Sosefina Fuamoli

Sosefina Fuamoli (born 5 April 1990) is a Samoan-Australian music journalist, podcast and radio host, and music industry speaker.
Fuamoli began her career as a music journalist in 2010 while living in Adelaide, South Australia, writing and eventually becoming Editor-in-Chief of independent music and arts publication, the AU review.
Since 2018, she has been freelancing for multiple national titles, including Rolling Stone Australia, NME Australia, Junkee Media, Jaxsta, and Triple J.
Fuamoli currently co-hosts music culture podcast Hit Different, as well as R&B/hip hop radio show Window Seat on 3RRR in Melbourne.
In 2020, Fuamoli won the inaugural 'Live Music Journalist' prize at the National Live Music Awards.
== Early life and education ==
Sosefina Fuamoli was born in South Australia to an Australian mother and a Samoans.
She spent her teenage years in the Darwin, Northern Territory, where she began performing with Pasifika dance company, Sunameke. Her time with Sunameke introduced Fuamoli to the Northern Territory music and arts community, where the company would regularly perform as part of the Darwin Festival, as well as the opening ceremony of the 2007 Arafura Games. Her time spent with the dance company also saw Fuamoli perform in New Zealand, as well as the 2007 Adelaide Fringe Festival.
After graduating from Darwin High School in 2007, Fuamoli moved back to Adelaide in 2009 to study at the University of Adelaide. She graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in English and Classics.
== Career ==
=== 2010–2018: Early titles, the AU review, the Australian Music Prize ===
Fuamoli began reviewing music for a number of Australian music publications in 2010, including Tasmania's Warp Magazine, Dwarf Magazine and the now defunct national outlet, FasterLouder.
Her first permanent writing position was with Sydney-based Australian independent music and arts publication, the AU review. Starting as a music reviewer, then eventually moving upward to becoming South Australian editor two years later, Fuamoli began to develop a profile within the local music community.
In 2014, she attended the South by Southwest, technology and film festival in Austin, Texas with the AU review for the first time – as Deputy Editor.
In 2014 and 2015, Fuamoli represented the AU review on ground at international festivals, including Lollapalooza Chicago and Berlin.
In 2016, Fuamoli took over from Larry Heath as Editor-in-Chief of the AU review. In the same year, she joined the judging panel for the Australian Music Prize; an album prize that awarded Courtney Barnett's debut record, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, $30,000. Fuamoli continues to serve as an AMP judge today.
As well as the Australian Music Prize, Fuamoli joined the voting academy for the ARIA Music Awards|ARIA Awards; she was also selected to judge other music prizes, including the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition, the Hilltop Hoods Initiative and NT Song of The Year.
In 2016 and 2017, she attended UK music discovery festival and conference, The Great Escape, in Brighton.
In 2017 Fuamoli was a featured speaker at A Rock And Roll Writers Festival in Brisbane, appearing at the two-day festival alongside artists including Adalita Srsen|Adalita, Ngaiire|NGAIIRE, Tim Rogers (musician)|Tim Rogers; and fellow music writers and industry names like Zan Rowe, Michael Dwyer (journalist)|Michael Dwyer and the late Iain Shedden.
Fuamoli moved to Melbourne in 2017. Shortly after, she began hosting a hip hop radio show on Kiss FM Australia FM – The Scenario – with Michelle Grace Hunder and Rui Baptista; the show ceased broadcasting in late 2018.
In 2017, Fuamoli began writing for Melbourne's dedicated music street press title Beat Magazine, eventually becoming their hip hop columnist in 2018.
=== 2018 – present: Freelance career, industry speaker, Hit Different ===
Fuamoli stepped down from the AU review in 2018 to pursue freelance opportunities, the same year publication marked its 10th anniversary.
Her first major role after departing the AU review was at Triple J, where she was offered a contracted position as a Music News producer. In a statement about her decision to leave the AU review, Fuamoli stated:“The AU review has been a great champion for emerging artists, writers and photographers; that will never change. I’m always keen to be learning more about our changing landscape, so I’m super keen to jump into the triple j lane and try it out for size.”Aside from her work at triple j, Fuamoli has also contributed works to Double J (radio station)|Double J.
Since 2018, Fuamoli's freelance portfolio has continued to grow. She has written consistently for Rolling Stone Australia, The Big Issue (Australia)|The Big Issue Australia, Music Feeds, Tone Deaf, LNWY, Cool Accidents and Red Bull Music Australia.
In 2019, Fuamoli facilitated numerous panels at a variety of music conferences and festivals. She co-hosted and led panels at Melbourne's CHANGES Festival, as well as facilitating panels at Melbourne Music Week, Melbourne Writers Festival and Splendour in the Grass.
Fuamoli was commissioned to write an essay on the development and evolution of Australian hip hop for the Australian Music Vault in 2019, helping launch a dedicated hip hop exhibition at the site, at the Arts Centre Melbourne.
In 2019, Fuamoli was a Keynote Speaker at the BIGSOUND music conference, where she spoke on identity politics and working within a global settler-led music industry. She was invited to curate her own panel for the 2020 virtual edition of the music conference titled 'Australian Music: What Does It Look Like in 2020?'.
In 2020, she won the inaugural 'Live Music Journalist' award at the National Live Music Awards, held in Brisbane.
In 2021, Fuamoli was offered the newly created role of Conference Programming Advisor for BIGSOUND, before the festival announced its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Midway through 2021, Fuamoli was offered the opportunity to join long-standing Melbourne community radio station 3RRR as a pop-up host. As of December 2021, she hosts weekly late night R&B show, Window Seat.
In August 2021, Fuamoli was nominated in the 'Music Journalist' category for the 2021 Australian Women in Music Awards, set to be revealed in 2022.
2021 also saw Fuamoli become a podcast host alongside fellow music journalists Mikey Cahill (Herald Sun, NME Australia) and Marcus Teague (Broadsheet). Together they host music culture podcast Hit Different, produced by the Mushroom Group.
== Personal life ==
Fuamoli resides in Melbourne, Victoria.
Since 2008, Fuamoli has explored connection to her Samoan culture through tattooing (tatau). She currently wears four traditional Samoan designs, including the traditional Samoan malu, which was completed in Auckland in 2017 by noted 'tufuga' (tattooist) Su'a Segaula Fuiavailili Lawrence Ah Ching.
Fuamoli completed another malu process in 2019, having both hands tattooed by Auckland tatau practitioner Tyla Vaeau.
Category:1990 births
Category:Australian music journalists 
Category:Australian music industry 
Category:People from Adelaide