Tash Sultana, Blur's Dave Rowntree, Briggs & Others Join BIGSOND's 2025 Conference Speaker Programme

This year's BIGSOUND Conference Program expands to amplify their 2025 key theme of connections that count, adding a powerful fusion of artists and industry game-changers in contemporary conversations that offer thought-provoking commentary on navigating the music space we all live and create within.

Traversing different career paths brings with it their own unique sets of challenges, accomplishments and lessons learned – bringing these conversations to BIGSOUND in 2025 will be Tash Sultana, Briggs & Kobie Dee, Mallrat and Blur's Dave Rowntree, who will each deliver their own Artist Conversations.

Briggs, Yorta Yorta rapper, songwriter, author, actor and founder of Bad Apples Music – celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025 – will be making a rare appearance at BIGSOUND, in conversation with another leading champion of Blak excellence, Gomeroi musician, rapper and actor, Kobie Dee. This key session will traverse two journeys in music and cultural elevation.

Tash Sultana returns in 2025 with the dynamic and career-touchstone 'Return To The Roots' EP, reaching new heights of creative fulfilment in the studio and on the road. The multi-instrumentalist sold out Red Rocks a third time in minutes and has over a billion Spotify streams.

"With this music, I went back to the beginning – to help me rediscover that spark of when I first started making music," shares Tash. "It's pure and unfiltered me, having gone through a journey in my life and career to get to this point. For those of you who have been around for a while, thank you. If you're new here, welcome and enjoy."

Mallrat has made her mark this year with her #1 ARIA album 'Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right', showcasing her continued evolution as an artist. BIGSOUND also welcomes musician and inclusion advocate Elly-May Barnes, following her 2024 debut album 'No Good' and widespread attention via the ABC documentary series 'Headliners'.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by BIGSOUND (@bigsound)

Best known as drummer for one of the most influential bands of the Brit-pop era, Blur, Dave Rowntree is a prolific musician and composer whose career has extended into the world of film, television and animation, as well as politics and law.

Rowntree's appearance on the BIGSOUND Conference Program in 2025 coincides with the release of his new photography book, 'No One You Know' (to be released 9 September). Featuring hundreds of photos taken by Rowntree himself, the book provides an intimate look at one of the world's biggest bands at the precipice of fame.

"Very excited to share that I am releasing a photo book of all my early Blur photos!" Rowntree is set to provide casual and longtime fans more than a fly-on-the-wall look at the beginning of such an influential musical journey.

Along with BIGSOUND's artist-led conversations, the Conference Programming team fleshes its already stacked line-up of international and Australian speakers with representatives from globally recognised festivals, labels and organisations – all ready to immerse themselves in the southern hemisphere's largest platform for music discovery and engagement.

A special focus on Mexico as an export and festival destination for Australian artists takes prominence at BIGSOUND, with the Conference Program set to welcome insights from Cynthia Flores (Asecendente / MUSICMEX) and Malfi Dorantes (MalfiCo / MUSICMEX) in an intricate session on Mexico's emergence as a new power player within the global music market.

Featured on this latest speaker announcement are Cindy James (Virgin Music Group), Ollie Hodge (new label Some Action) and Drew Bennett launching QPrime Australia. Providing unique insights in to the growth of country music will be Meredith Goucher (CMA) and manager Nikki Boon plus already announced speaker Rachel Lloyd from C2C Festival, UK.

Cindy James is a titan of the global music industry, and the General Manager of Virgin Music Group, North America. Cindy's career has guided record companies worldwide through the fast-paced evolution of physical, digital, streaming, data and analytics, audience intelligence and more. An Australian success story, her recognition in Billboard's Women In Music class for 2025 makes her visit to BIGSOUND all the more timely.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by BIGSOUND (@bigsound)

Meredith Goucher, in her work as the Director of International Relations and Development at the Country Music Association (CMA), oversees the development of initiatives that ultimately lead to the expansion of global relationships and opportunities for US country artists and industry professionals.

Nikki Boon is an artist manager at Neon Coast and manages multi-award winning and genre-crossing Kane Brown who has amassed 17 billion streams and was the first Black solo artist to headline the iconic Fenway Park in Boston.

Ollie Hodge is former A&R Director at Polydor and Columbia who has worked with Glass Animals, George Ezra, The Vaccines, Declan McKenna and Passion Pit amongst others. Last year Ollie started his own label, Some Action, whose first release was 'Home' by Good Neighbours.

Drew Bennett has been at Q Prime for over a decade in management, touring and marketing roles working with artists like The Black Keys and Eric Church, amongst others. With the launch of Q Prime Australia, the management company looks to continue to grow their artists' presence in the territory while also seeking out new talent for worldwide representation.

The breadth and depth of conference programming is illuminated across a number of engaging panels that explore the innovation at the intersection of music and technology delivered by The Meeting Tree; the creative process behind A&R; as well as discussions that draw the curtain back on some of the country's forward-thinking and striking music entrepreneurial platforms, including Bondi Lines.

