Applications for 23% music creator mentorship now open
14 places available to women and gender diverse APRA AMCOS members
Each successful applicant will also receive $3,000 towards projects or work-related expenses and/or travel
Applications open until Saturday 10 May
APRA AMCOS’s dedicated mentorship program for women and gender diverse music creators, 23%, is now open for applications with 14 places available to songwriter or producer members at a pivotal stage of their career.
The program is open to all musical genres and practices and will match mentees and mentors to align with career stage, goals and priorities for a three-month period. Each successful applicant will also receive $3,000 towards projects or work-related expenses and/or travel.
Since the mentoring program began in 2018, 84 mentees have taken part including Telenova’s Angeline Armstrong, Annie Hamilton, BVT, CLEWS, dameeeela, Eliza Hull, Issy Grist (GRID), Body Type’s Sophie McComish and Victoria Pham.
Mentors have included some of the industry’s most influential names including Claire Collins, Imogen Clark, Kristy Lee Peters (KLP), Nat Dunn and Ngaiire.
Issy Grist, aka GRID, took part in the 2024 program as a mentee with mentor Kristy Lee Peters (KLP). She explains: “Being selected for the program was an amazing confidence boost for me and being able to actually put this dream into action with the help of someone who has done it all before has been life changing.
“I feel like I have achieved so much in the past few months and I don’t think it would have all been possible without Kristy’s initial guidance and encouragement.”
23% is a reference to the percentage of APRA AMCOS members who identified as women or gender diverse when the program first launched in 2018 and is aimed at addressing the gender disparity in music.
Karen Don, Head of Membership at APRA AMCOS, explains: “We acknowledge that the representation of women and gender diverse creators in the industry is woefully inadequate, and we need to do more to grow that participation and our membership to way above the 23% mark.
“Mentorship programs like 23% are just one small step in the right direction to achieve gender parity in our industry through an investment in talent, career guidance and network building, paring mentors and mentees in a meaningful way that we hope will lead to lasting relationships and more sustainable careers in music.”
Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS, adds: "It takes time, ongoing commitment and investment to address issues and opportunities like gender parity, diversity and inclusion. As an employer, member-based organisation and leader within the music industry, we take this very seriously and believe that the investment in programs like 23% will help drive the change we all want to see.”
Applications are open now until Saturday 10 May.
