American activist and Time's 2017 Person Of The Year, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and viral star turned synth-pop singer Rebecca Black (we all remember her 2011 'hit' 'Friday') headline BIGSOUND's 2022 keynote speakers.
As Australia's leading music industry conference and showcase of new and emerging talent, BIGSOUND continues to be a platform for the important conversations about the biggest issues currently facing music.The 2022 edition will be the first in-person event since 2019 after the previous two years were affected by the pandemic (the event was staged digitally in 2020 and was cancelled last year).
Set to join Burke (who was originally scheduled to speak at last year's event) and Black (who relaunched her career last year) with keynote presentations will be Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski, indie artist and advocate for change and accountability Jaguar Jonze and English chart-topping electronic, hip hop artist Example (who now resides in Brisbane).
The 2022 conference speaker line-up has also had its first additions including Annabelle Herd (ARIA), Jake Taylor (In Hearts Wake), Johann Ponniah (I Oh You), John Mullen (Dew Process), Shaun Faulkner (X Ray Touring) and Tom Taaffe (Paradigm).
"The BIGSOUND Conference 2022 represents the long-awaited opportunity for us to reconnect, engage and celebrate each other and the global music community we are a vital part of," Conference Programmer Tom Larkin says.
"Our first announcement highlights our keynote speakers and the insights and stories they offer that point the way to a richer, more vibrant industry.
"This year we want to reflect the massive changes and innovation we have seen over the past two years and also pack the programme full of advocates for new Australian music, the champions who actually sign artists and want to elevate their careers on a global level."
BIGSOUND will also welcome the return of First Nations House in 2022. Elder in Residence Uncle Kev Starkey (a musician and founder of Darkwood Studio RLS) will assist in creating a space for supporting, promoting and celebrating First Nations music, and for Indigenous artists to gather and share their music and messages.
Produced by QMusic, BIGSOUND 2022 runs 6-9 September at various venues and locations in Fortitude Valley (Brisbane). Stay tuned for more updates.
Early-bird delegate passes are on sale. Festival-only tickets will go on sale in July.
BIGSOUND 2022 Speaker Line-up
Keynotes
Tarana Burke (author)*live digital presentationRebecca Black (artist)
Matt Gudinski (Mushroom Group)
Jaguar Jonze (artist)
Example (artist)
Conference Speakers
Annabelle Herd (ARIA)Andrew Stone (Chugg Music)
Casey O'Shaughnessy (Select Music)
Eric Tobin (Hopeless Records)
Heidi Lenffer (FEAT. / Cloud Control)
Jake Taylor (In Hearts Wake)
Jess Keeley (She Wrote)
Joan Westenberg (Moda Dao / Pizza Party)
Johann Ponniah (I Oh You)
John Mullen (Dew Process)
Josh Taylor Anderson (Call & Response)
Kate Duncan (The Push Inc)
Rebecca Young (Collective Artists)
Regan Lethbridge (Lemon Tree)
Sarah Joy (ATC LIVE)
Shaun Faulkner (X Ray Touring)
Tom Taaffe (Paradigm)
Will Church (ATC LIVE)
