STAR MAKER
(13-Jan-10)
The History, The Winners, The Stars
Toyota Star Maker is Australia's best known, most successful and most prestigious talent quest for young Australian country music singers. It was started in 1979 by Radio 2TM's country music division BAL Marketing which, at that time, was organising the already highly successful Australasian Country Music Awards. In contrast to the Awards, which were aimed at recognising established professional artists, Star Maker was conceived as a means of offering emerging talent the opportunity to advance their experience in country music as professionals.
Star Maker opens doors of opportunity for the young winners helping them move into music as a career. This is achieved by 12 months heavy promotion of the winners to both fans and industry resulting in an extremely high profile for the current "Toyota Star Maker". Many winners have gone onto enjoy enormous professional success.
Star Maker winners have an instant profile and are widely sought after as entertainers. Their prize is image and opportunity. They are given a "big budget" production of their own album, which is released through a national record company Compass Brothers. This is a vital part of the promotional process. Winners are given the opportunity to perform at many major country music events and since 1998 the sponsor, Toyota, provides winners with the use of a new vehicle for their 12 month "reign". Gary Robertson and then Terry Hill and now Barry Harley are three of the BAL Marketing staff most associated with Star Maker winners over the years.
Since Star Maker's inception in 1979, the event and associated activity has had an incredible effect on Australian country music, establishing the careers of a number of today's high profile stars. These include Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, Beccy Cole, James Blundell, Samantha McClymont from The McClymonts, Darren Coggan, Travis Collins and many others. Several other major stars including Troy Cassar-Daley and Tania Kernaghan were Star Maker grand finalists.
Star Maker winners have always featured heavily as Country Music Awards of Australia winners, with 73 Golden Guitars achieved by Star Maker winners over the years and in the New Talent category 11 Star Maker winners have taken out Golden Guitars.
When Star Maker commenced it had been held on the October long weekend in Tamworth until 1983, then the special event was moved in 1985 to the first weekend of the Festival in January. Since it started the quest has been judged by a panel of 6 industry experts. Twenty finalists are selected from the many entries. These finalists are invited to Tamworth to perform live and the industry judging panel are responsible for selecting the Top Six grand finalists. The Grand Final is always held on the Sunday night on the first weekend of the Festival.
Star Maker has been staged in a number of venues over the years. Originally staged in the Tamworth Town Hall, Star Maker later moved to the old Tamworth Workmans’ Club before returning to the Town Hall. Then in 2004 Toyota Star Maker moved to the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre (TRECC).
The entry criteria has changed only slightly over the years. For example originally bands were allowed to enter. Today entrants must be solo performers over 18 years old who have never had a record release that was not personally funded and now entrants can be nominated (or past winners) in the Country Music Awards of Australia.
Since 1995 Star Maker has been organised and staged by Rural Press Events in Tamworth and has continued to refine the application, judging process and the prize package which is totally designed to give the winner a solid platform from which they can build their careers in Australian country music. The Toyota Star Maker talent quest is recognised as Australia’s premier and prestigious country music talent search and is the major event which has underpinned the careers of past winners.
The winners are ..
1979 Grand Junction
1980 Tommy Miller
1981 Leanne Douglas
1982 Lee Kernaghan
1983 Vic Lanyon Band
1984 Transferred to January '85
1985 Great Divide
1986 Jane Maddick
1987 James Blundell
1988 Jenine Vaughan
1989 Craig Robertson
1990 Keith Urban
1991 Gina Jeffreys
1992 Warren Derwent
1993 Beccy Cole
1994 Clint Beattie
1995 Tanya Self
1996 Darren Coggan
1997 Lyn Bowtell
1998 Kate Ballantyne
1999 Brendon Walmsley
2000 Grant Richardson
2001 Kylie Sackley
2002 Kieran Lancini
2003 Todd Williams
2004 Travis Collins
2005 Samantha McClymont
2006 Cat Southern
2007 Kirsty Lee Akers
2008 Talia Wittmann 2009 Liam Brew
In 2010 the 31st TOYOTA STAR MAKER will be held on SUNDAY 17th JANUARY, the Final will be staged at 12.30pm and the Grand Final Spectacular at 7.30pm.
For tickets please contact Tourism Tamworth on 02 6767 5300 or go to www.tamworthcountrymusic.com.au and follow the link to tickets. |
