2024 Limelight Winner Announced

In the third consecutive year of RAC Arena’s initiative, emerging alt-rock band, The Kickons, have been chosen by a judging panel of local and interstate industry professionals to be the recipient of the Limelight music support fund package valued at over $20,000. The judging panel included RAC Arena’s Michael Scott, WAM board member Kristina West, alongside artist manager Hayley Ayres from 360 Artist Logistics, RTRFM producer and presenter Pamela Boland and Kam Dheda, general manager of touring for TEG Dainty (ANZ and Asia).

Launched as part of the Arena’s 10th anniversary celebrations, Limelight, presented by RAC Arena and supported by WAM, seeks to support up and coming West Australian musicians by providing financial, performance and promotion opportunities over a 12-month period. New and emerging Australian performers, 18 years or older, were invited to apply and demonstrate the activity they would like to undertake throughout the year, how they planned to use the support fund package, and lay out their expected outcomes to their career as a result.

Joining The Kickons as 2025 Limelight recipients are runner ups indie folk artist, Anna Schneider and dark wave pop outfit, Gia Como, who have received support packages valued at $3000 each.

As the winner of the main prize, The Kickons will receive support for the next 12 months beginning 1^st January 2025. The package includes:

• $5,000 financial assistance
• Radio campaign thanks to Nova Entertainment
• Music equipment thanks to Kosmic
• Recording studio time and rehearsal space thanks to Vision Studios
• Inclusion in the WAMFest 2025 line-up
• Promotional support via RAC Arena’s marketing channels

“We are excited to announce The Kickons as the recipient of our major prize for this year’s Limelight initiative and look forward to working alongside them as them build their career in our thriving WA music industry. Like the other judges, I was thoroughly impressed with their application and have no doubt they have a bright future ahead of them. It won’t be long until they are the next big arena act, and we look forward to playing our small part in it.” says RAC Arena’s general manager Michael Scott.

Mr Scott continues, “Congratulations also to Anna Schneider and Gia Como on receiving our runner up packages. We aim to make this initiative bigger and better each year and are proud to be able to offer the additional support to these talented acts.”

Speaking on behalf of WAM, board member and Limelight judge, Kristina West, says, “Once again Limelight has invited a fabulous array of emerging talent, which makes our job as judges not only challenging, but also hugely rewarding as we deep-dive into the finalists’ submissions, listen to their music and hear more about their aspirations for the future. Congratulations to the winners and runners up. I look forward seeing you make bold strides through the doors that Limelight opens for you.”

The Kickons were thrilled to be chosen as this year’s main prize winner, “We are incredibly excited and honoured that RAC Arena has selected us for the 2024 Limelight Support Fund. This represents the biggest opportunity that we have ever had and we could not be more thankful. The grant will support us to film a music video for our upcoming release in early February of “Bring Me Down Slow” and we can’t wait to get the project underway.”