Battle of the Beats 2026 Showcases ECU’s Outstanding Musical Talent

ECU’s local showcase event for the National Campus Music Competition, Battle of the Beats gave student musicians the opportunity to perform live in front of an enthusiastic audience while competing for industry-supported prizes and audience votes.

A Strong Year for ECU in the National Competition

This year saw an impressive level of participation from ECU students in the National Campus Music Competition, resulting in one of the strongest pools of local artists we’ve seen in many years.

The quality and diversity of submissions meant we had an outstanding lineup for Battle of the Beats, highlighting the incredible depth of musical talent across the ECU community.

From singer-songwriters and indie artists to full bands performing original music, the standard throughout the evening was exceptional and made the judges’ decisions no easy task.

Congratulations to Our Winners

Following a night of outstanding performances, the awards went to:

🏆 Judges’ Choice Winner – The Villas

🥈 Judges’ Runner-Up – Paperhaven

🎉 People’s Choice Award Winner – Lilac Hill

A huge congratulations to all three acts and to every performer who took to the stage. Sharing original music with a live audience takes courage, preparation and dedication, and each artist helped make the event an unforgettable night.

Meet the Artists

Battle of the Beats featured performances from:

🎵 Bad Habit
🎵 No Hard Feelings
🎵 Paperhaven
🎵 Lilac Hill
🎵 The Copper Plains
🎵 The Villas
🎵 Figgy Tuna

Each act brought something unique to the stage, showcasing the creativity, originality, and passion that exists within ECU’s music community.

Thank You to Our Judges & MC

A special thank you goes to our judges for donating their time, expertise and thoughtful feedback throughout the evening:

🎙️ Graeme, from ECU Student Life, founder of OUTinPerth, and RTRFM Breakfast presenter.

🎙️ Natalie, ECU Student Guild Staff Member, representing the ECU Student Guild, who stepped in at the last minute and who we think is an absolute legend.

🎙️ Kenny, Universal Bar’s resident sound guru, whose technical expertise and industry experience were invaluable on the night.

We’d also like to recognise ECU student San Kader Tuhin, whose enthusiasm, commitment and support for ECU’s music community played a significant role in bringing Battle of the Beats to life. From helping engage performers in the lead-up to the event to keeping the energy high as MC on the night, San’s contribution was instrumental to the event’s success.

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Supporters

Battle of the Beats would not have been possible without the generous support of our prize partners and supporters:

🎙️ Aerial Recording
🎧 Lab Six
🥤 Red Bull
🍹 Universal Bar
👕 WAAPA

Their support helped us provide more than $2,500 worth of prizes and artist development opportunities for participating musicians.

Support ECU Talent Beyond Battle of the Beats

While unable to join us on the night, ECU band Hey So Hungry deserves a special mention after being named the August winner of the National Campus Music Competition.

The competition’s People’s Choice voting is now open, and Hey So Hungry needs your support to be crowned the overall national People’s Choice winner.

🎧 Listen and vote here:
https://campusmusic.com.au/listen

Voting closes 30 November 2026.

Follow and Support Our ECU Artists

One of the best ways you can support local music is by following artists on social media, streaming their music, attending gigs and sharing their work with friends.

Battle of the Beats reminded us just how much talent exists within the ECU community, and we’re excited to see where these artists go next.

To all of our performers, supporters, judges and sponsors: thank you for helping make the return of Battle of the Beats such a success. We can’t wait to do it again next year. 🎸🔥💙