Future of Music 2025

In 2024, Rolling Stone AU/NZ shared its first-ever Future 25 list as part of Rolling Stone‘s worldwide Future of Music series.

In conjunction with our global Rolling Stone partners, our editorial team compiled a list of 25 of the most exciting and innovative artists from Australia and New Zealand, acts we believed were destined for the very pinnacle of music.

We had full faith in our chosen artists, but even we were blown away by the incredible success they enjoyed throughout 2024. From Dom Dolla establishing himself as a superstar producer to Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers being lauded by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder to Royel Otis sweeping the 2024 ARIA Awards, our Future 25 took the express elevator last year.

No pressure then, Class of 2025.

Our Future 25 list is back for its second edition, and as with last year, we’ve selected artists who represent the thrilling diversity of Australia and Aotearoa’s current music landscape.

Some work in unsung subgenres, others forego the restrictive concept of genre entirely. These artists are making music in scenes spread around the world, whether that be in the heart of Brisbane’s bubbling Fortitude Valley, Auckland’s collaborative community, or Los Angeles’ growing diaspora of Antipodean musicians. Some are garnering millions upon millions of streaming listens, while others prefer to build their devoted fanbase on the live music circuit.

On a purely artistic level, our local music scenes are bursting with vitality. Imposing challenges lie ahead.

Our charts and commercial radio stations are still dominated by global releases, and, perhaps even more worryingly, flagship festivals like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo are being cancelled at an alarming rate.

There are reasons to be optimistic, though.

In 2025, even Australia’s national government is trying to define the future of music. The 2025-26 Federal Budget includes increased funds for Revive, the National Cultural Policy, and the Revive Live Program, as well as much-needed money to ensure the continuation of the the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Partnership Program.

“This is a welcome and timely Budget that recognises the growing role music plays in our national identity, economy and global reach,” APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston said. “This Budget shows what’s possible when government works in partnership with industry. Now we need the next Parliament to finish the job – and lock in the future of great Australian music for good.”

After those tough first post-pandemic years, the people in power are finally recognising the need (see also: Music Managers Forum Aotearoa’s Spotlight Aotearoa initiative, which aims to boost the presence of New Zealand acts on major international tours) to revitalise our music industries.

If they needed any evidence as to why this is all so important, they could find it all over. The talent is here – and it always will be.

They could hear Fontaines D.C., one of the biggest rock bands in the world, extolling our latest Rolling Stone AU/NZ cover stars Amyl and the Sniffers; they could watch Western Sydney hardcore crew SPEED whipping the crowd into an almighty frenzy at Coachella; and they could, of course, look at our Future 25 list, filled as it is with artists ready to represent Australia and New Zealand on a global scale for the next decade.

Meet the Australian and New Zealand acts we’re most excited about this year in our Future 25 list below – from a globetrotting pop-rock band to a rising country star to Australia’s next big electronic music export, and many more.

We’ll be running exclusive interviews with all 25 artists throughout the next two weeks, which you can find at our Future of Music 2025 microsite. And check out Rolling Stone US’s Future of Music 2025 list here. —Conor Lochrie

CONTRIBUTORS: Conor Lochrie, Lars Brandle, Neil Griffiths, James Jennings, Sarah Downs

The Buoys

Yes, The Buoys are all women. And, let’s face it, they’re better than the boys.

Led by lightning rod singer and rhythm guitar Zoe Catterall, the Sydney four-piece packs a lot of punch on stage. And with their debut full-length album from 2024, Lustre, the feature album of the week on triple j following its release, they showed critics everywhere that indie rock, done right, is far from a relic.

Musically, The Buoys step out of a glorious moment in the 1990s, fuelled with freedom, energy and melodies. They completed another national lap in late March, following a run of dates across the UK and Western Europe earlier in 2025, where they treated international crowds to their special brand of energy and raw lyricism.

“We’re a hard-working band,” bass player Courtney Cunningham explained backstage after the band played at Rolling Stone House at SXSW Sydney 2024. She’s not wrong. Recording sessions on a new album are underway. —Lars Brandle

Vacations

Vacations are an Australian band already on the way up. Still early in their career, the Newcastle-formed indie rockers have already booked spots on Jimmy Kimmel, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and CBS Saturday Morning, and racked up well over a billion streams, not to mention almost 10 million monthly Spotify listens. 

