Fourteen places are available for women and gender diverse songwriter and producer members in the six-month career development program.
If you’re a woman or gender diverse music creator at a turning point in your career, APRA AMCOS has opened applications for its 23% mentorship program, with 14 spots on offer for the 2026 intake.
Running for six months, the program pairs songwriters and producers with some of the industry’s most experienced names. Matching is based on career stage, goals and priorities rather than genre, which means the program is open to creators across all musical styles and practices. Each successful applicant also receives $3,000 to put towards projects, work-related expenses or travel.
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Potential mentors for this year’s cohort include Alex Hosking, Anna Laverty, Chelsea Warner, Imogen Clark and Mahalia Barnes. Since the program launched in 2018, past mentors have included Claire Collins, KLP, Nat Dunn and Ngaiire, while alumni include Athanasia, Ayda Akbal, Eliza Hull and Victoria Pham, among many others. Nearly 100 music creators have come through the program across its seven years.
The name itself is a reference point: when the program began, just 23% of APRA AMCOS members identified as women or gender diverse. The mentorship exists specifically to push that number in the right direction.
Karen Don, Head of Membership at APRA AMCOS, says: “The music industry continues to under-represent women and gender diverse creators, and that calls for decisive action. Initiatives like the 23% mentorship play a vital role in moving us beyond the original 23% benchmark, investing in talent, career guidance and connection to build lasting relationships and more sustainable careers, and ultimately making progress toward gender parity in our industry.”
The impact for past participants has been significant. Composer Naomi Geste, who was matched with screen composer and producer François Tétaz in last year’s round, says: “This mentorship has been valuable beyond words. After almost 10 years of tertiary and post grad study, I was really struggling to adjust to having less structure, less feedback and guidance. My internal foundations have been repaired in a way I didn’t realise I needed and this has allowed me to engage fearlessly with creative opportunities.”
Applications close Sunday 3 May. Head to apraamcos.com.au/mentorship to apply.
