Toyota Star Maker
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| Toyota Star Maker is Australia's most successful and prestigious country music talent search |
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FIFTEEN STAR MAKER FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Fifteen finalists have been announced to compete for the title of Toyota Star Maker 2013.
The number is three more than organisers intended with judges so impressed with the talent on offer they were unable to get down to the planned 12.
They are... Kaylee Bell (from Bathurst, NSW), Courtney Conway (Mandurah, WA), Cameron Cusack (Burnett Heads, Qld), Victoria Edwards (Toowoomba, Qld), Sarah Head (Varsity Lakes, Qld), Jess Holland (Mungindi, NSW), Jasper Hollis (Sydney, NSW), Stephanie Jansen (Cranebrook, NSW), Christie Lamb (Kirkham, NSW), Nathan Lamont (Wagga Wagga, NSW), Seleen McAlister (Bracken Ridge, Qld), Ben Ransom (Randwick, NSW), Danni Stefanetti (Sorrento, WA), Jonny Taylor (Ravenswood, WA) and Nathan Williams (Strathpine, Qld).
Nine of the 15 finalists are girls stacking the odds slightly which could see a female take home the prize after four male winners in as many years, said a spokesman for the organisers, Rural Press Events, publishers of Capital News.
Ten are making return visits to the quest. Seven are from NSW, five from Queensland and three from Western Australia (one is originally from New Zealand, Kaylee Bell, and one from America, Jasper Hollis, but both now live in Australia).
In a major change to the Star Maker format, the talent quest will be held over two nights in 2013, and had originally said there would only be 12 finalists.
Co-ordinator, and Capital News Editor, Cheryl Byrnes said the judges had found it very difficult to reduce the 70 plus valid entries down to 12 without seeing them perform, and they felt the fans had the right "to see as many of these fine acts as possible".
"Some artist names were familiar to the judges," Cheryl said, "however, as in previous years, there were many applicants unknown to the judges. And as that's what Star Maker sets out to achieve – to uncover new country talent – they wanted to see as many as possible.
"The year we decide to stream-line just happens to be a year of very high quality entrants," she said. "We could have had many more in the final, and with the impossible task for judges a compromise from 12 to 15 was taken.
"Star Maker has a great pedigree, as the perennial Golden Guitar nominations show, and it is always difficult to be sure at this point whether we are leaving potential stars out of the final mix. Star Maker is the premier event that all emerging artists aim for."
The finalists in the 2013 Golden Guitar Awards were announced early this month and they included 16 nominations from previous Star Maker winners Lyn Bowtell, Beccy Cole, Travis Collins, Bob Corbett, Lee Kernaghan and Samantha McClymont (as part of The McClymonts).
Barry Harley, Rural Press Events General Manager, explained that the format changes would still see the Toyota Star Maker Final Fifteen (formerly 12) as the main event of the first Sunday of the 2013 Tamworth Country Music Festival with four Grand Finalists carrying through the to the Toyota Star Maker Grand Final to be staged as part of the giant free concert in the city's Bi-centennial Park featuring Lee Kernaghan and special guests on the Friday night.
"Toyota, celebrating 20 years supporting country music and 18 years supporting Star Maker, has a strong bond with Australia's rural and regional community," Barry said, "and Toyota Star Maker continues to be a foundation of that support by providing independent artists with a highly-coveted, career-launching platform.
"Star Maker is associated with so many country music icons, including Keith Urban, James Blundell, Gina Jeffreys, Beccy and Lee and more recently new stars Travis, Samantha, Liam Brew, Luke Austen, Luke Dickens and Bob Corbett. With the level of talent this year, and the inclusion of audience voting, we've no doubt we'll be adding yet another great name to this already legendary list.
"One of the exciting results from the Star Maker process is not only the eventual winner but it also provides a huge step up the ladder for all contestants," Barry said, "mixing with the emerging elite, and with many of them using the positive experience and brand to 'open doors' and to ultimately succeed.
"In the 34 years of Star Maker, more than 600 artists have been through the process and all have gained from that experience.
"The 2013 'cast of 15' now have two months to prepare for a competition that will change their lives in one way or another. The battle commences on Sunday, January 20 at 7:30pm."
Contestants are vying for a prize valued at more than $100,000 including a full album and use of a Toyota vehicle for 12 months.
Tickets available from http://www.tcmf.com.au
Weblink – http://www.facebook.com/StarMakerAustralia
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BOB WINS TOYOTA STAR MAKER
Newcastle (NSW) singer/songwriter Bob Corbett has been named Toyota Star Maker 2012.
Bob won the competition from fellow top six grand finalists 8 Ball Aitken, Kaylee Bell, Nick Kingswell, Nathan Lamont and Olivia Robins in Tamworth tonight.
Bob has numerous accolades to his credit prior to tonight's win including nine 1233 Newcastle ABC Music Awards.
In 2009, he received a Contemporary Music Touring Program Grant from the Australian Government, launching him and his band on an extensive national tour from coast to coast.
During his acceptance speech tonight, he paid tribute to his band, the Roo Grass Band.
In 1998, Bob released the critically acclaimed album Storyboard and reached the national finals in both the MusicOz and Australian Songwriters Awards.
In his career up until now, he has been invited to open shows for many of Australia's premier acts including Daryl Braithwaite, Brian Cadd, Richard Clapton, Diesel, Marcia Hines, Bruce Mathiske, The McClymonts, Russell Morris, Sara Storer and Ross Wilson.
This year's Toyota Star Maker winner was announced by Lee Kernaghan who was presented with a framed certificate by quest organisers Rural Press Events to mark 30 years since he won Star Maker in 1982.
In addition to the grand finalist performances, the night featured Lee, The McClymonts and outgoing Toyota Star Maker Luke Dickens.
Photo: Bob Corbett holds up his winner's plaque.
email :: starmaker@ruralpress.com
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| Toyota Star Maker Winners |
| Following is the complete list of Toyota Star Maker winners since the talent search commenced in 1979. |
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Toyota
Major sponsor of the Toyota Star Maker Quest
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