Vacations are a past nominee in the prestigious Global category at the Rolling Stone Australia Awards, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The band’s 2016 hit, “Young”, went viral on TikTok thanks to the ‘Knock’ trend, and the song was even used by the likes of Lizzo and Rosalía. Ever since, the band have garnered a huge overseas following and their home country is following suit. 

Vacations’ most recent album, No Place Like Home, was released in January 2024, and they followed their third studio effort with a headline tour. They next have a string of US dates this year, including an appearance at Napa Valley’s BottleRock festival in May alongside the likes of Green Day, Justin Timberlake, and Noah Kahan. —Neil Griffiths

SPEED

SPEED’s breakout into the mainstream was one of the most encouraging success stories in Australian music last year.

Rising out of the inner depths of Sydney’s hardcore scene, wider recognition of their talent culminated in a stunning ARIAs win in the Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album category.

They won that award for their debut album, Only One Mode, a battering ram of a record that heralded SPEED as one of the most exciting hardcore bands of their generation, not just in Australia but worldwide.

Case in point: their explosive turn at day one of Coachella 2025, which brought heavy moshing and stage-diving to the California festival.

It takes a special band like SPEED to break out of a scene like hardcore in the manner that they did; that they achieved this feat with an uncompromising artistic belief system makes it all the more exhilarating. —Conor Lochrie

CHAII

CHAII’s fearless fusion of Persian melodies, rap, hip-hop, and electronic beats positions her as one of Aotearoa’s most exciting genre-benders.

On her debut album Safar (Farsi for “journey”), produced alongside life partner Frank Keys, CHAII balanced confident flows with soft-spoken word, never losing the fierce edge that turned heads in the first place.

On standout track “Drippin’ in Gold”, she declared, “They say immigrant, I say imma great,” capturing the album’s spirit. The album chronicled her move from Iran to New Zealand, threading her cultural roots through every track. “Fifteen years ago, I told my school music teacher I’d mix Persian and Western music, and I’ve been experimenting ever since,” she said.

CHAII’s vision stretches beyond sound, with her stylish visuals transform each release into a full-blown art piece. She’s not just shaping Aotearoa’s music scene – she’s defining what’s next. —Sarah Downs

Delivery

Melbourne five-piece Delivery make the kind of primal garage punk designed to peel the paint off the walls of small, sweat-soaked clubs.

Formed in peak-pandemic 2020 – an unfortunate obstacle in terms of band rehearsals – Delivery is the brainchild of couple Rebecca Allan and James Lynch, who trade vocals that alternate between snarling and sardonic, best exemplified on cracking recent singles “Digging the Hole” and “Deadlines”.

Released in January, taut and terrific second LP Force Majeure is a satisfying step-up from 2022 debut Forever Giving Handshakes, the band’s move to the revered UK label Heavenly Recordings (Beth Orton; Doves) well deserved.

Royal Headache were the last Aussie garage-punk band to achieve decent international recognition; given their current trajectory, expect Delivery – rounded out by drummer Liam Kenny and guitarists/backing vocalists Jordan Oakley and Scarlett Maloney – to ascend to the same heights before too long. —James Jennings

Georgia Lines

Forget needing a few albums to find your footing: Auckland pop singer-songwriter Georgia Lines decided to just go ahead and nail it on her warmly received 2024 debut album, The Rose of Jericho.

The accolades arrived thick and fast upon its release, with the accomplished collection of emotive, piano-led pop debuting at No. 1 on the New Zealand charts, ultimately leading to Lines scoring Best Pop Artist at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards. (Lines’s stunning No. 1 single “The Letter” was also a finalist for the coveted Silver Scroll Award last year, an acknowledgement of her exceptional songwriting skills).

Granted, the hype started before the album dropped, but Lines’s trophy cabinet now contains a total of four New Zealand Music Awards, including Best Breakthrough Artist in 2023. She’ll be hoping to add to her haul at the upcoming 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, where she’s nominated for multiple awards including Album of the Year. 

