Sydney, Thursday 21 November 2024

Celebrating Live Australian Music on two stages of continuous music, food trucks, exclusive merchandise and fan activations. 

Taking over The Market Canopy at the Entertainment Quarter last Friday, Island Records Australia proudly presented their inaugural showcase event, NOW & NEXT, a celebration of music excellence and commitment to nurturing homegrown talent.

The groundbreaking event, hosted by Matty Mills, kicked off last Friday at 3pm showcasing 10 exceptional artists from Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), reinforcing Island Records' dedication to discovering, signing, and developing the country’s brightest musical talent.

NOW & NEXT brought together music & entertainment industry professionals, brand partners and of course the fans to experience the freshest new signings and rising stars of the Island Australia label.

The diverse lineup featured recent signings Bella Mackenzie, Ben Swissa, Hellcat Speedracer, Jack Gray, Luca George and REDD. who made their mark alongside esteemed label mates Charlie Collins, Vera Blue, Peach PRC and Baker Boy at the highly praised day-long event.

NOW & NEXT is the brainchild of Island Australia’s Managing Director, Nicole Richards who said, “The NOW & NEXT concept was born to support our current (NOW) and emerging (NEXT) artists to showcase new music to influential industry and enthusiastic fans. We didn’t want to do the standard showcase; we wanted to build a brand through an immersive experience, and I couldn’t be prouder of this platform we are providing our exceptionally talented roster of artists to connect, grow, and develop their audiences.”

Setting a new standard for label-led showcases, NOW & NEXT eventgoers enjoyed delicious eats from food trucks, exclusive NOW & NEXT merchandise by American Apparel, and interactive experiences including exclusive Meet and Greets for fans.  

President of Universal Music Australia, Sean Warner praised the event, “In order to break acts, to be taken seriously on our commitments, and to provide a platform for discovery and amplification to the industry and fans we need to think differently, and we need to control our own destiny. NOW & NEXT delivered all of the above in abundance, and practically demonstrates why Island Records AU, and Universal Music Australia is the ‘place to be'.”

NOW & NEXT would like to thank our sponsors American Apparel, DiDi Australia and Heaps Normal. 

Stay Tuned for NOW & NEXT 2025 announcements.