APRA AMCOS have announced the 16 artists selected for this year’s edition of its 23% mentorship initiative, pairing female, non-binary and gender-diverse musicians with industry professionals to help guide and boost their careers.
2024 marks the sixth year of 23% – formerly known as the Women in Music Mentorship – with 84 artists being supported through the program since its launch in 2018. The name change came into effect with this year’s edition, reflecting the inclusion of other non-male genders; according to a press release, it’s based on the percentage of APRA AMCOS members who identify as something other than male, “address[ing] the disparity by assisting music creators at a crucial career point.”
This year’s mentees, and their respective mentors, are as follows:
Allegra Neve with Rachel Kelly
Aurora Liddle-Christie (SOLCHLD) with Jannah Beth
Issy Grist (GRID) with KLP
Kelly Breuer (KELLY BROUHAHA) with Kristy Gostelow
Lily Richardson (Clews) with Claire Collins
Lauren Jemma Valatiadis (Lauren Vale) with Danielle Blakey
Maia Toakley with Jade Nazareth
Natalie Luong (Nat Vazer) with Harry White
Natasha Newling (RAYHAB) with Milly Petriella
Ruby Archer with Mark Lizotte
Sofia Dimakakou (SOPHIYA) with Alex Hosking
Sheanna Parker Russon with Yve Blake
Sophie McComish (Body Type) with Nat Dunn
Tim Blunt (FVNERAL) with Julian McGruther
Victoria Pham with Rich Pike
Yoshi with Austin Benjamin
In a formal statement, APRA AMCOS’ Head of Membership, Karen Don, explained of the ethos that drives the initiative: “Embarking on a music career is brave – but it comes with a unique set of challenges and can at times feel isolating. The 23% Mentorship aims to give women, non-binary and gender-diverse music creators individualised support to help them reach their goals.”
Several artists also shared their enthusiasm for the mentorship; Aurora Liddle-Christie (aka SOLCHLD), for example, said it’s important to her “because it brings support, confidence and strategy to my upcoming projects and releases that I otherwise wouldn’t have”. She’ll be mentored by Jannah Beth of the Offbeat Collective.
Sydney (Eora) singer-songwriter Maia Toakley – who is currently working on her second EP, and will be mentored by artist manager Jade Nazareth (of OneLouder) – added to the sentiment, explaining why mentoring is important to her: “I mean we saw the completely male-dominated lineup of winners at the 2024 APRA Music Awards, which confirmed that clearly females and non-binary folks are not receiving the same opportunities as men in this industry!
“It’s also super powerful for women to be working together, which is something particularly unique about this mentorship.”
