Triple J Unearthed

Missy Higgins says her 2001 Unearthed success led to her initial record deal and subsequent success.[2]

In July 1995, Triple J launched its regional Unearthed competition,[3] asking independent musicians to send in their demos. The winner's track would be professionally recorded and played on the station.[4]

Over the years, several now-notable Australian artists had been discovered through the initiative, including Missy Higgins (2001), Killing Heidi (1996) and Grinspoon, the first winners in 1995.[3][5] As of 2006, Triple J had travelled to over 43 regions around Australia and "unearthed" over 100 bands, most of which had gone on to independently release albums and score distribution deals.[3]

In 2006, former Triple J manager Linda Bracken ideated an online platform that would allow unsigned musicians to be heard by the station's team, as well as by listeners.[6] She was inspired by the similar New Music Canada initiative by CBC Radio 3.

The future of a band's success in Australia shouldn't rely on someone's ability to hire a publicist and an A&R guy.

— Linda Bracken

WIth funding from the Australia Council for the Arts,[3] Bracken and software engineer Ann Chesterman – who saw the idea as "being at the heart of the ecosystem of Australian music" – built a prototype for the Unearthed website.[6] The site's launch, on 9 August 2006, marked "a new beginning" for the Unearthed brand.[3] Thousands of tracks were uploaded within the first week of the site being online.[6] By 2010, about 100 songs were being uploaded onto the Unearthed website every day.[6] As of 2023, it hosts over 170,000 tracks from over 85,000 independent musicians.[7]

In 2021, the website received its first major redesign since its initial launch.[8]

Seeing the success of the website, Unearthed executive producer Stephanie Carrick and ABC Music director Chris Scaddan ideated with creating a dedicated digital radio station to accompany the online platform. It was launched on 5 October 2011,[9] on digital radio in the five major Australian capital cities, and via the Unearthed website.[10]

Gretta Ray won Unearthed High in 2016.[11] She released her second studio album in 2023, which debuted at number 17 on the ARIA Charts.[12]

Every year since 2008, Triple J Unearthed has held a competition aimed at musicians and bands in high school. The winner receives mentoring, recording opportunities and airplay on Triple J. Recent acts to have found success with the initiative include Hockey Dad (2014), The Kid Laroi (2018), Genesis Owusu (2015) Japanese Wallpaper (2014) and Gretta Ray (2016).[13]

Celebrating 15 years of the competition in 2023, Triple J held a one-night, all-ages concert during Vivid Sydney featuring notable past entrants, including Lastlings and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers.[13]

As an extension of Unearthed High, the Indigenous Initiative commemorates the best First Nations artist. Notable past winners have included Aodhan (2019), Becca Hatch (2017) and Tia Gostelow (2016).[14] The network also holds an annual competition open to Indigenous Australian artists, with the winner selected to play at the National Indigenous Music Awards. Past winners have included Thelma Plum, Baker Boy, Alice Skye and Dallas Woods.[15][16] Unearthed has also run a number of First Nations specific competitions that has seen artists added to festivals such as First & Forever and Treaty Day Out.[17]

Triple J often holds competitions that see a winning Unearthed artist join a major music festival's lineup. In the past, winners have performed at Splendour in the Grass,[18] Groovin' the Moo,[19] Falls Festival,[20] Big Day Out, Laneway Festival and A More Perfect Union.[21]

Unearthed occasionally run competitions where winning artists can work with renowned producers or songwriters.[22] In 2023, Flume released a half-finished track, and Unearthed artists were encouraged to share how they would complete the song to win – the final track, produced by Blacktown rapper Isaac Puerile, received national airplay.[23][24] The same year, Unearthed artists were given the opportunity to work with award-winning songwriter Sarah Aarons.[25]

In the past, these competitions have also seen entrants remix songs from Lorde and DMA's,[26][27] as well as creating "DIY supergroups" out of samples from notable artists provided by Triple J.[28]

In June 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Unearthed handed out 16 grants to artists on the platform valued at $7,000 each, to record new music, produce music videos and promote their work.[29]

Flume originally uploaded his debut single to the Unearthed website.

"Riptide" by Vance Joy received early success on Unearthed.

In its first form as a regional talent competition, Unearthed discovered then-local musicians Missy Higgins and Sophie Koh, and bands Grinspoon, Killing Heidi and Sick Puppies.[1]

The launch of the website led to the rise of hundreds of more artists and according to The Music, "arguably changed the entire Australian music landscape."[1] Flume, one of the "world's most prominent producers" according to Rolling Stone,[31] debuted with a single on Unearthed titled "Possum" in 2011.[30] Brisbane indie pop band Ball Park Music began uploading to the site in 2008,[30] while Gang of Youths uploaded a demo as well as their debut single "Evangelists" in 2013.[22]

When a then-unsigned Vance Joy uploaded "Riptide" to the platform, Howe said his team played the track "about 100 times on Unearthed radio" prior to its enormous success – the track is now certified 16× platinum and ended up polling at number one in the Hottest 100 of 2013.[1]