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The QUBE Effect

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Network and be mentored by industry experts with The QUBE Effect, our music development program for young artists.

Young lady singing with a microphone.

What is The QUBE Effect?

The QUBE Effect is Council's a music development program for young and emerging Brisbane artists.

This program matches 12 music acts with some of the country's most influential music industry experts.

Musicians also have their own music video filmed for thousands of people to watch and vote for in the People’s Choice Award.

The winners of all award categories will be announced later this year.

Benefits for successful applicants

Free workshops and mentor sessions

Take part in group development workshops and one-on-one sessions with mentors.

Create music videos

Work with production teams to make unique music videos.

Live performance opportunities

Get the opportunity to perform.

Gain recognition

Go into the running to win awards and prizes

Who's eligible?

The QUBE Effect is open to young and emerging local solo artists and musical groups. 

Entrants must:

  • be 12 to 25 years of age (for groups, at least half of the members must be in this age range)
  • live in the Brisbane Local Government Area (for groups, at least half of the members must live in this area)
  • not be a Council employee or elected official.

Note: Entrants under the age of 18 must provide proof of consent to enter the competition from their parent or guardian.

When does The QUBE Effect run?

Applications for The QUBE Effect 2025 have closed and the finalists have been announced.

Register for program updates

Stay tuned for details of the 2026 program. Join the Creative Register to be the first to know when applications open.

Looking for something else

Meet the 2025 finalists

Check out our slideshow of The QUBE Effect 2025 finalists. 

Keep an eye out for the finalists' music videos in mid-2025 for your chance to vote for your favourites in the People's Choice Award.

See The QUBE Effect 2025 finalists perform live at The Triffid in April.

Awards and prizes

The QUBE Effect winners are announced during a awards event at the end of the program.

There are 5 award categories in The QUBE Effect.

The winners of all award categories will be announced at The QUBE Effect Awards Night on Wednesday 28 May 2025 at The Triffid.

Innovation Award

For the song that shows the most originality, creativity and innovative composition.

Prizes:

  • $800 Store DJ voucher
  • $500 Silk & Squeeg merch creation pack
  • PR advice session with SCRABBLE PR Director Gabe Cramb
  • 4ZZZ artist package

Original Song Award

For the song that shows excellence in the craft of song writing an original composition.

Prizes:

  • $1,000 Store DJ voucher
  • One-on-one session with winner's mentor of choice
  • 2x BIGSOUND delegate passes
  • 4ZZZ artist package

People‘s Choice Award

For the song that receives the most public votes for their original music video.

Prizes:

  • $2000 Store DJ voucher
  • $500 Silk & Squeeg merch creation pack
  • 4ZZZ artist package

QUBE Development Award

Honours the act that has shown commitment, originality and great potential in their artistic pursuits.

Prizes:

  • A&R session with Dew Process
  • $500 Silk & Squeeg merch creation pack
  • 2x BIGSOUND delegate passes
  • 4ZZZ artist package

Lord Mayor’s Live Event Award

For the group or individual that displays originality, creativity and potential to further develop their on-stage presence.

Prizes:

  • $500 Store DJ voucher
  • $500 Silk & Squeeg merch creation pack
  • 4x BIGSOUND delegate passes
  • 4ZZZ artist package

Performance Partner prizes

These prizes are yet to be confirmed.

Industry mentors

The QUBE Effect gives emerging artists a unique opportunity to work with music industry professionals.

Tap into their insights and experience to:

  • gain valuable industry knowledge
  • improve your confidence and stage presence
  • develop your strengths and areas of improvement through constructive feedback
  • get advice and guidance about navigating a career in the music industry.

Mentors in The QUBE Effect range from recording artists to industry experts. 

Read about the exciting panel of music industry professionals who were a part of The QUBE Effect 2024.

Mentor biographies

Adele Pickvance

Adele Pickvance moved from Bury, Greater Manchester, Australia, to Brisbane, Australia, in the early '80s and settled into the music life of Brisbane, starting with playing bass in her father's band and gigging in clubs and RSLs during her studies. After her studies, she embraced the indie Brisbane music scene, playing in numerous bands. It was the mid-'90s when Adele commenced her long musical camaraderie and journey with Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, recording demos and playing shows. When Forster and McLennan decided to form the second incarnation of The Go-Betweens, Pickvance was asked by McLennan to join the band as bass player.

