Talented singer-songwriter and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) graduate Kate Miller-Heidke is helping boost Brisbane's reputation as city of world-class musical talent.
Miller-Heidke, who graduated with a Master of Music from QUT in 2004, won two awards at the state's most prestigious music event, the Queensland Music Awards, on Tuesday, August 16.
The alternative pop musician took out the publicly voted Most Popular Female category and the Export Achievement award in recognition of her success in Australia and overseas.
Former ARIA award nominee Miller-Heidke, whose second album, Curiouser, was released in Australia in 2008, has also enjoyed critical acclaim in the United States.
QUT Professor Julian Knowles is president of the management committee for Q Music, the independent industry development association which organises the awards.
"Brisbane has an international reputation for producing world-class music talent," he said.
"This is facilitated by a strong music education program in schools, planning laws that have permitted the survival of music venues and a strong music industry association in Q Music.
"The Queensland Music Awards are prestigious, with both peer selected and publicly voted categories, and are a stepping stone to major national level awards."
Professor Knowles is also director of QUT's Independent Music Project, which organised the successful 100 Songs project in May with industry partners and Brisbane indie label collective, Sounds Like Brisbane.
The groundbreaking initiative brought together 72 of the region's top independent artists over six days to record more than 100 songs in nearly 100 hours at QUT's Gasworks Studio.
Professor Knowles said a number of artists who participated in 100 Songs were Queensland Music Awards finalists and winners, including Ben Salter who took out the Most Popular Male award.
Sam Hales, from 100 Songs band The Jungle Giants, won the $10,000 Arts Queensland Billy Thorpe Scholarship.
Tracks from 100 Songs artists are being digitally released through MGM distribution and a 'best-of' 100 Songs compilation CD will be available by the end of 2011.
Visit www.qmusic.com.au for more information about Q Music's Queensland Music Awards. For more information about 100 Songs, go to http://implabs.net/events/100-songs
