The Middle East had an exciting year rising from obscurity to become one of the most exciting buzz acts of 2009. With dedication and enchanting live shows they have been garnering fans around the country at every major festival. With a highly anticipated debut EP in the works they are set for a huge 2010 and have already played SXSW in Texas, and the Coachella Festival in California.

Washington is headed by chanteuse Megan Washington, and won our Melbourne Big Day Out competition in 2009. Several tracks from her EP How to Tame Lions have received high rotation on triple j and she has toured across Australia playing several festivals and appearing at triple j’s tribute to Paul Kelly – Before too Long, One Night Stand in Alice Springs, and is a regular on ABC’s Spicks and Specks.

2009 was a busy year for our Sydney Big Day Out Competition winners. They went to all corners of the country to play live, literally spending more weeks on the road than off. After selling out their own national headline tour they released their first self-produced EP which spawned three triple j hit tracks. They then released their debut album “Hope is for Hopers’ which received a coveted j award nomination for album of the year.

With 43,000 downloads Melbourne MC Seth Sentry has the most downloaded track on triplejunearthed.com ever. After being discovered on triplejunearthed.com, Seth Sentry’s ‘The Waitress Song’ quickly became the most requested song on triple j’s Super Request, beating big guns like the Gossip and Phoenix every night resulting in being voted number 31 in 2009’s Hottest 100 countdown.

Art Vs. Science took out our 2008 Splendour in the Grass competition after only forming 6 months prior. They blew the crowd away, pulling a bigger crowd as the first act of the day than many of the headliners. Since then they have gone from strength to strength - and festival to festival, ending 2008 with Flippers reaching number 44 in the Hottest 100 countdown. In 2009 they released their self-titled debut EP and went on to receive an ARIA nomination for best breakthrough act. Thier single Parle Vous Francais was voted number 2 in the 2009 Hottest 100 countdown.

Since winning Unearthed's Brisbane leg of 2008 Big Day Out Brisbane's John Steel Singers, have shared the stage with Polyphonic Spree (USA), Built To Spill (USA), Kelley Stoltz (USA), The Brunettes (NZ), The Panics and The Panda Band. With a packed touring schedule and festivals including Big Day Out, Falls Festival, Playground Weekender, and Sunset Sounds under their belt. JSS have spent time in the UK and New York recording their mini LP The Beagle and the Dove.

Cassette Kids have certainly taken advantage since winning the Unearthed Sydney 2008 Big Day Out Competition. They scored national tours with Lily Allen and The Presets and scored a record deal with Sony Records, the resulting album ‘Nothing on TV’ to be released in 2010.

Oh Mercy took the stage as Melbourne winners of our 2007 Big Day Out Competition. They went on to tour continuously including national support slots with Sparkadia, Kaiser Chiefs, Little Birdy, & Ben Kweller, Lisa Mitchell and Ben Folds. In 2009 they released their debut album – ‘Privileged Woes’ to critical acclaim and scored both a J Award and Australian Music Prize nomination for album of the year.

After winning our 2006 Homebake competition, Young and Restless soon found themselves in increasing demand. Tours across the country with the likes of Erase Errata, Cansei De Ser Sexy and Love Is All followed. Picked up by local independent label, Dot Dash, the band's self-titled debut was released in 2007 and they embarked on a successful headline tour. They disbanded in 2009.

Unpaid Debt began its life in Western Sydney in June 2000, playing to a healthy following in community venues like the Melrose Hall in Emu Plains. They have now moved to Sydney and say that the city is starting to show through in their music.

Since winning Unearthed the band have been giving the live circuit a workout. Big guns they've supported include The Mad Caddies, Goldfinger, Against Me!, New Found Glory, Guttermouth, One Dollar Short, The Hard-Ons, and The Vandals

+ Listen to their winning song 'Verity'

Shifter beat over 1500 entries from Queensland with their addictive power-pop track 'Butter'.

+ Listen to the 'Butter'

They've since clocked up shows with Grinspoon, The Living End, Eskimo Joe, Spiderbait, Shihad, Evermore and Blondie.

In 2005 the band jetted to Los Angeles and played at the legendary Roxy nightclub.

Sophie was 15 when she wrote her first song. 8 years later she was unearthed in Darwin with her track 'Easily Broken'.

+ Listen to 'Easily Broken' re-recorded by triple j

"I remember the first time 'Easily Broken' came on the radio, I was driving my car and had some friends with me. I tried to turn off my CD player, thinking that I had left my demo CD in there, but, of course, I couldn't. The song was on the radio, it was unreal." - Sophie Koh

She's built up a reputation as an engaging live performer and has gone on to support acts such as Eels, The Go-Betweens, Betchadupa, Pete Murray, Alex Lloyd, Paul Dempsey, Ember Swift and Mick Thomas.. In 2005 Sophie released her debut album 'All The Pretty Boys'.

As the hardest working band in WA, The Fuzz have been playing gigs non stop since being unearthed November 2002.

They play guitars. Loud. Their energetic sound has led them to play at the Big Day Out in Perth and as supports for Mudhoney, The Breeders, Hard Ons, Spiderbait, Jebediah, Brad and the Breeders.

+ Listen to their winning song 'The Bomb'

Missy Higgins was still in high school when her song: 'I'm all for Believing' won our 2001 Melbourne Unearthed Compeition.

+ Listen to her winning entry

Rather than rushing into a recording studio she chose to take a year off backpacking around across Europe and writing more songs which became the basis for a self titled EP. The lead track 'Greed for Your Love' was voted into our Hottest 100 in 2003.

Since then she's certainly been busy! In 2004 she debuted at #1 on the Australian singles charts with her Scar EP. The title track notched up ten weeks at #1 on the airplay charts and became the most played song on Australian radio for 2004. To top this, her debut album 'The Sound of White' was released in September the same year and has gone on to be quadruple platinum.

Back in 2001 Missy Higgins performed in our Melbourne studios after winning Unearthed. Watch her performing
+ I'm All For Believing
+ Katie

'Relapse' was the track that we Unearthed in 1996. Endorphin aka Eric Chapus signed to Sony and sold 15,000 copies of his debut album "Embrace".

He's had an impressive career since, including a huge and gruelling National tour in 2003 which took in 67 gigs that swept through every city and state and many regional towns. He's currently working on a new album - 'Shake it'.

Who would imagine that a tiny town of 2000 citizens - Violet Town, could produce a band with such a huge sound? 'Kettle' was the song which caught our attention in 1996. Despite being only 16 and 18 at the time, vocalist Ella Hooper and her brother Jesse had created a powerful and original sound.

Since winning Unearthed they have gone on to become an Aussie success story. Their debut album "Reflector" hit #1 and they won 4 ARIA awards in 2001. Killing Heidi's are due to release their 4th album in 2006.

The guys from Grinspoon had only just formed when they heard about Unearthed. They entered a song called 'Sickfest' that went on to be the co-winner. 'Sickfest' then became triple j's number one requested song for 7 weeks and the band Grinspoon was well and truly born.

Grinspoon are regulars at Australian music festivals and have built a strong local following since winning Unearthed. After being nominated 9 times they finally won their first ARIA award in 2005 with 'Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills' winning best 'Rock Album of the Year'.