All of the acclaim Lines receives is for good reason: she deftly jumps between soulful ballads and joyful pop with an expertise that belies her age, pointing at even greater things to come. —J.J.

Ayesha Madon

When she performed at Rolling Stone House at SXSW Sydney 2024, Ayesha Madon told a harrowing story relatable to any aspiring artist: when showcasing one time at BIGSOUND, the audience in the room could be counted on one hand, she revealed.

Fast forward to now, and Madon is on the cusp of something special. At the time of writing, the Sydney artist’s following on Instagram is racing towards 300,000, thanks in part to her second life portraying Amerie Wadia in the hit Netflix series Heartbreak High, for which she received nominations for AACTA and Logie Awards.

Madon dropped a trio of singles in 2024, most recently the pop-nugget “Michelle Obama”, and covered Cosmopolitan Australia.

Looking ahead, Madon has more live performances and more acting lined up in 2025. She’s writing and working on her debut EP, and she teases shooting something “top secret.” “It’s the start of my live journey,” she tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ. —L.B.

JessB

JessB’s 2024 debut album, Feels Like Home, opened with “Power”, a collaboration with Sampa the Great and dancehall reggae legend Sister Nancy. A lesser artist would perhaps have crumbled under the pressure of beginning their first record like that, but JessB more than held her own.

The message behind “Power” was clear: JessB knew she belongs in such esteemed company, and she wanted us to know it too.

The Auckland-based rapper and artist did everything but release a debut album over the past several years, including working with international stars like Doja Cat, Sweetie, and G Flip.

When Feels Like Home finally arrived last year, it proved to be the debut album JessB was always capable of making. Rarely has an artist come into their first album with such an extensive resumé behind them, which is why Feels Like Home often sounded like a third or fourth album. JessB is just that good.

“Feels Like Home sounds global, an exportable collection ready to take JessB far from home base,” we praised. —C.L.

Mia Wray

If you haven’t already got on the Mia Wray train, do it now before it’s too late. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter has just dropped her long-awaited first album, hi, it’s nice to meet me, a stunning debut collection. 

Boasting over 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners, Wray first caught the eye of Mushroom Publishing’s Bill Page and signed with the label at just 16 years of age. So impressive was her talent, Wray knocked back multiple offers coming her way, including a spot on The Voice. Then a record deal signing conversation came with the late, great Michael Gudinski.

“It was just me and Michael, no one else. He asked me, ‘What do you want out of this?’ and I laid it all out: a full live band, a horn section, backup singers. I told him exactly how the lights would look, how it would sound, everything. I even started drumming on the coffee table and singing,” Wray recalled.

“I think he was a little bit like, ‘Fuck, OK, shit.’ It really excited him that I was so sure of what I wanted. From there, our passion just matched.” —N.G.

Gut Health

Australia – Melbourne in particular – is spoiled for choice when it comes to wiry and angular post-punk bands. So what makes Gut Health stand out?

Put on their debut album Stiletto for just three minutes and you’ll understand. That’s roughly how long it takes to play the thrilling opener “Uh oh”, which begins as Gut Health mean to go on: all explosive energy, excitable sprechgesang, and some of the best dance-punk hooks since the mid-2000s.

In Athina Uh Oh, they have a seriously formidable frontperson, one who recalls Life Without Building’s lively lead vocalist Sue Tompkins.

Stiletto is the type of debut album that won’t just break Gut Health out of Melbourne – it should also catapult the sextet to global renown in rock and punk circles.

Gut Health were nominated not once but twice at the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards, including for Best New Artist. Expect to see the band’s name among the 2025 ARIA Awards nominees, particularly in the Breakthrough Artist category. —C.L.

PARK RD

Auckland’s PARK RD are carving their own path in pop-rock with festival-ready anthems and raw, heartfelt songwriting.

Straddling the gap between Spacey Jane’s sunlit indie and The 1975’s polished melodrama, their sound has already turned heads – Spacey Jane even tapped them to open for them in Aotearoa.

