Keith Urban is leading the search for the next Australian country music superstar.
The Australia-raised country great has partnered with the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the Keith Urban Rising Star Scholarship, which will invite an artist from Down Under to experience life in the home of country, Nashville.
The recipient will receive “unprecedented access” to Nashville’s music scene, including an opportunity to perform, write, meet industry personnel and have two days of recording time at Urban’s studio, The Sound.
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The winner will have all expenses covered, including flights and accommodation.
“Sometimes all a musician needs is an opportunity to be heard or someone to help nurture their talent,” comments Urban. “Having the opportunity to do that not only inspires me, I’m hoping that in some way this scholarship will serve to inspire others.”
Urban has a career-long connection with the Tamworth Country Music Festival, which began in his early days busking, and flourished when he won the Star Maker competition, aged 22. He has gone on to win 15 Golden Guitar Awards, and earlier this year was presented with the Roll of Renown, for his “extraordinary creative contributions to the Australasian country music industry.”
Australia has no shortage of country talent, from ARIA Hall of Famer Kasey Chambers, to Brad Cox, Troy Cassar-Daley, and the late, great Slim Dusty. The country’s music scene is ranked No. 3 in the world behind the US and Canada, according to data published by Luminate, which, based on streams for the first half of 2023, found that Aussies clicked play on country music 1.1 billion times during that period, based on the top 500 songs in the genre.
A new report from Live Nation, “Step Into Country”, found that country has lassoed new fans in Gen Z.
Applications for the Rising Star Scholarship will be managed through an online submission platform at tcmf.com.au, which will launch in January 2026.
The project is unveiled as Urban, winner of four Grammy Awards, thirteen CMAs (including two for Entertainer of the Year), fifteen ACMs, three AMAs, 6 ARIA Awards and 15 Golden Guitar Awards, this week embarks on his first tour of Australia since 2022.
