Taree's Jake Davey is in the top ten for the Toyota Star Maker competition

They all had their country music careers significantly boosted by winning the Toyota Star Maker competition.

The stage is set for Australia's up and coming country artists with the top 10 announced for the 42nd Toyota Star Maker competition.

And Taree's Jake Davey has made the cut.

Jake, along with the other nine finalists, are now invited to the 2022 Toyota Country Music Festival, where they will perform two of their songs on stage at the Star Maker Grand Final on the opening weekend of the festival in Tamworth.

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Chosen from almost 100 entries, the top 10 sees eight artists from regional NSW, as well as one from regional Queensland and regional Victoria.

Toyota Star Maker coordinator Cheryl Brown said after the competition's cancellation in 2021 due to COVID, it was a huge thrill for event organisers and sponsors to resume delivering the top-quality competition, particularly in the festival's 50^th anniversary year.

"This year's top 10 are a truly inspiring and talented bunch, who come from a diverse range of backgrounds and talents, who've also managed to continue with their craft despite the past 18-months."

"I have no doubt that the 2022 Grand Final concert will be one tough, but exciting competition."

Launching the careers of some of Australia's best country stars, the Toyota Star Maker is the nation's longest running and most respected country music competitions.

"There's a large percentage of the Star Maker alumni who are kicking huge goals in their careers and we are very proud of their success, knowing the role Star Maker played at the very start," Cheryl said.

"Having witnessed the rise of artists like Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan and Beccy Cole and the new crop of artists including Kaylee Bell, Rachael Fahim, Brad Cox, Blake O'Connor and many others, through the years, validates the importance of a platform such as Star Maker."

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The 2022 Toyota Star Maker top ten, in alphabetical order, are:

The panel of judges for the 2022 Star Maker Grand Final include CMAA Chairman Dan Biddle, KIX Country National Content Director, Justin Thomson, the long- time manager of Troy Cassar-Daley, Roxanne Brown, Major Events Gold Coast Director, Mark Duckworth and the Pub Group's Craig Power.

"We have an amazing high calibre judging panel and this is a real chance for the top 10 to perform, impress and follow in the footsteps of many successful Star Maker winners," Cheryl said.

The Grand Final concert will feature a gala performance by 2020 Star Maker winner, Sammy White, whose reign was extended by 12 months due to prevailing conditions.

Since winning Star Maker, the former Townsville, now Rockhampton local has released her Star Maker album Undone and three singles Lay It On Me, Home (Feels Like You) and Running Away Tonight.

Sammy's extraordinary commitment to her reign has been acknowledged in the 2022 Golden Guitar Awards' New Talent of the Year category.

Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer John Pappas said Toyota congratulates all the finalists in Toyota Star Maker and is looking forward to seeing which talented artist it would help to take the next steps in their career.

"Toyota Star Maker is always a highlight of the Toyota Country Music Festival and we are proud to offer a substantial prize package that can give aspiring country music stars a real boost to their career," Mr Pappas said.

"We would like to wish all the finalists the best of luck and look forward to celebrating the extraordinary young talent that we have in Australia, along with all country music fans, at the grand final concert," he said.

The Star Maker Grand Final is one of the biggest events of the annual Toyota Country Music Festival and is on Sunday, January 16 2022, at Toyota Park Tamworth.

For further information on the Toyota Star Maker competition visit starmaker.com.au/

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