Keith Urban Names Inaugural Recipient of ‘Rising Star’ Scholarship

Keith Urban has identified his rising star.

The Australia-raised country music superstar taps Ethan Calway as the inaugural recipient of the Keith Urban Rising Star Scholarship, a new initiative with the Tamworth Country Music Festival that spotlights domestic country talent that should make international waves.

Urban and Co. started the national search earlier in the year, to find one rising Australian country artist ready to take the next step internationally, an exportable act.

Calway stood out from a “strong field,” reps say.

“Ethan has something really special,” says Urban, who broke the good news with a Zoom call. “There’s a rawness and honesty in what he does that really connects. I’m excited to see what this next chapter brings for him and to be part of that journey.”

As the first recipient, Calway will receive career-changing opportunities in Nashville, including the chance to perform, write, record, and connect with key industry figures and enjoy dedicated recording time at Urban’s studio, The Sound.

Hailing from Warragul, in country Victoria, Calway possesses electrifying guitar skills, a raw, emotive vocal style and an authenticity that signals strong global potential, say organizers of the scholarship, with a knack for blending country, rock and storytelling. Indeed, he has been compared to a young Keith Urban.

He’s not coming in from the cold. Calway was a grand finalist in the 2023 Gympie NAB Talent Search and a top 10 finalist in the 2024 Toyota Star Maker. Then, in 2025, he presented his stuff to the nation on The Voice Australia, where he enjoyed a four-chart during the Blind Auditions, after which he joined Richard Marx’s team.

“His artistry reflects both lived experience and a clear creative vision – marking him as one of Australia’s most exciting emerging voices,” reads a statement following his scholarship win.

To celebrate, Calway drops the new single “Better Tomorrow.” Stream it in full below.

“What an incredible opportunity – I’m beyond grateful to be chosen for something like this,” enthuses Calway. “To learn, write and record in Nashville, and to have that kind of support behind me, is something I’ve always dreamed about. I can’t wait to get over there and make the most of it.”

Look ahead, the Tamworth Country Music Festival and Urban’s teams will work closely with Calway as he soaks up the scholarship experience.

“The response to the scholarship has been extraordinary, and Ethan is a truly deserving recipient,” comments Peter Ross, executive manager of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

“This initiative reflects the shared values of the Festival and Keith – creating meaningful opportunities for artists to grow and reach new audiences,” Ross continues. “Keith is the living embodiment of the Tamworth pathway to success, and together we are proud to support the next generation of Australian country artists as they take their music to the world.”

A four-time Grammy Award winner, Urban has stayed true to his Australian roots. He has collected six ARIA Awards (in addition to hosting, and performing at the annual event) and won 15 Golden Guitar Awards. In 2025, he was inducted into the Roll of Renown at the Golden Guitar Awards, the highest honor in Australasian country music.

Before he made it big in the United States, Urban cut his teeth busking on Tamworth’s Peel Street, performing in local venues, and won the Star Maker competition at age 22, a moment that provided a launch pad for his career.

Country music is going gangbusters in Australia. “Step Into Country,” a 30-page report from Live Nation, published in July 2025, reinforced that Australia is the third biggest market for the genre, behind the United States and Canada, respectively.

In the previous three years, the volume of country music streams in Australia had lifted by 115%, according to Spotify data detailed in the document, while some two-thirds of respondents were found to follow at least one country music artist on social media.

Almost 80% of Australian music fans said that country music is now “mainstream.”