Eddie Perfect to Mentor Winner of Inaugural Next Up Music Awards

Composer, writer, and performer Eddie Perfect has been named Patron of the Music Theatre category for the inaugural Next Up Music Awards (NUMAs), an initiative celebrating school-aged contemporary musicians and creators. The winner of this category will receive a six-month mentorship with Perfect, including one-on-one sessions and feedback on their work. Perfect emphasized the need for relevant and engaging Australian musicals and expressed his commitment to mentoring the next generation of composers, lyricists, and book writers. The awards, founded by music executive Milly Petriella OAM, also include the Alumni Pathways program, offering industry workshops and professional development. Perfect joins a roster of patrons including Sia, Troye Sivan, Jenny Morris OAM, L-FRESH the LION, and Ecca Vandal. The mentorship is part of the wider Alumni Pathways, which also includes a six-month mentorship with Q Prime, a producer/engineer mentorship with MPEG, and workshops with Spotify, G.Y.R.O., and The Annex. Nominations are open until 15 September, with winners announced in January next year. The awards will also recognize a Music Teacher of the Year and community groups and schools. Petriella, currently Partnerships Manager at The Song Room and formerly at APRA AMCOS, aims to create a youth-led celebration of emerging talent supported by student internships.