Jazmyn Produces is nominated for a young achiever award

Gympie musician, photographer, filmmaker and businesswoman Jazmyn Smith is in the running for Queensland’s young achiever award.

The team behind Jazmyn Produces: Latisha Walter, Jazmyn Smith, Ava Stewart, Kym Franklin. Jazmyn Smith has been nominated a 7news young achiever award for her business, Jazmyn Produces. Photo: Charmaine Lyons

Gympie musician and business owner Jazmyn Smith is in the running for a Queensland young achiever award for her small business, Jazmyn Produces.

In only two years, this fledgling creative media business has kicked major goals working exclusively with musicians and artists from emerging to well-known.

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“Our most exciting news at the moment is that we’ve just signed Murray Cook, the OG red wiggle with his adult band, The Soul Movers. We’ve signed them on to do all their film clips, photography, marketing and social media,” Ms Smith said.

The business has seen rapid growth and employs three young Gympie women interested in the creative industries.

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Gympie musician Jazmyn Smith has been nominated for a 7News Young Achiever Award for her business, Jazmyn Produces. Photo: Supplied

A tour to Nashville and Hollywood to film a behind the scenes documentary with Melody Moko saw Ms Smith gain international experience and rub shoulders with stars.

“I'm a massive fan of Lana Del Rey. When I was in Nashville I became one degree of separation away from her,” she said.

Despite international trips, she contentedly calls Gympie home and is a big believer in having a career in the arts without having to move to the city.

Ms Smith is passionate about showing off Gympie and brings 90% of her artists up to Gympie for shoots.

She draws inspiration from the Gympie region, turning its heritage buildings, rainforests and cattle pastures into film sets. Even sting rays in Tin Can Bay get a mention in her film stories.

“We went out there to film in the water and discovered that there is just ample sting rays, so we had to make our way back hoping and praying not to step on a stingray,” she said.

“That was probably the most adrenaline rushing experience.”

A single mum, a musician, a photographer, filmmaker and business owner, little stands in Ms Smith’s way when she sets her mind to it.

A website featuring work from Jazmyn Produces.

When she was 15 she moved out of home, lived in a women’s shelter and worked her way through high school. She was given a scholarship to university at the Gold Coast and moved back up to Gympie to start a family.

She’s a proud singer and songwrite and is about to release her debut EP. She’s found a supportive art community in Gympie and she’s excited about watching it grow.

Jazmyn Produces has been nominated for the Queensland Small Business Commissioner‘s Small Business Achiever Award.

The award “recognises and celebrates passionate young small business owners who are ‘giving it a go’ with vision, determination, innovation, hard work and self-motivation.”

The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala Presentation on Friday, May 19, 2023

Originally published as Jazmyn Produces is nominated for a young achiever award