Yothu Yindi & Frontier Touring's Susan Heymann Named National Live Music Awards' 'Live Legends'

Today, the National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) reveal the two recipients of the Live Legends program – one artist and one music industry member – to celebrate their contributions to the Australian live music sector.

Joining Magic Dirt and Deborah Conway today are two heroes, Yothu Yindi and Frontier Touring’s Susan Heymann. A press release notes that Yothu Yindi will be inducted in a destination to be confirmed, while Heymann will be inducted in Sydney. The National Live Music Awards will host eight simultaneous free events across the country on 11 October.

Last month, Yothu Yindi were finally inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) Hall Of Fame. Yothu Yindi’s track Treaty is one of the most recognisable songs in Australian music history, but Yothu Yindi have brought more to Australian music than just one famous single.

The band broke new ground by combining Indigenous musicians from the small Yolŋu town in Northeast Arnhem Land and their non-Indigenous, or balanda, friends who played in a Darwin band called the Swamp Jockeys and created magic.

The band name itself is derived from two Yolŋu words that roughly translate as the kinship term “child and mother”: Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals (or balanda), working and playing together in a true fusion of the two cultures, traditional and contemporary, promoting mutual respect and understanding.

Their NIMAs induction and NLMAs Live Legends honour follow their 2012 ARIA Hall Of Fame recognition and Dr Mandawuy Yunupiŋu named Australian Of The Year in 1992.

Heymann, meanwhile, has been working on local and international concerts for 20 years. Working in Australia and New Zealand, her career began as an intern alongside her colleagues at Chugg Entertainment. From there, Heymann worked as a Tour Coordinator and Marketing Manager before embarking on a leadership position behind the touring team.

Heymann remained as the Managing Director of Chugg Entertainment when the company joined forces in an exclusive venture arrangement with Frontier Touring. Her role changed during the COVID-19 pandemic when Heymann collaborated with the Frontier team to produce television and streaming opportunities for artists on the roster.

Susan Heymann is now the COO of Frontier Touring, with her role focusing more on artist relations and creative and content development for the legendary touring company.

Stay tuned for more NLMAs announcements.