Back in Brisbane, in 2018, Adele formed Adele and the Chandeliers, a three-piece post-punk band with a touch of pop, with guitarist Scott Mercer and drummer Ash Shanahan. Adele & The Chandeliers released their debut album, "First Date," in late 2020 in Australia on Orange Carpet Records and on 12-inch vinyl on the Spanish label Pretty Olivia Records. Adele also works closely with the community radio team at 4ZZZ, hosting the weekly show "Brighten The Corners."

Bernard Fanning

Bernard Fanning has accumulated one of the most celebrated songbooks on the Australian rock spectrum. The former Powderfinger front man has collectively released 11 studio albums producing songs that have become ingrained in the Australian psyche. Tracks like My Happiness, These Days, Sunsets, Burn Your Name, Wish You Well, Songbird, Blue Toowong Skies and Belly Of The Beast have become the moving soundtrack for a generation, with Bernard’s emotive and distinctive voice completely capturing our hearts.

He has a trophy cabinet that holds seven number 1 albums, 23 ARIA Awards, 5 APRA Awards to name a few. His songs have appeared in triple j’s Hottest 100 an incredible 23 times including three #1 spots for These Days (1999) and My Happiness (2000) and Wish You Well (2005). It’s fair to say Bernard Fanning has firmly cemented his position as one of Australia’s finest singer-songwriters and lyricists.

Dominic Miller

Dominic started the management and venue booking agency Bluebeard Music in 2010, where he manages two of Australia’s most promising up-and-coming acts, Good Boy and Sweater Curse, as well as having booked iconic Brisbane venues such as The Zoo, Black Bear Lodge, The Milk Factory, and many more. He has also booked festivals and events such as BIG Festival in Geelong, Story Bridge 75, G20 Summit Festival, and more.

Since 2010, Dom has become a major contributor to the exponential growth of Brisbane’s music scene. He joined New World Artists as an agent in 2015, making him the first Brisbane-based agent working at a national level to be appointed by a major agency.

Dom represents all genres of contemporary music with particular expertise and focus in the indie music world, with over 15 years of experience in the music industry. Over that time, he has worked with some of the biggest names in the Australian music industry such as Allday, Bugs, Butterfingers, Clea, Grinspoon, Hope D, Mallrat, Northlane, These New South Whales, and many more. He has booked artists onto some of the country’s most popular festivals such as Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, Laneway Festival, and Groovin’ The Moo.

Dom joined QMusic in March 2020 as their Development and Program Manager. He has a passion for all things Queensland music and believes that Brisbane is “The Greatest City On Earth”. Dom currently works as a manager and event programmer with Ruby-Jean McCabe under Sunroom Management.

Fergus Jenkins

Based in Brisbane, Fergus is the General Manager of Publishing & Synchronization at Dew Process, an Australian music record label, and music publisher. Over his 15 years in the industry, he has worked closely with local and international artists including but not limited to Tkay Maidza, London Grammar, Sarah Blasko, Spacey Jane, Mallrat, Powderfinger, Sam Fender, and Oh Wonder.

He has placed music into thousands of advertising, television, and film productions, including award-winning campaigns for WWF, Ford, Isuzu, Gillette, Twitter, 7-Eleven, Instagram, and iconic series like Grey’s Anatomy, Please Like Me, Janet King, Bump, and Heartbreak High.

Fred Leone

Fred Leone is one of the Butchulla Songmen, with Aboriginal, Tongan, and South-Sea Islander roots. He comes from the Garrwa and Butchulla tribes.

Fred's role as a Songman sees him as one of the custodians of the traditional songs of the Butchulla tribe and one of a handful of keepers and custodians of their language.

Fred has been touring the world for over a decade, throwing rhymes and traveling with artists such as Public Enemy, Dead Prez, People Under The Stairs, as well as receiving invites to collaborate ad play with contemporary artists such as John Butler, Xavier Rudd, Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman, and many, many more.