They feature alongside international festival heavyweights on the BIGSOUND Conference Program, including Dev Sherlock (Director SXSW Music Festival) and Robin Werner (Senior Partnerships Manager Reeperbahn Festival), and previously announced figures like Adam Ryan (The Great Escape) – all bringing a wealth of experience in the international music export and showcase market.

The conference programme sits alongside a stacked live music showcase line-up that as revealed earlier this month.

Tickets to the music showcase programme go on sale from 9am (local time) on 13 Friday. Both three-night and single-night tickets are available. Early bird all-access delegate passes are still available.

BIGSOUND 2025 runs 2-5 September at various locations in Fortitude Valley (Brisbane).

BIGSOUND 2025 Speakers & Buyers

Adam Lewis - Planetary Group
Brian Zabinski - Tamizdat
Briggs - Artist
Chris Brearley - Greyline Touring
Cindy James - Virgin Music North America
Cynthia Flores - Hypnosis Festival / Indie Rocks / Ascendente Agencia
Dave Rowntree - Artist
Dev Sherlock - SXSW
Drew Bennett - Q Prime Artist Management
Elly-May Barnes - Artist
Hallie Anderson - RAREFORM
Jess Page - RAREFORM
Jonathan Heeter - Black Pine Agency
Josh Pyke - Artist / PPCA
Kobie Dee - Artist
Malfi Dorantes - MalfiCo/MUSICMEX
Mallrat - Artist
Meredith Goucher - Country Music Association (CMA)
Missy Schienberg - Scheiny Management
Nikki Boon - Neon Coast
Ollie Hodge - Some Action
Robin Werner - Reeperbahn
Skully Kaplin - ATC
Tash Sultana - Artist

Join the already announced

Adam Ryan - The Great Escape
Anne Booty - SixtyFour Music
Ariana Morgenstern - KCRW
Boaz Saidman - Wasserman
Boyan Pinter - Believe
Calhoun Rawlings - Creative Artists Agency
Camille Augarde - Third Man Records
Darcus Beese - Darco Artist Partnerships
Deb Grant - BBC Radio 6
Eve Thomas - Communion ONE
Jana Recmanikova - Festival Republic
Josh Stern - Ground Control Touring
Lau Frías - Secretly Group
Lucy Pitkethly - Eat Your Own Ears
Mario Stresow - FKP Scorpio
Rachel Cragg - Nettwerk Music Group
Rachel Lloyd - AEG Presents / Country to Country / C2C Festival
Sean Goulding - One Fiinix Live

BIGSOUND 2025 Artist Line-up

1nn3r53lf
Aidan Fine
Akala Newman
Ama
Amélie Farren
Atlvs
Azure Ryder
Badassmutha
Bad/Love
Bad Juju
The Beefs
Besties
Birren
Borderline
Briana Dinsdale
Buddy Knox
BVT
Charli Lucas
Charlie Needs Braces
Cheeky Leash
C_H_L__O_E
Chloe Styler
Chor Bazaar
Cloning
Closure
Coast Arcade
Cooper Smith
Cora
Corrella
Dani Enli
Darcie Haven
Daste.
Day We Ran
Denim
Denzel Kennedy
Disphing
Dogworld
Down And Out
Dylan Wright
Effe
Eliza & The Delusionals
Ella Ion
Elly May Barnes
Emeree
Flamingo Pier
Flynn Gurry
Frankie Venter
Fred Leone
George Alice
Georgia Knight
GLVES
Grecco Romank
Harper Bloom
Hatchie
Headsend
Heartline
Heyzuko!
Homesick
Horse
Ijale
Inkabee
Intermood
James Range Band
Jämo & Kumi
Jet Walker
Jet Vesper
Josh Hannan
Josh Setterfield
Josie
Kaiit
Kat Edwards
Kayps
Ksmba
Kye
Last Quokka
Late 90s
Lazy Ghost
Le Shiv
Letters To Lions
Lola Scott
Lucky
Lumens
Lyric
Mannequin Death Squad
Mariae Cassandra
Marlon
Mel Blue
Michael Honan
Mid Drift
Mikeyy
Mincy
Mozë
Mumfighter
Nate G
Nightlight
Phoebe Rings
Pisco Sour
Polish Club
Purée
Rageflower
Redd.
Ringlets
Robbie Mortimer
Robert Baxter
Rod Coote
Rnzō
Seb Szabo
Shock Corridor
Sleepazoid
The Southern River Band
Spike F...
The Stamps
Sunsick Daisy
Sweet Talk
Taija
That Gurl Bella
Theeth
There's A Tuesday
Tiana Khasi
The Tullamarines
Tyla Rodrigues
Ugli
Ullah
Velvet Bloom
Vv-Ace
Wafia
The Wet Whistles
Wishlist
Yung Maynie
Zafty