Gretta Ray Wins Triple J’s Unearthed High Competition For 2016

17-year-old Melbourne singer-songwriter Gretta Ray has won this year’s triple j Unearthed High competition.

The singer took out this year’s competition with her track Drive, beating out four other shortlisted finalists in Lastlings, Carl Renshaw, Ninajirachi and Tia Gostelow.

Triple j ‘Breakfast’ hosts Matt Okine and Alex Dyson went to Ray’s school of Princes Hill Secondary College to deliver her the news, and to pass the crown over from last year’s Unearthed High winners Mosquito Coast.

Ray joins a list of winners that also includes Stonefield, Asta and Japanese Wallpaper. Interestingly, Ray is currently part of Japanese Wallpaper’s touring band, meaning the group now has two winners in its ranks.

There were more than 1,000 entries in this year’s Unearthed High, but Ray won out because her song was, “smart, assured, catchy, unshakable,” according to triple j‘s Unearthed Music Director Dave Ruby Howe.

He further called her a “bold and exciting new talent who seems to win over everyone that comes into orbit of her music”.

Ray will now be given the chance to record a song with the help of triple j, which will no doubt be played all across the airwaves. Catch her winning song Drive, below.

Listen: Gretta Ray – Drive

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