Recipients of the Best Urban Song award at this year’s Queensland Music Awards, Astro Travellers, have taken out the Hilltop Hoods Initiative for 2016! The seven piece hip hop group have received the lucrative $10,000 grant from the Hoods and APRA AMCOS that will be used to finish up and promote their debut album.
The Initiative has helped the careers of artists including Jimblah, Sarah Connor and Chelsea Jane in the past, successfully guiding and aiding artist development and the fostering of crucial industry networks. In its 11th year this year, the Hilltop Hoods Initiative also offers the winner legal advice courtesy of Media Arts Lawyers and a Love Police ATM mech start up kit.
Dean Ormston, APRA AMCOS’ Head of Member Services has commented on Astro Travellers’ win, “APRA AMCOS is invested in the future of music, and partnering with Hilltop Hoods to deliver the Initiative is one way we can give emerging songwriters a leg-up. Astro Travellers clearly have a huge amount of talent, and we can’t wait to hear more from them.”
Entries for the Initiative were judged by a panel of hip hop figures in the Australian industry including Hau, Nish, Tom Thum, Raph and Ran-Dee.
Of the Brisbane group’s win, Suffa describes Astro Travellers’ sound, “We’re so happy that Astro Travellers have taken out the Initiative this year. The band have a ridiculously soulful sound that takes me back to the late 90’s West Coast hip hop, but somehow manages to sound fresh and new.”
Get a taste of what Astro Travellers are about below, and watch out for them as 2016 rolls out!
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