Teddy Swims announced as keynote speaker for SXSW Sydney Music Conference 2025
American singer Teddy Swims will be a keynote speaker at SXSW Sydney’s 2025 Music Conference.
The announcement:
South by Southwest Sydney® (SXSW Sydney) today unveils Teddy Swims as the keynote speaker for its 2025 Music Conference. Hosted at Darling Harbour’s ICC Theatre, journalist and co-founder of Shit You Should Care About, Lucy Blakiston will facilitate an in-depth conversation between Teddy and his longtime manager and friend Luke Conway to discuss the duo’s creative partnership, their rise to global success, and how they’ve stayed true to their roots while pushing the boundaries of modern music.
Ahead of the final show on his three-night run at Qudos Bank Arena, Swims will join Conway to pull back the curtain on one of contemporary music’s most remarkable breakthrough journeys – from posting covers on YouTube to signing major label deals, headlining tours, navigating mental health, and building a career grounded in authenticity and trust. A must-attend for music industry professionals, the session will place their story under the microscope, spotlighting the unique artist–manager bond that has propelled Swims’ rise.
From small-town Georgia beginnings to global stardom, the GRAMMY®-nominated artist has connected with millions through his distinctive fusion of country, soul, and pop. In Australia, his Billboard #1, record-breaking single Lose Control was certified 9x Platinum, and made #1 on radio airplay whilst his debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part Two) entered the ARIA Albums Chart at #1. Cementing his success, both works serve as proof of Swims’ versatility and artistry — and a testament to his enduring creative partnership with Conway.
Swims and Conway join an already impressive lineup of top music industry professionals and artists from across the globe as part of SXSW Sydney’s Music Conference – including RUEL and his managers Flagrant Artist Management (in a case study of RUEL’s success in Asia), Trials (one half of AB Original), Jen Malone (Music Supervisor, Euphoria, Yellowstone), Dr Marcus Collins (#1 selling culture academic and writer), Bryan Duquette (Founder, Outside Lands), Akhila Shankar (Head of Tunecore South Asia and host of India’s #1 Music Podcast), Sarah Casey (Agent, UTA), Deepti Jasti (Youtube’s Head of Music & Podcasts APAC and MENA), and many more.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper, said, “Teddy Swims is a fantastic addition to the list of creative industry voices at this year’s SXSW Sydney. Music is a huge part of the cultural fabric of Sydney and NSW. We have some incredibly talented artists in our community, who contribute to our state’s world-class mix of cultural experiences. SXSW Sydney is an incubator of ideas for our creative industries in NSW. It’s great to have a conversation on the future of music from one of the world’s foremost voices in contemporary music today.”
Further program highlights include parties, showcases, mixers and events hosted by Johnnie Walker Black Ruby, American Apparel, APRA AMCOS, ARIA, Awesome Black, British Music Embassy, Ceremony, Future Classic, Heaps Normal, Impressed Recordings, Virgin Music Group, META, RAC Arena, UNIFIED, Sony Music Australia, Rolling Stone AU, triple j’s PRISM, The Orchard and more.
The stacked Music Festival lineup will feature 300+ performances, with newly announced artists including one of Australia’s most powerful hip-hop storytellers Tasman Keith, the 14 year old whose debut track is the most watched Instagram video by an Australian artist ever with over 60 million+ views Maple’s Pet Dinosaur, synth-funk favourite Touch Sensitive, visceral post-punk outfit dust, the unmistakable voice of Naked & Famous Alisa Xayalith, some very special secret guest performers and so many others.
SXSW Sydney 2025 continues to redefine the region’s role in global music culture. Visit www.sxswsydney.com/music-showcase to view the full list of artists, speakers and sessions confirmed as part of the Music Festival and Conference, and keep an eye out for further program and schedule announcements to be made.
Source: Thinking Loud
