Grant McLennan

Nominations for the prestigious Grant McLennan Fellowship are now open, which means one lucky Queensland artist could soon see themselves travelling overseas to immerse themselves in the music scene of either London, Berlin or New York.

Founded in 2007 in honour of the late Go-Betweens front-man Grant McLennan, the Grant McLennan Fellowship is intended to expose the awardee to the cultural atmosphere of one of these cities to stimulate inspiration and creativity.

Since its founding, the scholarship has seen recipients Tim Steward, Seja Vogel and John Busby and Chris Dale of Halfway transform themselves through the enriching aspects of foreign music culture.

“I can’t wait to immerse myself in a city that is constantly whirring with activity” says 2016 recipient Hannah Macklin (MKO Sun) who has chosen to undertake her fellowship in NYC this August “…then return to my brownstone apartment in Bedford Stuyvesant, BK and bunker down for daily songwriting sessions.”

Queensland Premier and Minister for the Arts Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government was excited to support a scholarship which allows local budding musicians to develop their songwriting skills.

“The musical works Grant created remain a source of great inspiration for songwriters. Ten years on from the Fellowship’s creation, it continues to provide pathways for developing songwriters who are seeking the experiences that will help them reach their potential,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

APRA AMCOS’ Head of Member Services Dean Ormston said the fellowship works well to recognise up-and-coming musicians and also enables the community to remember Grant’s musical legacy.

“It’s so important to support and invest in the next generation of songwriters. Grant was one of our best! We’re really pleased to be able to recognise Grant’s songwriting and ongoing influence through this fellowship.”

The 2017 Grant McLennan Fellowship is joint-funded by Arts Queensland and APRA AMCOS and administered by QMusic.

Applications opened on Wednesday 19 July for individual songwriters and songwriting duos.

Eligibility requirements: 

  • Be a Queensland resident and permanent resident or citizen of Australia
  • Be 21 years of age or older
  • Be a member of APRA AMCOS
  • Have satisfied the reporting requirements of any previous Arts Queensland grants
  • Have an ABN
  • Only submit one application in each round (e.g. songwriting duos may not also submit individual applications).