Australian sport’s biggest moments should be soundtracked by Australian artists.
That’s the message from senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who has put the boot into the nation’s top football leagues for booking international entertainers to lead their grand final festivities.
As the NRL, the nation’s professional men’s rugby league competition, and the AFL, the premier league for men’s Australian rules football, go deep in their respective playoffs, both codes have tapped U.S. artists to take the stage on finals day.
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“Another day, another iconic Aussie sport shipping in an international artist and ignoring our homegrown talent,” the Adelaide-based Greens politician writes on social media.
“Whether it’s the AFL or NRL Grand Final, an Australian performer should be taking the stage, not an American import.
“While Australia’s music industry is struggling, cultural institutions like huge grand finals should be backing Aussie talent.”
Hanson-Young’s comments closely follow the NRL’s announcement that Teddy Swims would headline the 2025 Grand Final Day entertainment, set for Oct. 5 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
That’s following the controversial announcement of Snoop Dogg as the headline act for the AFL Grand Final, set to kick off Sept. 27 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
When Snoop was announced, Hanson-Young used the platform of her speech to parliament— and a post from her Instagram account — to brand Snoop a “slur merchant” and questioned why the Australian Football League would pay millions to acquire international talent “rather than backing Aussie talent”.
Australia’s music community is certainly struggling to be seen and heard in a streaming world, where new artists are competing with 100 million-plus songs, where catalog and major label signings from the U.S. and U.K. tend to dominate.
The potential solutions are many and varied, industry champions say, and could include the support act initiative, “Michael’s Rule,” which requires that at least one local artist benefits from the support slot for an international artist’s headline tour of Australia. Earlier this year, New South Wales becomes the first state to implement what was once an industry code, by dangling financial incentives.
When he performs at AFL Grand Final Day, Snoop will follow in the footsteps of past headliners Ed Sheeran, Sting, The Killers, Lionel Richie, Tom Jones, Meat Loaf and homegrown rockers Powderfinger.
The NRL’s big day has featured domestic talent The Kid LAROI, Amy Shark, Gang of Youths, Jessica Mauboy, along with internationals Good Charlotte, Tom Jones, Billy Idol and the late “Queen of Rugby League,” Tina Turner.
