This year’s BIGSOUND Conference Program expands to amplify 2025’s key theme of connections that count, in announcing a powerful fusion of artists and industry gamechangers in contemporary conversations that offer thought-provoking commentary on navigating the music space we all live and create within.

Traversing different career paths brings with it their own unique sets of challenges, accomplishments and lessons learned – bringing these conversations to BIGSOUND is what makes it the must-attend event of its kind on the Australian music industry calendar.

Australian music excellence shines with this latest speaker announcement. Briggs, Yorta Yorta rapper, songwriter, author, actor and founder of Bad Apples Music – celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025 – will be making a rare appearance at BIGSOUND, in conversation with another leading champion of Blak excellence, Gomeroi musician, rapper and actor, Kobie Dee. This key session will traverse two journeys in music and cultural elevation.

Tash Sultana returns in 2025 with the dynamic and career-touchstone Return to the Roots EP,  reaching new heights of creative fulfilment in the studio and on the road. The multi-instrumentalist sold out red rocks a third time in minutes and over a billion Spotify streams.

Mallrat has made her mark this year with her #1 ARIA album Light hit my face like a straight right, showcasing her continued evolution as an artist. BIGSOUND also welcomes musician and inclusion advocate Elly-May Barnes, following her 2024 debut album No Good and widespread attention via the ABC documentary series Headliners.

Best known as drummer for one of the most influential bands of the Britpop era, Blur, Dave Rowntree is a prolific musician and composer whose career has extended into the world of film, television and animation, as well as politics and law.

Rowntree’s appearance on the BIGSOUND Conference Program in 2025 coincides with the release of his new photography book, No One You Know (to be released September 9). Featuring hundreds of photos taken by Rowntree himself, the book provides an intimate look at one of the world’s biggest bands at the precipice of fame. With No One You Know, and his BIGSOUND conversation, Rowntree is set to provide casual and longtime fans more than a fly-on-the-wall look at the beginning of such an influential musical journey.

Along with BIGSOUND’s artist-led conversations, the Conference Programming team fleshes its already stacked lineup of international and Australian speakers with representatives from globally recognised festivals, labels and organisations – all ready to immerse themselves in the Southern Hemisphere’s largest platform for music discovery and engagement.

A special focus on Mexico as an export and festival destination for Australian artists takes prominence at BIGSOUND, with the Conference Program set to welcome insights from Cynthia Flores (Asecendente / MUSICMEX) and Malfi Dorantes (MalfiCo / MUSICMEX) in an intricate session on Mexico’s emergence as a new power player within the global music market.

Industry Heavyweights

Featured on this latest speaker announcement are Cindy James – Virgin Music Group, Ollie Hodge – New Label ‘Some Action’ and Drew Bennett launching QPrime Australia. Providing unique insights in to the growth of country music – Meredith Goucher – CMA, Manager – Nikki Boon plus already announced speaker Rachel Lloyd from C2C Festival, UK.

Cindy James is a titan of the global music industry, and the General Manager of Virgin Music Group, North America. Cindy’s career has guided record companies worldwide through the fast-paced evolution of physical, digital, streaming, data and analytics, audience intelligence and more. An Australian success story, her recognition in Billboard’s Women In Music class for 2025 makes her visit to BIGSOUND all the more timely.

Spotlight on Artist Managers

Meredith Goucher, in her work as the Director of International Relations and Development at the Country Music Association (CMA) oversees the development of initiatives that ultimately lead to the expansion of global relationships and opportunities for US country artists and industry professionals.

Nikki Boon an Artist Manager at Neon Coast and manages multi-award winning and genre-crossing Kane Brown who has amassed 17 billion streams and was the first Black solo artist to headline the iconic Fenway Park in Boston.

Ollie Hodge – Former A&R Director at Polydor and Columbia who has worked with Glass Animals, George Ezra, The Vaccines, Declan McKenna and Passion Pit amongst others. Last year Ollie started his own label, Some Action, whose first release was Home by Good Neighbours.

Drew Bennett has been at Q Prime for over a decade in management, touring and marketing roles working with artists like the Black Keys and Eric Church, amongst others. With the launch of Q Prime Australia, the management company looks to continue to grow their artists’ presence in the territory while also seeking out new talent for worldwide representation.

Innovation in Ideas

The breadth and depth of conference programming is illuminated across a number of engaging panels that explore the innovation at the intersection of music and technology delivered by The Meeting Tree; the creative process behind A&R; as well as discussions that draw the curtain back on some of the country’s forward-thinking and striking music entrepreneurial platforms, including Bondi Lines.

They feature alongside international festival heavyweights on the BIGSOUND Conference Program, including Dev Sherlock (Director, SXSW Music Festival) and Robin Werner (Senior Partnerships Manager, Reeperbahn Festival), and previously announced figures like Adam Ryan (The Great Escape) – all bringing a wealth of experience in the international music export and showcase market.