Jarrad Wrigley takes 46th Star Maker crown in Tamworth

Freshly crowned 2026 Toyota Star Maker winner Jarrad Wrigley is still coming to terms with what the title means, but he has big plans for the year ahead.

“Oh, it’s wild,” Jarrad said.

“I seriously do believe that holding the title of Toyota Star Maker is just the most prestigious achievement that you can gain in country music, but potentially the whole Australian music industry, and to be crowned champion for that is just unbelievable.”

For Jarrad, the win carries a deeper personal connection. Over recent years he has been living on the property of James Blundell, the 1987 Toyota Star Maker winner and one of Australian country music’s most influential figures. This history meant that Jarrad put a lot of thought into applying for the competition.

“James and I have spoken about Star Maker pretty much every year that I’ve been living with him and every time Tamworth rolls around we have a conversation and this is the first time that I’ve agreed with him that I was ready and that I had something to offer,” Jarrad said.

“I didn’t want to take part in something like this and take an opportunity away from somebody else if I didn’t really deserve it, so I think I’m just incredibly proud of how hard I’ve worked.

“I’m incredibly grateful for James, his mentoring the last few years and just, yeah, I owe a lot to him.”

Known to many as Farmer Jarrad from Farmer Wants A Wife, he said he didn’t mind how people knew of him.

“Whether you know me as Farmer Jarrad or Jarrad Wrigley, if I can make a difference in people’s lives then it doesn’t really bother me how you know me.”

Looking ahead to his year as Toyota Star Maker, Jarrad said his priorities are grounded in the same regional communities that shaped his career.

“I think the biggest thing I’d like to achieve is really just giving back to rural and regional Australia,” he said.

“I mean obviously small towns is what built my career and that’s all I played with the boys in my band and even myself as a solo artist and I was part of a duo for a while and all we did was small towns.

“As much as it’s great to play in the cities and I’m sure I’ll be playing heaps of those shows, I’d really, really love to give back to the bush.”

That will be reflected in the kilometres he plans to clock up during his reign.

“Well, look, I’ve, in about four months I’ve put just over 30,000 K’s on my current ute, so probably maybe like 20,000 K’s per month or something.”

On the music front, Jarrad enters the year with material already in the can.

“I started recording my EP in November of 2024,” he said.

“Now we finished that in April of 2025, and that was with Simon Johnson producing.

“I have released two songs out of it, but I kind of have been holding it in the hopes that I will take out Star Maker so that I can really have some good music to come out straight away.”

Jarrad receives a prize package valued at more than $100,000, including a brand new fully serviced Toyota with a fuel card for the year, a 10-day trip to Nashville for one person from Chris Watson Travel, a performance at CMA Fest, tickets to four major Country Music Association concerts in Nashville, and a fully produced four-track EP.

The prize also includes a Maton acoustic guitar, a Fender electric guitar, boots and a hat from Outback King and Corral Boots, performances at major festivals including Gympie Muster, Groundwater, Deni, Savannah in the Round, Queensland Music Festival and Queensland Music Trails Outback Sounds in Mount Isa, a professional hair and makeup package, a photo portfolio, marketing and promotional materials, and $1,000 cash from Lindsay and Reegan Waddington.