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Music

Supporting and promoting innovation and creativity in Australian Music.

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Music transcends time, space and cultures 

Music captures moments, expresses cultural identity and evolves with new sounds and ideas. As an ever-changing force, it reflects creativity and shapes how we connect, create and understand each other. Creative Australia supports projects from all styles and genres of music, including contemporary, musical theatre, cabaret, orchestral, chamber music, traditional, experimental new music, sound art and opera. 

Investment can be directed towards the creation of new music, collaborations, presentation, performance or touring. Funding is provided directly to artists, musicians and composers, along with support and professional development opportunities for organisations, practitioners and industry professionals working in music. 

Music Australia is a dedicated body, established within Creative Australia, designed to support and invest in the Australian contemporary music industry.

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Music Australia

Music Australia is a dedicated body, established within Creative Australia, designed to support and invest in the Australian contemporary music industry. Australian contemporary music is any genre or subgenre of music currently composed, written, produced by Australians and licensed, recorded, presented, and distributed through commercial and non-commercial activity. Music Australia’s initial investment and focus will be on musical works that are new, original and relevant to contemporary Australia. 

Music genres 

Music genres supported by Creative Australia include, but are not limited to:  

  • Afrobeat 
  • Alternative 
  • Art Music 
  • Avant-garde 
  • Blues 
  • Cabaret 
  • Chamber Music 
  • Children's Music 
  • Classical 
  • Comedy 
  • Contemporary 
  • Country 
  • Dance
  • Easy Listening 
  • Electronic 
  • Experimental 
  • Folk 
  • Funk 
  • Gospel
  • Hip-hop 
  • House 
  • Instrumental 
  • Jazz 
  • Latin music 
  • Metal 
  • Neo Classical 
  • New-age 
  • Noise 
  • Opera 
  • Orchestral 
  • Pop 
  • Punk 
  • Rap 
  • Reggae 
  • Religious music
  • Rhythm and blues 
  • Rock 
  • Roots 
  • Singer/​Songwriter 
  • Ska 
  • Soul 
  • Soundtrack 
  • Spoken Word 
  • Swing
  • Trance 
  • Trap 

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Red Room Poetry

Assessment panels

Our assessment panels include artists and creative workers who understand the creative process. Their involvement ensures Creative Australia’s funding decisions remain at arm’s length.

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Application process

Creative Australia encourages applications from practising artists, arts workers and organisations. Find out more about our application process.

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How we assess applications

Find out more about our assessment methods and how we use peer assessment, industry advice and staff assessment.

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First Nations Arts 


Creative Australia is dedicated to empowering and celebrating First Nations arts and culture in Australia and internationally.

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Contact the Music Team 

General music enquiries  

enquiries@creative.gov.au 

Contemporary music enquiries 

Millie Millgate: Director, Music Australia 

Sally Piper: Investment and Program Manager, Music Australia 

Nazlican Eren: Engagement Manager, Music Australia 

Saskia Clapton: Project Officer, Music Australia 

music@creative.gov.au 

musicaustraliagrants@creative.gov.au 

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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations Peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions.

We are privileged to gather on this Country and through this website to share knowledge, culture and art now, and with future generations.

First Nations Peoples should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have died.

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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways, and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions. We are privileged to gather on this Country and to share knowledge, culture and art, now and with future generations.

Art by Jordan Lovegrove