His guest appearance singing in Butchulla on his cousin Birdz’s track "Bagi-la-m Bargan" helped see the song become a hit, with millions of streams, a cavalcade of synch placements and a placement at #30 on Triple J’s Hottest 100.

Gabe Cramb

Founder and director of Scrabble PR.

Scrabble began in the nineties, helping events like Brisbane's iconic Livid Festival explode. Gabe has gone on to help discover the likes of Brisbane Festival, Party In The Paddock, Corona, Big Pineapple Festival, Splendour In The Grass Music and Arts Festival and a long list of tours by Australian and international artists. An in-demand publicist, Gabe has a knack for tailoring publicity plans to suit artists and events in unique, creative, and on-brand ways.

Georgie Luxton

Georgie is the Country Music Talent & Branding Director for Frontier Touring, working across the programming and marketing for Australia’s biggest country music festival, CMC Rocks, which is held every year at Ipswich. More recently, she has been working as part of the team establishing the city sister event, Ridin’ Hearts Festival.

Georgie is a passionate country music lover, who loves working on talent development for emerging artists.

Hope D

Based in South Brisbane, Hope began as a solo artist who specialised in live looping and created her songs via the art. As of May 2019, Hope recruited four of her talented female friends whom she admires to bring her songs to life. Still incorporating looping songs that she performs solo in her set, Hope's live shows are ever excelling to be more captivating than ever before.

Playing major festivals and touring across the country, Hope is continuously collecting new fans wherever she performs. She is a QUBE Effect Alumni and a passionate supporter of Brisbane music.

Ian Haug

Ian is the guitarist for Brisbane rock royalty, Powderfinger, helping to create their legacy of recording five Number 1 albums, winning 18 ARIA Awards, 3 APRA Awards, and millions of record sales. Owner of Brisbane recording studio Airlock Studios, where the "Up In The Airlock" sessions are recorded and broadcast from, Ian has also established Airlock Records to support and develop upcoming talent.

Ian is also a member of the legendary Australian band "The Church," recording two albums and touring globally with them. Ian in also a member of "The Predators" with fellow guitarist JC, cementing his place as one of the finest guitarists in the country.

Jeremy Neale

Jeremy Neale hails from Brisbane and has been a mainstay of 'The Biz' since his "In Stranger Times” EP in 2013. There have been some truly powerful highlights along the way - from national and international touring to being awarded Song of the Year at the 2018 Queensland Music Awards and receiving his very own star in the Fortitude Valley Mall.

As a recipient of the Grant McLennan Fellowship, Jeremy travelled to New York in 2018 and wrote his most recent album, 2020’s "We Were Trying to Make it Out". Cancelled tours galore due to Covid saw Jeremy pivot into the wild world of musicals - co-writing the cult smash-hit musical "Absolute Objectivity" in 2020.

He has most recently been laying low, now a father of two and dealing with the associated sleep deprivation, but preparing for a most triumphant return to the stage in 2024. See you there! Jeremy is also the frontman and principal songwriter of Brisbane-based garage-pop group ‘Velociraptor’.

Joc Curran

Joc is a mother, businesswoman, friend, and passionate music lover. She founded, owned, and ran Brisbane's seminal live music venue 'The Zoo' from 1992 until 2016.

Continuing to foster emerging musical artists in Brisbane and support the scene in any way possible, Joc works as The Laneway Festival Brisbane Promoter and Producer of the Hidden Lanes Festival. Joc still believes that a beautiful song and random acts of kindness can help change the world.

Jon Collins (JC)

As the bass player for one of Australia’s biggest and most loved bands, John Collins has toured the world playing rock n’ roll with the best of the best. The Powderfinger machine earned a monolithic total of eighteen ARIA Awards, making them one of the most awarded bands in Australia. Ten Powderfinger albums and DVDs certified multiple-platinum, the cover of Rolling Stones, headlining festivals, and millions of album sales had led JC to have a broad and artist-led view of the music industry.