PARK RD’s debut album, The Novel, dropped last May, loaded with big hooks and youthful energy, proving they’ve got the chops. But recent tracks like “English Boy” show they’re not afraid to mix it up, revealing a grittier edge beneath the gloss.

Since The Novel’s release, PARK RD have been on fire, touring with The Rions, headlining shows across New Zealand and Australia, hitting BIGSOUND, and lighting up festivals like Le Currents and Electric Avenue. A co-headline tour with Foley only added fuel to the fire.

And they’re just getting started. 2025 is shaping up to be massive, with a tour supporting The Jungle Giants and new music ready to push their sound even further. —S.D.

The Grogans

You could never accuse garage-rock trio The Grogans – Quin Grunden (lead vocals, guitar), Angus Vasic (guitar) and Jordan Lewis (drums) – of being slackers.

The Melbourne-based band have released four full-length albums in less than six years, with more new music promised for 2025.

A group with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of melodic, fuzz-drenched riffs, The Grogans have won their legion of fans the old-fashioned way: with an admirable work ethic that has seen them relentlessly tour around the country, wowing crowds with their impressive arsenal of hook-y earworms.

Although they’ve always thrown different influences into the mix – surf-rock, blues, psychedelia, The Kinks and The Black Lips, among them – recent single “In My Heart”, with its upbeat whistling, gentle acoustic groove, and slide guitar, proved The Grogans are a band willing to push their sound into unexpected – and pleasing – new directions. Here’s hoping for more pleasant surprises in 2025. —J.J.

Thelma Plum

With 2019’s “Better in Blak”, Thelma Plum launched into the world an anthem for the ages. A proud Gamilaraay woman, Plum has accumulated trophies like the rest of us collect handshakes, including the coveted Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. A plaque in Fortitude Valley’s Brunswick Street Mall bares her name, a permanent reminder that “Backseat of My Mind” won Song of the Year at the 2023 Queensland Music Awards.

With her second full-length album, I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back, Plum ripped off the band-aids for a raw assessment of life, carried by her unmistakable, country-flecked vocals and catchy melodies. It spawned standout track “Freckles”, which was a worthy winner of Best Single at the recent 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Awards. 

The singer-songwriter admits she offers an apology too often and has “often felt misunderstood. It’s something I’ve felt maybe for a long time, you know, for my whole life. It’s a feeling that… goes with shame.” No apologies are needed. Plum is one of Australia’s finest. —L.B.

KUČKA

Having already worked with the likes of Flume and A$AP Rocky, KUČKA’s status as one of Australia’s leading electronic music stars shouldn’t surprise.

The Perth-raised, LA-based artist has been on a tear since sweeping up at the West Australian Music Industry Awards between 2013 and 2015, eventually scoring an AIR Award nomination for her 2021 debut record, Wrestling.

Her second album, 2024’s Can You Hear Me Dreaming?, was even more impressive, picking up a four-star rating from Rolling Stone AU/NZ.

“She effortlessly merges irresistible pop hooks with gleaming electronic production, her opaque songs vibrating with glitchy twists and turns,” the review noted.

“This album should be a coronation for KUČKA as Australia’s next truly great electronic export.” —N.G.

Montell2099

Montell2099 has become a defining force in New Zealand’s electronic scene.

The Auckland-based DJ and producer – originally from Katikati – has been delivering electrifying anthems and thriving on collaboration for years. He’s worked with big names like Netsky, RL Grime, Wilkinson, and German producer Sublab, blending innovative beats with standout guest features.

His live shows are a full sensory experience – laser-packed, visual spectacles that have taken him from a trap set in Lake Alta’s mountains to Tomorrowland in Belgium, where he became the first NZ artist booked to play the iconic festival.

Despite playing major festivals across the globe, Montell keeps his music personal. “I’ve always liked the idea of pulling influences together and expressing them through the lens of a DJ from Aotearoa New Zealand, whilst also having a bit of a groove,” he said.

NZ’s electronic scene isn’t just keeping pace – it’s surging forward with Montell2099 leading the charge. —S.D.

Nick Ward

Nick Ward’s stunning debut album from 2024, House With the Blue Door, is one of those records that unexpectedly blindsides you. A multitude of ideas, influences, and sounds are crammed into its collection of expertly crafted pop songs, making each of the LP’s 31 minutes and 39 seconds count.

