Creating a Safe Space for Creators & Cultivating a Network Milly Petriella OAM is a highly respected cultural strategist, mentor, and advocate for creative excellence across the music and arts industries. With more than 30 years of leadership experience, Milly brings a rare depth of industry knowledge, insight, and global connectivity to her mentorship practice, empowering creators and executives alike to navigate complex career pathways with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Currently CEO & Founder Next Up Music Awards, Partnerships Manager at The Song Room and Music Industry Consultant , Milly leads programs that centre equity, creativity, entrepreneurialism, education, and community. She has mentored hundreds of artists, executives, and innovators through initiatives including the APRA AMCOS 23% Mentorship Program, Women in Music Australia, ARIA Collab, GLOW Collective, Western Sydney Fellowship, Diversity Arts and more. During her three-decade tenure at APRA AMCOS, Milly spearheaded the delivery of game-changing programs like SongHubs (over 90 residencies globally), set up International offices in Los Angeles, Nashville and London with a focus on supporting our export community, created the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, The Billions List, and assisted with mentor acquisition for SongMakers, APRA AMCOS national schools program pairing students with professional artists. Her work has launched careers, fostered lifelong collaborations, and raised over $2 million for charity, all while amplifying underrepresented voices across music, education, and cultural sectors. Milly leads with a firm commitment to safety and ethics in the creative industries, actively working to protect creators from any form of workplace harassment or abuse.

As CEO and Founder of the Next Up Music Awards (NUMAs), Milly has built Australia's first national contemporary music event dedicated entirely to school-aged creators, their music teachers, schools and community outreach programs. Presented in partnership with APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, Music Australia, The Song Room, SAE University College, and MPEG, the NUMAs also include a paid Youth Intern Program for students aged 15 to 18, and an Alumni Pathways program offering ongoing professional development including mentorships with Eddie Perfect, Q Prime, Mentor Academy, Spotify, and MPEG. It is a platform built from first principles to discover, celebrate, and develop the next generation of Australian music talent from the very beginning of their creative lives.

Milly’s mentoring style is personal, strategic, and deeply informed. She offers practical guidance alongside high-level industry intelligence, drawing from her extensive experience in management, publishing, sync, touring, rights, and philanthropy. She is a Board Director of Noro Music Therapy and MPEG (Music Producers & Engineers Guild), and a founding member of Women in Music Australia (WIMA). A recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her distinguished service to the performing arts, Milly is a bridge-builder and cultural connector. Whether you’re an emerging artist, an executive looking to grow, or a creative seeking clarity, Milly offers the kind of mentorship that’s both actionable, personal and transformative.