The winner of Keith Urban’s Rising Star Scholarship – who will be provided unprecedented access to Nashville’s music scene – has been revealed.
Launched in partnership with the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Urban’s scholarship was created for artists who have already built momentum and are ready for a meaningful push forward. The prize offers career-defining access to Nashville, including performance opportunities, songwriting sessions, industry introductions, and recording time at Urban’s studio, The Sound.
Urban has selected Ethan Calway as the inaugural recipient. He broke the news in a surprise Zoom call over the weekend – watch it below.
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Calway is an emerging singer-songwriter hailing from Gippsland, Victoria. His music is honest and unpolished, blending grit with heart in songs that live between the pub, the winding back roads, and all the spaces in between.
He recently released a new single “Better Tomorrow”, which is built on punchy guitars and an anthemic hook. It tells the story of pushing through long nights, working for something bigger, and refusing to stay stuck.
At its core, the song is about momentum and mindset. The repeated line “I’m working on a better tomorrow” lands as both a personal mantra and a universal message, resonating with anyone striving for change.
Calway is taking the new song and more on the road with shows across the country this month – see here for details.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ spoke with Urban about the origins of the Rising Star Scholarship, why Calway stood out, and what Australian country artists need to know about taking their ambitions global.
You’ve spent a lot of your career championing emerging artists – what was the moment or idea that sparked the creation of the Rising Star Scholarship?
I spent so much of my formative musical years going to Tamworth and competing in the CCMA’s at the Town Hall hoping one day to get to the Golden Guitar Awards. To win anything in those categories can be a real boost for a career. I was an artist who also had my sights on one day getting to Nashville, but didn’t know how to get there – so I wanted to offer something specific in helping artists have a chance to do just that.
This scholarship is very much focused on artists who already have momentum – what do you look for in someone who’s ready to take that next step onto a global stage?
I think its always that mix of talent, fire, unbreakable belief in yourself, and tenacity. I think one of the things Aussies have in spades is perseverance, and thats always gonna serve you well, because even an opportunity like this will only get you ‘in’ – its what you do with it from there that counts.
Nashville played such a pivotal role in your own journey – what do you think an experience like this can unlock for an Australian artist coming into that environment today?
It depends on the artist and what they’re wanting to achieve. Some want to come and record here, some want to come and write with the great writers in town – maybe record too, and then take all that back to Australia. Some want to come and see if they can expand their career to find an audience here as well.
You surprised Ethan with the news personally – what stood out to you about him, and why did he feel like the right inaugural recipient?
In a word, ‘honesty’. When he sings, I believe him. I can feel his story coming through – and I can feel his heart. When that finds the right song, it all aligns – and that’s what connects.
Looking more broadly, how important is it for Australian country artists to think internationally now, and what advice would you give to those trying to break beyond the local scene?
Again, its different for every artist. Theres no rules – not really. Theres originality that needs more time to shape and form to eventually find its audience, and theres unique artists that connect right away, and everything in between.
I’m not a fan of blanket advice because it sometimes gets in the way of bold originality, but knowing what advice to take and what to ignore is key – and thats its own journey for every artist. Its cultivating that inner voice inside you that keeps you on your path.
How do Australian country artists – both emerging and established – compare to the top tier acts in the US?
I think theres ‘Australian artists’…. and then theres ‘artists from Australia’. For me, those are two different things. Australia is definitely cultivating more country artists that are more aware of what they need to do to be at that level for international. If your goal is to just be here and build an audience for what you already do, then creative social media and slowly building your fan base is of course doable.
But if your goal is to come and be a part of the commercial country scene in the US, you have to be fully committed to the journey – dedicate real time, effort, and forge solid relationships with people here. People who can collaborate with you, your ‘creative tribe’ so to speak. It takes time, and lots of sacrifice, and thats where a lot of artists bail – its definitely not for the faint of heart!
