Gold Coast City Council has just announced the free A-Venue 2010 Demo And EP Production program, which will offer production and distribution assistance to seven selected emerging artists.

The 5th annual Q Song Award is opening for entries this month. The competition provides up and coming songwriters the chance to share in $35 000 in cash and prizes and build their profile.

Proposals for workshops, panels, artist and project presentations for the annual festival are due by Wednesday March 31st. The event features indepedent and innovative music from national and international artists, and will be held as part of the This Is Not Art (TINA) Festival in Newcastle, NSW from the 30th September – 4th October, 2010.

Q Music is thrilled to announce the first of it’s FREE Workshop series for 2010 in partnership with the Brisbane Powerhouse. This year will see Q Music and the Brisbane Powerhouse join forces to deliver two series of music industry professional development workshops, with the first series starting in April.
 

The Moreton Bay Regional Council and A Venue will be hosting a collaborative workshop venture covering topics such as songwriting, getting gigs, management and promotion. The workshops will be run monthly, with each session running in Lawnton, Caboolture and Redcliffe.

Over the past three years, Q Music has worked closely with Gold Coast City Council to deliver the professional development strands of the Gold Coast A-Venue program. In 2010, Q Music and the Gold Coast City Council will again work closely together, and are offering a full day workshop open to the public on Saturday 27th March.
 

UnConvention Brisbane will be holding a grassroots-led, not-for-profit music conference for independent promoters, labels, entrepreneurs, writers, technologists, innovators and artists. Musicians and music workers are invited to attend the five panel discussions concerning career building within independent music.

With 40 bands in attendance, Australia will have the 3rd largest national presence at this year's SXSW, closely following the UK and Canada.

Backbone Youth Arts announces that the annual 2high Festival has received $60,500 of government funding to help stage the multi-arts event in November 2010.

American organisation Sonicbids is offering a $4,000 sponsorship and a four-city tour to bands playing at the 2010 SXSW Festival. Brisbane group Grand Atlantic have been awarded $1,000 to help cover their travel expenses in getting to SXSW this year.

Visible Ink in Fortitude Valley will be opening a new room specifically designed for the making of zines. The workspace will be stocked with resources to aid in creation and production.

 Heading to SxSW this week? We are pleased to invite you to attend the official BIG SOUND SxSW 2010 Party. As part of Sounds Australia and Stage Mothers’ renowned Aussie BBQ, BIG SOUND will present performances from some of Australia’s finest musical exports, Violent Soho, Grand Atlantic, and Washington.

Decisive are offering free workshops for young people between the ages of 12 and 35 every Saturday for nine weeks, starting March 6th 2010.

After an overwhelming response, Melbourne R&B-soul outfit Sietta and local electro-rock group The Belligerents have been selected to undertake the industry workshops on the 15th-20th March this year. Additionally, guest speakers and mentors will provide the participants with insider knowledge and practical skills to help kick-start their music careers.
 

Former Australian Idol contestant Lisa Mitchell has won the 2009 Australian Music Prize, beating out a field of eight other short-listed artists including Bertie Blackman, Sarah Blasko, Black Cab and the Mess Hall. A judging panel of 27 industry representatives deliberated until Friday morning before deciding on Mitchell's debut album Wonder as the winner.