Since winning Toyota Star Maker in January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Karin Page has spent a lot of time on the road.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Her next single is almost ready to drop, and a music a video will also be released, continuing the busy year for our current Star Maker winner.
Behind the scenes, the 2017 Toyota Star Maker competition is well underway with the finalists soon to be announced.
They will join a list, which stretches to almost 700 artists, who have stepped onto the stage for a Star Maker final.
When it began in the late 1970s, Star Maker was designed to give Tamworth a new country music event outside the festival, and provide a platform for an emerging act to boost their career.
The competition was introduced by Tamworth radio station 2TM.
It was held in October each year, until 1984, when it was decided to move that year’s Star Maker to the 1985 Tamworth Country Music Festival, and since then the final and grand final have been a highlight of the festival. Among the winners that followed were artists who went on to make their mark in country music, including James Blundell (1987), Keith Urban (1990), Gina Jeffreys (1991) and Beccy Cole (1993).
The mid 1990s brought changes to Star Maker behind the scenes as 2TM was sold to a new owner, and the marketing arm of the company was sold to Rural Press (owner of The Northern Daily Leader) in 1995.
The following year Toyota came on board as the major sponsor, securing naming rights, and including a vehicle for the winner to use for 12 months as part of the Star Maker prize.
“Since Fairfax Rural Events (formerly Rural Press Events) has been involved, we have overseen the addition to the prize pool of the Toyota vehicle, fuel card, Maton Guitar, Portable PA system and professionally produced video, but the real prize is still the title,” Star Maker co-ordinator Cheryl Byrnes said.
While the Star Maker final and grand final was held in Tamworth Town Hall for many year, it made the move to the 1600-seat Toyota Country Theatre at TREC (Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre) in 2004.
Star Maker celebrated its 25th anniversary that year, and Travis Collins was named the winner. Since then, the list of winners has included Samantha McClymont (2005), Kirsty Lee Akers (2007), Luke Austen (2010) and Luke Dickens (2011).
It is not a talent competition in the traditional sense.
- Cheryl Byrnes
“Toyota Star Maker is unique,” Ms Byrnes said. “It is not a talent competition in the traditional sense. It is a search, through competition for an individual who has the greatest potential to take advantage of the opportunities offered in the Star Maker prize package.”
Ten more finalists will take to the stage on Sunday, January 22, 2017, for the next title.
