Crooner’s up for cash prize
Toowoomba singer in award final
ONE of Toowoomba’s brightest music talents is among five women in the running for a $15,000 prize as part of the Queensland Music Festival.
Country crooner Sue Ray is a finalist in the Carol Lloyd Award, which hopes to shine a light on Queensland’s next generation of female musicians and artists.
The award is named after Australia’s first “rock chick” Carol Lloyd, who had a string of hits in the 1970s.
Singer and award judge Katie Noonan said the winner could use the cash prize to push their career along further.
“The winner selected out of these talented finalists from across the state will have an amazing platform from which to launch their music career,” she said.
“At a time when the music and festival industry is under fire for a lack of female representation, QMF has long been a champion of women in music.
“6,150 female artists and participants featured in last year’s program, including the choirs we recruited for the mass choral event You’re the Voice, making up 78 per cent of all festival participants.
“On top of that the behind the scenes team in last year’s festival was also made up of 58 per cent women, including key leadership roles.”
Joining Ms Noonan on the judging panel are Time Off Media’s Sean Sennett, Rock and Roll Writers Festival director Leanne de Souza, QUT Music’s John Willsteed and Women in Voice founder Annie Peterson.
The winner will be announced at the “Songs That Made Me” concert at the QPAC Concert Hall on April 8.
To learn more about Sue Ray’s music, head to www.sueraymusic.com.