Upon Powderfinger's breakup, JC set his mind to creating music venues with the establishment of The Triffid, Fortitude Music Hall, and The Outpost in Brisbane. JC continues to perform with his epic band "The Predators".

John Mullen

John is Head of A&R and Executive Producer at Dew Process Recordings and has worked with such artists as Sarah Blasko, Tkay Maidza, The Grates, Bernard Fanning, WAAX, Eves Karydas, Mallrat, and more.

A broad supporter of local music, John has worked with emerging artists WIIGZ, Lola Scott, Noah Dillon, Old Mervs & Tyne James-Organ. John is involved in community initiatives such as Rec Link Community Cup, is a board member of Queensland’s music industry development association QMusic, and is an active advocate for live music.

Having reached 20 years at Dew Process in 2022, John continues to work with new artists and established heavyweights.

Luke Daniel Peacock

Critically acclaimed Brisbane singer/songwriter, Luke Daniel Peacock, is a proud descendant of the Meriam people of the eastern Torres Strait Islands.

Luke is a member of Halfway, The Painted Ladies, collaborator with legendary Vic Simms, and frontman of his current indie rock project, The Minor Premiers, as well as being a revered solo artist.

In 2016, his debut solo album "We've Come A Long Way Darling" put his name on the map. The album received high critical acclaim and led to Luke being awarded The Billy Thorpe Scholarship Award in 2016.

Luke's work can be heard in Tourism Queensland's latest campaign, and he's currently touring the country playing bass for collaborator Tia Gostelow.

Seja Vogel

Seja Vogel (pronounced say-ah) is a German/Australian solo musician who was a member of Brisbane bands Sekiden and Regurgitator. Formed in 1998, Sekiden was known for high-energy live performances and toured extensively throughout Australia, Canada, Japan, and the USA.

Touring and recording internationally with Regurgitator and Sekiden, Seja has a broad group of musical friends and collaborators, some of whom you can tune into on her podcast HearSej. Seja has also played in backing bands for Spod, Heinz Reigler, David McCormack, and Ben Salter. Additionally, Vogel has released her own material and toured widely, supporting the likes of Sarah Black, Warpaint, and Goldfrapp.

How to apply

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Applications for the 2025 program have closed. Applications for the 2026 The QUBE Effect will open in late 2025. 

1 Before you apply

Check you meet the eligibility criteria.

You must also read and understand the program conditions.

2 Submit an application

Complete the online form to apply for The QUBE Effect.

You need to include:

  • written consent from each person who appears in or has contributed to the entry 
  • one high-resolution image of yourself or your band in JPG format (max 50 megabytes) 
  • a web link, mp4 or mp3 file (max 50 megabytes) of an original song. If uploading the song, use the following naming convention: <<[entrant name]-Song:[title of song]>> (e.g. The B Band-Song: My-Brisbane).
3 After you apply

Together with a panel of music industry experts, we shortlist 12 finalists to take part in The QUBE Effect.

Finalists must:

  • attend any group professional development workshops and one-on-one sessions with music industry mentors
  • record and film a music video for a finalist song, which will be produced by Council.

More information

To find out more about The QUBE Effect, phone Council on 07 3403 8888 or email Council.

Award Winner
Innovation Award Maarjn
Original Song Award Allegra Neve
QUBE Development Award Ixaras
People's Choice Award Dublin Rose
Lord Mayor's Live Event Award 01 Thurman

In addition to the prizes for the five award categories, the expert panel, in conjunction with sponsors, chose finalists for the following paid performance opportunities.

Winners

  • Valley Crawl - Worm Girlz
  • GOMA Up Late - Ixaras
  • Teneriffe Festival - Allegra Neve
  • The Tivoli - Ixaras
  • The Princess Theatre - Monstera
  • The Triffid - Maarjn
  • Stone & Wood Festival of The Stone, Byron Bay - Mid Drift

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can apply for The QUBE effect as: 

  • part of a group
  • part of multiple groups
  • an individual artist.

Find out more about eligibility criteria in The QUBE Effect terms and conditions.

Yes, there are no limits to the number of times you can apply for or be a finalist in The QUBE Effect.