It’s hard to believe Sydneysider Ward created such an accomplished debut LP in his bedroom before he turned 22. But it’s no wonder that Troye Sivan has sung Ward’s praises, leading to Ward scoring a writing credit on Sivan’s last album and opening for him on his most recent Australian and New Zealand tour.

Although he was a triple j Unearthed High finalist in 2019 and released promising EPs in 2021 and 2022, nothing hinted at the cinematic scope achieved by House With the Blue Door. An audio diary covering Ward’s life up until the album’s recording, it deftly explores weighty themes such as coming out as queer, being a third-generation immigrant, and dealing with familial flaws. It’s a thrill to see where Ward goes next; the possibilities are limitless. —J.J.

King Stingray

When King Stingray swam into view with their self-titled 2022 debut, the ripples could be felt coast-to-coast.

The surf-rock band from Northeast Arnhem Land possess a throwback sound that, with the right equipment, can be located deep in the Aussie DNA. Singing in English and Yolŋu Matha, the language of the Yolŋu people, King Stingray were immediately lauded by the industry and tastemakers.

They won the Australian Music Prize, for the outstanding album of the year; “Milkumana”, co-written by Roy Kellaway and Yirrŋa Gotjiringu Yunupingu, won the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition; and the band collected Best New Artist at the 2022 Rolling Stone Australia Awards.

Their second album, 2024’s For the Dreams, was a contagious, welcome to the party. King Stingray will send those good vibes into the world when they embark on a major tour of the UK and Europe in June 2025. They’ll do so without lead singer Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu, who split from the band in March 2025. —L.B.

Kita Alexander

It’s been a massive 12 months for Kita Alexander. Last November, she scored her first-ever ARIA nomination for her collaboration with FISHER, “Atmosphere” (nominated for Best Single at last year’s Rolling Stone Australia Awards), and she performed as the opening act on Dua Lipa’s recent arena tour of Australia. 

The Brisbane-born pop singer-songwriter recently signed with live agency One Fiinix (home to Ed Sheeran, Olly Alexander, and Tash Sultana) for UK and European bookings, and she’s already locked in for The Great Escape in England this May.

Alexander competed in the Michael Gudinski – Breakthrough Artist category at the 2024 ARIA Awards, recognition of the strength of her debut album from the same year, Young in Love.

She’s not slowing down following the drop of her first album, with an upcoming Australian tour set to celebrate her new single, “Press Pause”. —N.G.

Miss Kaninna

What do you do when you release one of the best debut singles in Australian music in recent memory? You casually drop one of the best debut EPs this country’s ever heard.

That’s exactly what Miss Kaninna did last year, releasing her first EP, KANINNA, which opened with – what else – the ecstatically confident “Blak Britney”.

The EP showcased the music Miss Kaninna grew up listening to and loving, from hip-hop to rap, R&B to pop, with flourishes of Afrobeats, Amapiano, and more global musical influences thrown in for good measure.

The quality of KANINNA was rewarded when Miss Kaninna became the first Independent Aboriginal woman to ever be nominated for a debut single at the ARIA Awards.

“My name be filling their mouth / And I’m a threat to the rest / I work hard, invest / I’m not lucky, I’m blessed,” she fires in the middle of “Blak Britney”. A superstar in the making, Miss Kaninna already knows her worth. —C.L.

Lane Pittman

If you want a clear picture of modern Australian country’s meteoric rise, look no further than Lane Pittman.

The Tamworth native went from The Voice Australia semi-finals to topping the Australian Country Music Album Chart with his self-titled debut EP. Just three years later, the 18-year-old opened stadium shows for US country superstar Luke Combs – the very artist he covered in his blind audition on The Voice.

Pittman’s authenticity hasn’t gone unnoticed, with his former mentor, Keith Urban, praising his deep connection to the genre. “I think people are finally starting to realise country is more than trucks, beer, and ‘my girlfriend broke up with me.’ There’s substance to it,” Pittman said.

As country music’s momentum builds in Australia, Pittman isn’t just along for the ride – he’s shaping its next chapter. —S.D.

