Over a year since expanding into Australasia, Los Angeles-headquartered talent management company Milk & Honey announced that it will start offering scholarships in the US for Australian and New Zealand female writers and producers.
The new scholarship program will start in February 2023 and recipients will be able to live, work and create music in Los Angeles for two months.
They will also be given guaranteed access to Milk & Honey’s roster and in-studio sessions during their Los Angeles residency, the company said this week.
Milk & Honey named Sydney-based Chelsea Warner, a producer, songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in the R&B, pop and hip-hop genres, as the first recipient of the scholarship program.
She has collaborated with Australian artists like Emalia, Tentendo and Vetta Borne.
Through the scholarship, Warner will work alongside producer/songwriter Oak Felder and Jenna Andrews, who will be the mentors for the inaugural year of the program.
Felder has worked with artists like Demi Lovato, Lizzo, Kehlani, Alicia Keys and John Legend, while Andrews has worked with BTS, Noah Cyrus and David Guetta.
Milk & Honey says that it launched the program to support global writers and producers who travel to Los Angeles in the hopes of landing collaborative studio sessions with established writers, artists and producers. The company will be providing financial assistance and access to its team to recipients of the scholarship.
“We are extremely excited to offer this unique scholarship to empower amazing female producer talent from Australia and New Zealand and plan to offer this on a perennial basis.”
Lucas Keller, Milk & Honey
“We are extremely excited to offer this unique scholarship to empower amazing female producer talent from Australia and New Zealand and plan to offer this on a perennial basis.
“We look forward to helping to elevate these young talents on the global stage as they come to work with our great creative teams at the Milk & Honey offices in Los Angeles, Nashville and London,” said Lucas Keller, President and Founder of Milk & Honey Music + Sports.
Keller created the scholarship alongside Milly Petriella, Managing Director of Milk & Honey Australasia, and Peter Coquillard, Head of International at Milk & Honey.
It is one of Petriella’s first projects as Managing Director of Milk & Honey’s Australasian team as her priority is developing a stronger female presence in the Australasian writer/producer community, the company said.
“Less than 20% of our industry is female and the number of women in production is considerably less, it’s time to create real experiences, connections, and provide financial support if we are to truly going to change the future landscape of the music industry. Those who have the resources and capacity can really step up and make a meaningful contribution,” Petriella said.
Peter Coquillard added: “It’s been a focus of our company and clients for some time to find an effective way to promote female producers. We are thrilled that Milly has taken the lead and brought this incentive to fruition.”
The launch of the scholarship comes as Milk & Honey celebrates its eighth year in business.
Keller founded Milk & Honey Music + Sports in Los Angeles in 2014 and it has since expanded to London, New York, Nashville, Dallas, Amsterdam, and Australasia. Its sports division is an agency and marketing company representing over 20 athletes in the NFL.
The company’s music division represents a roster of songwriters and producers like David Hodges, Oak Felder, Sir Nolan, J. White Did It, Noah Goldstein, Jenna Andrews, Jamie Hartman, Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo, as well as top 20 global DJs like Oliver Heldens, Benny Benassi and more.
Milk & Honey Music has over 125 clients spanning every genre of music. Its clients have had some of the biggest global hits including Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” BTS’ chart-topping “Butter,” Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito,” James Arthur’s “Say You Won’t Let Go,” and more.
Earlier this year, the group launched Milk & Honey Labs, a digital creative studio focusing on NFTs and all areas of Web3 representing blue chip brand names in Hollywood.
