Rising Star award winner to play at Big Pineapple Music Festival

One Sunshine Coast emerging musician or band will hit the big stage at a major festival.

Emerging Sunshine Coast musicians have been presented with a shot at performing on the big stage in this year’s music awards.

Sunshine Coast Music Awards opened nominations for their first awards earlier this year, and have revealed the Rising Star award winner will perform at the Big Pineapple Festival.

The Sunshine Coast Music Industry Collective (SCMIC) has extended the nomination period to Friday, April 11.

Big Pineapple Music Festival organiser Mark Pico said the Sunshine Coast Music Awards were a brilliant idea to “stimulate the Sunshine Coast music scene,” and hoped the Rising Star award winner could use the festival slot as a “springboard” in their career.

“Ultimately, we would like to create a thriving environment on the Sunshine Coast for musicians so they don’t have to move to the capital cities for opportunities,” Mr Pico said.

“It wasn’t so long ago we gave Tones and I her first music festival opportunity.”

The award winner will be able to perform as the opening act on the main stage during this year’s festival.

Big Pineapple Music Festival organiser Mark Pico. Photo: contributed

He noted this could be a “massive opportunity” if the act is good enough, listing Tones and I and Ocean Alley as some of many examples who were given similar opportunities early into their careers.

“Obviously it is their amazing talent that took them to great heights, but it’s the initial opportunities that can really help to catapult your career,” Mr Pico said.

“I am here to provide a springboard but the artist needs to be at a high enough level so as to maximise the push.”

Big Pineapple Music Festival on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Contributed

The Sunshine Coast’s musicians are keen for this opportunity.

Ella Joy is a 21-year-old emerging singer-songwriter who lives and works on the coast solo and with her band, playing venues like Solbar and The Station.

“As an emerging artist, the chance to perform my originals to a festival crowd is the dream,” she said.

“Career-making gigs like this are practically non-existent for musicians in this part of the world with how many festivals have shut down recently.”

Ella Joy

The organisation was “blown away” by the applications already received for the awards, but have acknowledged the impact of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred which paused the music industry for days.

The not-for-profit group has encouraged all members of the music industry to take advantage of the extension.

The winner of the Rising Star award will perform on October 18 alongside this year’s line up, with 2024’s schedule boasting massive acts such as Peking Duk and The Amity Affliction.

Hailey Whalig and Denae Body, festival goers at a past Big Pineapple Music Festival.

A Sunshine Coast Music Industry Collective statement described the inaugural Sunshine Coast Music Awards as the “first formal acknowledgment” of the people who work hard to make the music industry on the Sunshine Coast a reality.

All nominations must be made by managers or nominees themselves, who are required to have a strong connection to the Sunshine Coast and have released work between March 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025 in order to be eligible.

Each nomination costs $8 and 25 per cent of proceeds are sent to the organisation’s charity partner, Support Act.

Each finalist also receives a free ticket to the awards night held on June 1, 2025.

The Sunshine Coast Music Awards 2025 has 11 categories, being Artist of the Year, Rising Star of the Year, Musician of the Year, Young Artist of the Year, Live Act of the Year, Song of the Year, First Nations Award, Punter of the Year, Venue of the Year, Artwork of the Year and Recording Studio of the Year.

Musicians can become a SCMIC member for free and sign up to updates on their website, SCMIC.org.