Smith Street Band, Remi Among Global Music Grant Nominees

The nominees for this year’s Carlton Dry $50,000 Global Music Grant have been announced during the BIGSOUND Music Conference in Brisbane, with a mix of local artists in the running for the prize.

From over 100 artists and bands who applied, the five acts named on the shortlist are Melbourne’s beloved Smith Street Band, Canberra trio Safia, 9-piece soul outfit Saskwatch, rising MC Remi and talented multi-instrumentalist and singer Fractures.

The $50,000 grant has been created to assist the winning act with touring, showcasing their music, recording or relocating overseas to further their career. “The best bands and artists come from Australia. We want to help bring them to the world,” Carlton Dry noted in their announcement. Last year’s recipients of the grant were fuzz rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

The Melbourne outfit put the funds towards touring the US, with shows in Dallas, Chicago and Washington, a slot on the legendary Austin Psychfest, residencies in New York City and additional dates in Canada.

This year’s winner will be announced at the Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards on Wednesday, 8th October. The nominees for the ninth annual Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards were announced earlier this week, led by Brisbane rockers Violent Soho, Sia and Chet Faker.

Watch: The Smith Street Band – Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams

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