Felicity Kircher named 45th Toyota Star Maker winner

Felicity Kircher is a multi-instrumentalist and no stranger to the stage with her captivating presence, sweet honey vocals, and prowess with rhythm guitar.

With a wealth of experience of over a decade, Felicity has toured throughout Australia playing hundreds of shows, with Kasey Chambers, the Gympie Muster, Savannah In The Round, and Tamworth Country Music Festival as her highlights to date.

Felicity recorded her first album at 15 with Rob Mackay and went on to work with Big Jet Plane’s ARIA Award-winning producer Govinda Doyle, releasing two singles, Long Time Coming and Sweet Tea.

In 2023 and 2024, she continued writing and recorded 12 tracks with renowned Australian producer/artist Shane Nicholson. Her most recent single, I Am Cry, produced by Charles Dugan and Aaron Shannahan, is making waves across playlists and radio, recognized as a contemporary timeless heartbreak anthem.

By taking home the Toyota Star Maker prize, Felicity received a package worth more than $100,000, including the use of a RAV4 Hybrid AWD Cruiser for a year, the recording of a four-track EP, and a trip to Nashville, USA, to attend the CMA (Country Music Association) Festival and much more.

Felicity was presented with her Toyota vehicle today by Tim Easey, Tamworth City Toyota Dealer Principal, and Ellie Gibbs, Toyota Australia Manager, Events Sponsorship & Promotions.

Presenting the award at the 2025 Grand Final concert, Toyota Australia Manager, Events Sponsorship & Promotions, Ellie Gibbs, praised the exceptional talent from this year’s finalists, highlighting the impressive quality of emerging country music artists in the industry:

“On behalf of Toyota Australia, I am thrilled to congratulate Felicity Kircher on being named the 2025 Toyota Star Maker.”

“Felicity was up against a talented line-up of competitors in this year’s Grand Final, but her success is truly well-deserved, and her exceptional talent shone through during both performances we saw tonight.”

“The year ahead for Felicity will no doubt be an exciting journey. It is a chance to further connect with fans and share more of her music with the world, an opportunity sure to boost her career in the industry. We wish her great success in the future and welcome her warmly to the Toyota Star Maker family.”

Ellie Gibbs

Hosted by Brendon Walmsley, the Grand Final concert once again attracted thousands of festivalgoers to Toyota Park, where ten of the brightest emerging country music stars performed two songs each.

This year’s Grand Final featured standout performances from fellow finalists Briana Dinsdale (Longholme QLD), Cait Jamieson (Toowong QLD), Ella Powell (Terrigal NSW), James Keith (Warriewood NSW), Kaitlyn Thomas (Rifle Range QLD), Teak (Tatham NSW), returning finalists Bryce Sainty (Springfield NSW), Felicity Dowd (Bega NSW), and Finnian Johnson (Cessnock NSW).

They each sang two songs, backed by the Sam Hawksley Allstar Band, with Rod Motbey, Clare O’Meara, Ian Lees, and Glenn Wilson, in front of a packed Toyota Park.

The Grand Final concert featured a special performance by 2024 Toyota Star Maker winner, Wade Forster, who treated the audience to five songs from his successful Star Maker year.

The crowd was also treated to a special performance by Brendon, who briefly paused his hosting duties to sing his own songs, Road To Riverleigh, Cooladdi, and Count Me In. He made a long-awaited return to the studio in 2024 and will release his fourth studio album this year.

Over the last 45 years, more than 500 artists have performed as finalists in the Toyota Star Maker competition, making it the longest-running musical talent search in the country.

This year, Toyota Australia celebrated a 30-year milestone as the longest continuous sponsor of an Australian country music event, partnering with Star Maker, Australia’s longest-running and most prestigious country music talent search.

Toyota’s contribution to the Australian country music industry goes beyond Star Maker, having commenced its long sponsorship of the Country Music Awards in January 1994 until 2005 and returning in 2014 until today.

Felicity now joins an illustrious group of past winners who have used Toyota Star Maker as a career springboard, including global superstar Keith Urban, as well as household names like Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, Sam McClymont, and last year’s Star Maker winner, Wade Forster.

Star Maker Coordinator and judge Cheryl Brown says that the decision-making process is always a challenging task for the judges, and tonight was no different:

“Over the past couple of months, we’ve had the opportunity to watch each of the finalists make their way to the Grand Final, but after careful consideration, it was decided that Felicity was the most ready this year,” says Ms. Brown.

“As Felicity’s Toyota Star Maker journey is only just beginning, we reflect on what an extraordinary year the 2024 winner, Wade Forster, has had with the support of the Star Maker machine, and we look forward to helping our winner toward their dreams.”

“Each year, the competition provides a platform for emerging Australian country music artists, no matter the outcome of the Grand Final. While there can only be one winner, the nine grand finalists should be proud of their performances tonight and their growth throughout the competition.”

“We look forward to seeing what’s in store for the remaining finalists and wish them all the best for the future.”

Cheryl Brown

An esteemed panel of judges chose Felicity as the 45th Toyota Star Maker winner at Toyota Park, including:

• Toyota Star Maker Coordinator Cheryl Brown
• KIX Country Network National Content Director Justin Thomson
• Wheelhouse Agency Booking Agent Katie Rynne
• Head of ABC Music, ARIA Board Chairperson, and Board Director of CMA Nashville Natalie Waller
• International songwriter Phil Barton
• Toyota Star Maker Consultant Tom Inglis

For further information on Toyota Star Maker, visit starmaker.com.au.