Live Nations ‘Ones To Watch’ Makes Darwin Debut
Returning for their second showcase of 2024, Live Nation Australia’s ‘Ones To Watch’ program will be making its Darwin debut on Thursday, August 8th. Off the back of a highly successful jaunt in Sydney earlier this year, the ‘Ones To Watch’ program heads up north, with support from MusicNT & the Regional & Remote Music Summit.
Expected to get local, national & international heads turning, the event will host three of the top end’s finest acts, with brothers Yung Milla & J Milla set to appear alongside singer & songwriter Juran.
Top End’s rising hip-hop truth teller Yung Milla will perform off the back of a successful Barunga Festival, where Yung Milla ignited a sea of 5,000 new fans with his spectacular backflipping stage presence and sharp wordplay. Singles ‘Land Down Under’ & ‘Lose Control’ follow a slow-burning trilogy of potent tracks from Yung Milla, including: ‘Daily’, ‘Better Days’ and ‘Used To Be’. His righteous path has just begun, seeing early support from the likes of triple j and triple j Unearthed, along with his recent NT Music Awards nominationfor “Best Hip Hop song” in 2022.
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Rising hip-hop star J-MILLA is set to light up the ‘Ones To Watch’ stage. Over the last 12 months he has made appearances at festivals such as Field Day, St Kilda Festival, Perth Festival, Barunga Festival and Bass In The Grass; was selected as the feature artist for Triple J Unearthed during Naidoc Week 2023, and has recently been selected as a finalist for Acclaim’s coveted All Stars list for 2024. He has previously won 2x NT Music Awards, as well as the NIMA Archie Roach Foundation Award (2021) and has seen significant support from DSP’s, with over 4 million total streams across platforms.
Juran, a soulful artist from Tropical Darwin, blends inventiveness with captivating allure , exploring themes of love and the human psyche. In 2023, she collaborated with top Northern Territory musicians and co-created the award-winning show “Manifesto of Salt Water Women.” Now, with her debut album “Demons” set for release in 2024, Juran’s journey of self-discovery continues. Juran’s versatility extends beyond solo work; she’s a guitarist for the punk band ‘Mr Chrisy Mertas’ and part of the upcoming hip-hop duo ‘Clink’ with Caiti Baker. Collaborations with NT-based talents like Yirrmal and Emily Wurramara further highlight her as a rising star.
The ONES TO WATCH Backed By VODAFONE series has made a solid impact within the Australian music community. Throughout 2023, the series provided industry and fans the exclusive opportunity to see some of the country’s best talent perform in intimate environments across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, highlighting the talent of the current wave of Australian talent primed to make their impact in other markets.
“It has been a long-awaited moment, and we are thrilled to introduce Live Nation’s ‘Ones to Watch’ to Darwin. This event will showcase some of the finest local talent, poised to make a significant impact on the domestic music scene.” Paul Lynch. Live Nation Australia
The Summit Program will present research, panel sessions, case studies, keynotes and workshops that respond to number of broad themes, including: Place, Storytelling, and Culture; Regional and Remote Live Music and Festivals; Adapting to the Climate Crisis; Understanding Audiences; The
Importance of Safe Spaces; Skills Gaps and Building Capacity; and Policy and Investment. The event makes space for the 7 million Australians existing outside of the metropolitan music
industry who need their voices heard.
Since its establishment in North America, the ONES TO WATCH series has been able to support and promote artists such as Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo and Halsey early in their careers. So far in Australia, ONES TO WATCH has platformed artists including Blake Rose, Sophisticated Dingo, STUMPS, Forest Claudette, Teenage Joans, Carla Wehbe, ZPLUTO, WIIGZ, Hoodzy, East AV3, Colourblind and Saint Lane at events around the country.
LIVE NATION’S ‘ONES TO WATCH’ DARWIN
Thursday, August 8th Bustard Town Darwin
