Rory Phillips (AU)

With a deep love of music flowing through his veins from a very early age, Rory Phillips is not your average teen. Even his musical tastes and influences don’t fit the mould of a typical teenager and after flicking through his eclectic playlist, you could be forgiven for mistaking him as a child of the seventies. In fact, most who meet him describe him as an “old soul”, a badge he wears with pride.

Rory considers himself a musician first, a singer/songwriter second, although he’s been honing his gift for both. Finding inspiration in what he knows, Rory has co-penned songs about life on the road, his future aspirations and the issues in the world as he sees them. Although young, Rory has been playing on festival stages since the age of seven and has a long list of accolades to his name. In 2022 his single The Truth was named a finalist in the inaugural Environmental Music Prize alongside some industry superstars such as Paul Kelly, Lime Cordiale, Briggs + Tim Minchin, Holy Holy and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, to name a few…not bad for a song he co-wrote when he was just 12! The Truth is a passionate call-to-action on climate change which premiered on Henry Wagons’ ‘Tower of Song’ on ABC Double J, with Rory being the youngest artist Henry has ever featured. The Truth also achieved a #1 spot on the AMRAP Regional Charts, a Top Ten in Green Music Australia’s Climate Fridays Songwriting competition and, along with Rory’s debut music video, received national, regional and local media attention for all the right reasons.

“Rory Phillips is one of a kind. He is a tiny force to be reckoned with (who won’t be tiny for much longer) and I think this song is really showcasing his growth, and something he really cares about”
Fanny Lumsden (ARIA Winner, 8x Golden Guitar Winner)

Rory’s follow up single, released in December 2022, takes an insightful look into the mental health struggles of young men. Because Boys examines why young men and boys find it so hard to talk about their feelings and tries to break down the stigma associated with asking for help. Co-written with 5 x Golden Guitar Winner, Ashleigh Dallas, and fellow graduate of The CMAA Academy, Freddie Bailey, Because Boys has been chosen by the NSW Department of Education's The Arts Unit as the repertoire piece for their 2023 Boys' Vocal Program.

Musically, Rory sits anywhere in the realm of blues, alt-country, folk or rock, and aside from his dynamic playing, most say it is his confidence and stage presence which sets him apart from his peers. Bill Chambers (2x ARIA Nominee, 1x Golden Guitar Winner) has described Rory as “always displaying a professional enthusiasm way beyond his years, and definitely has a way with an audience” and is just one of a long list of industry heavyweights to have invited Rory to share the stage with him over the years. In 2019, Rory became the youngest ever member of iconic Australian band, The Bushwackers (3x Golden Guitar Winners & 2021 Inductees into the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown), joining them on lead guitar and bass, a testament to his ability as an accomplished musician. He also joined (3 x ARIA Winner, 21 x Golden Guitar Winner) Sara Storer’s touring band on lead guitar in 2023 at just 16 years old. Additionally, Rory is proud to be an officially endorsed artist of Cole Clark Guitars and Buzz Box Guitars, and has recently joined the staff of the CMAA Academy of Country Music as an intern and band member. In 2020, Rory was named the Snowy Valleys Council Young Citizen of the Year.