Rankings Cannot Be Compared To Any Previous Era

The debate over streaming fraud and passive listening has intensified as chart milestones continue to be compared with records established during the vinyl, cassette and CD eras. Industry studies, platform disclosures and independent audits now suggest that modern music charts measure a fundamentally different consumer activity than the charts that once tracked physical purchases, raising questions about whether meaningful comparisons can be made across generations.

June 2, 2026
The Rubens Share Reflective New Single Are You Getting High

The Rubens have returned with ‘Are You Getting High', a new single that sees the New South Wales band lean further into the introspective songwriting that has defined much of their recent work. Released as the follow-up to ‘Goanna', the track explores the uneasy emotional space that follows the end of a relationship, capturing the tension between acceptance and unresolved resentment.

May 29, 2026
ARIA Billboard Offical Charts
Why Streaming Charts Cannot Be Compared To The Physical Sales Era

by Paul Cashmere The modern music charts used by ARIA, Billboard and the UK's Official Charts Company now measure an entirely different form of consumer behaviour than the charts of the vinyl, cassette and CD eras. While chart headlines frequently compare contemporary streaming milestones with historical sales achievements, industry analysts increasingly acknowledge that the two systems are built on fundamentally incompatible metrics.

May 28, 2026
ARIA Hall of Fame 2026
ARIA Hall Of Fame 2026 Inductees Signal Progress, But Heritage Gap Remains

Gurrumul, Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End And Vika & Linda Headline ARIA Hall Of Fame 2026 Intake As Industry Eyes Long Overdue Recognition For Heritage Acts

May 3, 2026
Pink I'm Not Dead 20th Anniversary Album Cover Art
Pink Celebrates 20 Years Of I’m Not Dead The Album That Defined Her Career

Pink redefined her musical identity two decades ago with the release of the groundbreaking I'm Not Dead.

April 4, 2026