Current Grants & Opportunities for Artists – Updated Regularly

Last updated January 14, 2024.

At GYROstream, we’re all about helping artists take their careers to the next level. Whether you’re looking for funding, recognition, or performance opportunities, there are plenty of options available in the Australian and New Zealand music industries right now. Check out the current grants and competitions below, and be sure to keep an eye on this post for regular updates!

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QMusic: Billy Thorpe Scholarship

The annual $15,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship provides the opportunity for an emerging artist or band to record with an established producer and receive career planning support from Chugg Entertainment.

💰 $15,000
🗓 Closing date: EXTENDED to January 20, 2025
📝 Find out more here.
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QMusic: Dennis ‘Mop’ Conlon Scholarship

The annual $15,000 Dennis ‘Mop’ Conlon Scholarship provides the opportunity for an emerging Indigenous Queensland musician or band to develop and record a song or series of songs, to support and develop their ongoing career in the music industry.

💰 $15,000
🗓 Closing date:  EXTENDED to January 20, 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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QMusic: Carol Lloyd Award

The $15,000 Carol Lloyd Award honours the contribution the late Carol Lloyd made to the Queensland music scene and awards $15,000 to support an emerging female-identifying or gender-diverse singer-songwriter Queensland musicians to record a full-length album or record and tour an EP.

💰 $15,000
🗓 Closing date: EXTENDED to January 20, 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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QMusic: Grant McLennan Fellowship

The Fellowship honours the musical legacy of the late singer songwriter and The Go-Betweens co-frontman, Grant McLennan. Funded by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and presented by QMusic, the $15,000 Fellowship offers the recipient an opportunity to travel to New York, London or Berlin to be immersed in a foreign and vibrant musical culture to further develop their artistic skills.

💰 $15,000
🗓 Closing date:  EXTENDED to January 20, 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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Taite Music Prize

The Taite Music Prize celebrates New Zealand artists, awarding $12,500 for album creativity. Other honors include Independent Spirit, Classic Record, and Best Debut with $2,000 and mentoring opportunities.

💰 Up to $12,500
🗓 Closing date:  January 31, 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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The Marten Bequest Scholarships

Support for talented young artists to explore, study and develop their artistic gifts through interstate and international travel. In 2025, the scholarships will provide financial support for the disciplines of architecture, ballet, prose, sculpture and singing.

💰 $50,000
🗓 Closing date: February 4 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund‍

Supporting new work that is innovative, displays professional compositional craft and represents a benchmark of excellence in its field. In 2025, are providing a total pool of A$82,500 to provide funding for eleven composers (nine from Australia, two from New Zealand) to create commissioned work that is complemented by an exploitation program. Each recipient will receive a grant of A$7,500.

💰 Up to $82,500
🗓 Closing date: February 16 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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ACT: Arts Activities Funding

Arts Activities Funding offers two grant types for Canberra artists, groups, and organisations: under $5k for smaller projects and $5–50k for larger initiatives like new works or community engagement.

💰 Up to $50,000
🗓 Closing date: February 28 2025

💰 Up to $5,000
🗓 Closing date: May 19 2025

📝 Find out more here.

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Contemporary Music Touring Program

The CMTP funds Australian musicians touring original music nationally, prioritising regional/remote areas. Grants range from $5,000–$50,000 for tours with at least three locations outside their hometown.

💰 Up to $50,000
🗓 Closing date: March 4 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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Global Professional Development Award

The American Australian Association and APRA AMCOS offer a US$10,000 award to emerging or mid-career Australian artists, songwriters, or producers (APRA AMCOS members) for U.S.-based career development projects.

💰 $10,000USD
🗓 Closing date: March 31 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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WA: The Contemporary Music Fund

The Contemporary Music Fund (CMF) supports local contemporary music artists in producing, promoting, and expanding their networks both nationally and internationally.

💰 Up to $15,000
🗓 Closing date: June 5 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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Create NSW: Touring & Travel Fund

This quick response funding program is designed for domestic and international touring and travel activity for NSW contemporary music artists, acts and music industry professionals.

💰 $2,500 - $5,000
🗓 November 28, 2025
📝 Find out more here.

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Regional Arts NSW: Quick Response Grants

Quick Response Grants are now available monthly from February to November, with decisions announced five days after each month’s end. Individuals can apply for up to $3,000; organizations up to $5,000.

💰 Up to $5,000
🗓 Ongoing fund.
📝 Find out more here.

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Regional Arts Victoria

Quick Response Grants assist with unplanned professional development or small projects, providing up to $3,000 for individuals and $5,000 for organizations to seize opportunities at short notice.

💰 Up to $5,000
🗓 Ongoing fund.
📝 Find out more here.

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Queensland Government: Performing Arts Market Development Fund

The fund supports interstate and overseas opportunities that grow Queensland's cultural economy, increase exposure, facilitate business and career growth, and expand markets and export revenue potential for Queensland-based musicians, performing artists and organisations.

💰 Up to $80,000
🗓 Ongoing fund.
📝 Find out more here.

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Destination NSW Regional Event Fund: Event Development

The Regional Event Fund's Event Development stream provides grants of up to $50,000 for events previously supported by the Flagship Event stream. These grants aim to enhance tourism and increase overnight stays. Applications remain open until all funds are awarded.

💰 Up to $50,000
🗓 Ongoing fund.
📝 Find out more here.

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Support Act Crisis Relief Grants

Crisis Relief Grants are available to musicians, managers, crew, and music workers facing financial hardship due to illness, injury, mental health, age, or other crises affecting their ability to work. Approved grants cover bills or personal expenses related to the crisis through direct payments, rather than cash.

‍🗓 Ongoing grant.
📝 Find out more here.

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Carriage Studio Artist Residency

Carriage Studio is offering 3-day residencies for artists and producers in or visiting Naarm/Melbourne. The space is fully equipped for production, mixing, mastering, and overdub recording, featuring audio interfaces, microphones, preamps, compressors, MIDI instruments, a weighted piano, guitars, high-quality monitoring, and stream decks. Just bring your laptop, and you're ready to create!

‍🗓 Ongoing opportunity.
📝 Find out more here.

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The Australian Cultural Fund

The Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) serves as a fundraising platform dedicated to supporting Australian artists. Artists can utilize the ACF to present their projects, launch fundraising campaigns, and encourage art enthusiasts and supporters to contribute. Remarkably, every dollar donated goes directly to the artists' creative endeavours.

‍🗓 Ongoing opportunity.
📝 Find out more here.

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This list will be regularly updated with new grants, awards, and opportunities as they arise, so bookmark this page and check back often. If you know of an opportunity we haven’t listed, feel free to reach out to us!
Stay tuned for more updates, and keep getting your record out there! 🎶

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