Ninajirachi

25-year-old Nina Wilson, aka DJ and producer Ninajirachi, creates the kind of epic, intricate, and universal EDM that takes you from creating music in your bedroom on the Central Coast of NSW to playing festivals the world over, including Lollapalooza, EDC Las Vegas and Laneway, where she was the 2025 interstitial DJ.

A triple j Unearthed High finalist in 2016 and 2017, she’s been releasing music officially since the age of 18, leading to her being signed to Nina Las Vegas’s label, NLV records.

Ninajirachi cites her primary influences as “nature, fantasy, science fiction, ideas of occult and magic,” which makes a whole lot of sense when you hear her music: each song is a fantastical world unto itself, like a hyperpop soundtrack to the world’s most deranged video game.

New single “All I Am” keeps the producer’s winning streak unbroken, a banger sure to keep crowds jumping in 2025 and beyond. —J.J.

Sycco

At the youthful age of 23, Sycco has already accumulated two pieces of prime real estate in her hometown. The Brisbane artist and songwriter (real name: Sasha McLeod) won Song of the Year the Queensland Music Awards in successive years, with “Dribble” in 2021 and “My Ways” in 2022 – an honour that carries a plaque in the heart of the Fortitude Valley.

Sycco, who boasts Torres Strait Island lineage, started her career as a bedroom creative. Now, she’s represented by Nathan McLay’s indie music company Future Classic, which has guided the careers of Flume, G Flip, Chet Faker, and others.

In 2024, another win arrived when her debut album, Zorb, won the J Award for triple j’s Australian Album of the Year. The blissful, psychedelic collection “perfectly captures Sycco’s incredibly unique take on songwriting and production,” said triple j music director Nick Findlay, who declared her as “one of Australia’s best young artists.” —L.B.

Drax Project

For a band on the rise, Drax Project have already ticked off some major milestones.

Since their inception in 2014, the Wellington-formed pop-rock band have released two studio albums, one live LP recorded in London, a concert film, and supported some of pop’s biggest names like Ed Sheeran, Christina Aguilera, and Camila Cabello. They’ve also embarked on a headline tour of Europe and will do it all again this May, including two dates at The Great Escape in Brighton. 

So impressive was their second album, Upside, it made Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s Best New Zealand Albums of 2023 list.  “We spent a lot of time on it, crafting every sound, lyric and detail to get it where we wanted,” they told us at the time. “We’re proud of it.”

With over 750,000 monthly Spotify listeners, Drax Project are quickly becoming one of New Zealand’s biggest global exports. —N.G.

Grace Cummings

That voice. That bloody, booming voice. You’ll always remember the first time you heard Grace Cummings’ stop-you-in-your-tracks vocals.

Already hailed as an Artist You Need to Know by Rolling Stone, Cummings released, Ramona, the album she’d been building towards for a while, last year. Her voice was utterly commanding across 11 diverse tracks, whether she was belting out a rocky number or slipping into a downward ballad.

Cummings’ album resonated with so many receptive listeners, but as she told Rolling Stone last year, she creates music for herself just as much as she does for her fans. “I write a lot of songs to keep myself company or because I’m lonely,” she said. “I want to hold my own hand. I want to feel something in my body. And being able to inhabit a song like that is like jumping into cool water.”

When an artist cares about their own music so viscerally, we hear it, we feel it. It’s what makes Cummings a special performer. —C.L.

MACEY

Music needs highs and lows, and MACEY, the musical alter ego of Harry Parsons, lays his soul bare on every song.

Since emerging with raw tales of loss and longing, his honest storytelling has struck a chord with listeners. Juggling a coffee shop gig with a music career that’s steadily gaining momentum, MACEY’s dedication is as real as it gets.

His latest EP, how to say goodbye, was a gutsy step forward for the Auckland-based artist, representing his most mature work yet. Digging into his UK roots for inspiration, MACEY leaned into fresh collaborations and let go of negativity, crafting an intimate, soul-stripping record that hit hard.

While many chase streams and charts, MACEY focuses on something deeper. He’s proof that while hardships shape you, they don’t define you. —S.D.