Ready for take-off? Meet the class of 2026, curated by Universal Music Australia.
Introducing a new selection of four artists we’re backing to be the stars of the future, and four familiar faces we know and love. We’re ready to kick off another massive year, and we can’t wait for you to hear some incredible new music. We’re looking forward to working together to break these priority UMG artists.
For now… fasten your seatbelts, tune into your inflight entertainment, and enjoy the ride!

Freya Skye, 16-year-old, singer/songwriter/actress, released her breakout hit silent treatment at the end of 2025 which quickly garnered attention globally. The track was added to a slew of DSP and radio playlists globally, followed by her performing at Capitol FM’s ‘Jingleball’ in LA & NYC and being announced as Capitol (UK) ‘Buzz Artist’ for February.
Freya’s debut headline tour has been announced for Australia in June, with the UK/EU run selling out in minutes! Her debut EP STARDUST was co-written by Freya herself and features silent treatment, golden boy and more.

Genre-disrupting artist 2hollis is a 22-year-old producer, singer and rapper from LA. In 2025, he made his debut on major festival stages including Coachella and Lollapalooza and released his fourth studio album, Star, in April. Hollis first stepped into the spotlight with his 2022 album White Tiger. Since then, he has continued to push creative boundaries and has garnered a cult-like following. He has toured extensively supporting Lorde and selling out shows across US, Canada, UK, Australia – with his Asia dates selling out in minutes.

A native of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, Violet Grohl has been immersed in music from her earliest days. Whether singing along to Beatles vinyl alone in her bedroom, writing her first song at the age of 12 or gracing real world stages big and small, Violet has always been focused on increasing her musical palette and vocabulary. She’s a true student of the art form, whose notebooks are stuffed with poetry and influences that bend genres. In 2024, Violet met producer Justin Raisen (Charli xcx, Kim Gordon) and went on an unexpected (and unexpectedly prolific) ride to collaborate on the music featured on her upcoming debut album.

In a landscape often bound by formulaic conventions, ADÉLA emerges as an artist who refuses to conform. The 22-year-old singer doesn’t just make pop music — she distorts it, challenges it, and makes it feel larger than life, yet always rooted in unfiltered emotion. She’s hands-on in every aspect of her work outside of her music, too, from video treatments and choreography to costuming and makeup — something she can credit to a lifelong study of her musical heroes, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, and also her years in ballet watching how all the elements came together. As she steps into this new chapter of her career, she thinks back to her time rebuilding. Just as she had set out as a child to learn English and become a popstar, she opened up a Google Doc and hatched a plan, starting with a written mission statement in answer to one specific question: What does ADÉLA, the artist, want?

KATSEYE continue to go from strength to strength with a sell-out debut headline tour across the US, apperances at some of the biggest festivals in the world include Lollapolooza and Coachella and international touring throughout 2026. The global girl group had their first commercial hit with Gabriela in Australia, reaching top 30 on the local airplay chart.
As they gear up for new music soon and a project on the way, 2026 is going to be the year of KATSEYE!

Fast rising London star Sienna Spiro has an undeniable talent for producing ever-relatable lyrics. In 2025 the 20-year-old received co-signs from superstars like Olivia Rodrigo, Alex Warren, SZA, Sam Smith, Snoh Aalegra, Mark Ronson, FINNEAS and more. Her latest single Die On This Hill has seen huge growth since its October release with over 300m global streams! Sienna is becoming an unstoppable force in her field!

Singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez has materialized at the forefront of popular culture with a sound that’s as timeless as it is necessary for the times. His breakout single Until I Found You is accredited 7x ARIA Platinum, vaulted into the Top 10 of the ARIA Top 100 Singles, and generated over 3.8 billion streams. He spun a story unlike anything you’ve ever heard on his 2023 full-length debut Angel Face, and now comes into 2026 with new music and that’s both familiar & fresh from the troubadour himself.

Holly has announced her sophomore album Cruel World will be released 10th April. One of the defining voices of her generation returns with an album that captures the tension between pain and pleasure, where chaos and acceptance exist side by side. Renowned for her forensic songwriting ability. Holly has grown into a global force, whose lucid storytelling resonates far beyond her own walls. From winning the BRIT Rising Star in 2022 having only released two EP’s and an Ivor Novello nomination for Haunted House, to releasing her critically acclaimed debut album Paint My Bedroom Black in 2023, Holly has become known for her unflinching honesty and ability to articulate the quiet turbulence of young adulthood. Selling out Brixton Academy and Eventim Apollo, to headline tours in North America, Holly recently joined Sam Fender on his Australian tour in November with a run of headline dates.