2017 GRANT MCLENNAN FELLOWSHIP

Winner Announced

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Brisbane singer-songwriter Jeremy Neale is the winner of the prestigious $25,000 Grant McLennan Fellowship for 2017.

The announcement was made at a ceremony held at The Triffid in Brisbane tonight, in front of special guests and music-lovers, as well as artists, musicians, producers, partners and key music industry personnel.

Andrew Tuttle, APRA AMCOS National Team Leader, Writer Services congratulated Jeremy, along with fellow finalists Harriette Pilbeam, Sabrina Lawrie and Tom Cooney.

“Jeremy impressed the judges with his progress as a songwriter over the last decade, and through his contribution to contemporary music in Queensland”.

“The Grant McLennan Fellowship offers Queensland artists exciting and genuine professional development opportunities, with Jeremy set to spend nearly three months in the US to further develop his songwriting skills and focus on writing his next solo album. We can’t wait to hear Jeremy’s new works and compositions in good time. As a proud sponsor of this fellowship, APRA AMCOS is committed to investing in the next generation of songwriters and supporting them through their career cycle,” Tuttle said.

The $25,000 Grant McLennan Fellowship, now in its eleventh year, honours the musical legacy of Grant McLennan of The Go-Betweens and is jointly funded by the Queensland Government and APRA AMCOS.

Presented with the blessing of the McLennan family, the award gives winners the chance to follow in Grant’s footsteps and live in New York, London or Berlin for up to six months for creative inspiration and career development.

An accomplished musician who has toured extensively with his bands Velociraptor and Teen Sensations, Jeremy has been recognised for his songwriting with multiple Queensland Music Awards and is a former recipient of the prestigious Billy Thorpe Scholarship, also supported by the Queensland Government. His debut album ‘Getting The Team Back Together’ was released last month.

The 2017 Grant McLennan Fellowship was judged by Sally McLennan, Adele Pickvance(The Go-Betweens), Ian Haug (Powderfinger, The Church) and music writer Sean Sennett.

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Last year’s winner Hannah Macklin, who performs under the moniker MKO Sun, said the biggest short-term benefit of the fellowship experience is the wealth of inspiration and information she has returned home with. “(It’s) still burning hot in my veins. I am almost impatient to start channeling into finishing songs and making a record”, she said of her experience in New York.

“Music seemed to constantly fill the air and wafted from cars, houses, portable stereos, people singing to themselves with careless abandon. This deep connection to music, evident in the city air, fueled me and provided me with so much life and passion. I have returned to Australia with many snippets and fragments of words and music to weave into new songs. I also finished and have already debuted three new songs, inspired by the trip”.

“My advice to the 2017 winner is to allow yourself time to play, explore and adventure with no agenda to write or create straight away. Jot down small ideas with the faith that if they are meant to grow, they will. Be confident that you deserve this opportunity and do not feel pressured by it. Inspiration takes time to ferment. Talk to strangers!”

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Previous winners of the Grant McLennan Fellowship:

2016: Hannah Macklin (MKO Sun)
2015: Tim Steward (WE ALL WANT TO, Screamfeeder)
2014: Thomas Calder (The Trouble With Templeton)
2013: Seja Vogel
2012: Louise O’Reilly and Paul Hannan (Laneway)
2011: Scott Spark
2010: Danny Widdicombe & Andrew Morris (The Wilson Pickers)
2009: Helen Franzmann (McKisko)
2008: John Busby and Chris Dale (Halfway)
2007: Greg Charles

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