Country Artist & Songwriter
Biography
Sammi Palinkas is an Australian contemporary country Artist & Songwriter who started singing at the age of 3. After growing up on a diverse range of music including Country greats such as Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Loretta Lynn, Sammi’s journey in the music industry began at a young age, winning a national televised singing competition (Channel 7, 20th Century Fox, Gold FM & partners) at the age of 8, celebrating the release of the Children's movie "Anastasia" and sending her family on an all-expenses paid trip to Paris.
Sammi's love for performing led her to many stage and TV appearances, including at the age of 11 she played "Pepper" in SEL/GFO’s Melbourne season of "Annie" at the Regent Theatre starring Anthony Warlow. Over the years, she has developed her craft and written for many years between Australia and the US (LA, NY, Nashville) collaborating with renowned songwriters and producers including Andrew Bolooki (Selena Gomez, The Weeknd, Post Malone), Fiona Kernaghan (Mindy McReady, Tina Arena), Sally Barris (Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack), Sam Gay (Deric Ruttan, Little Texas, Bryan White) and Templeton Thompson (Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina & Little Texas), amongst others. She has been on stage for as long as she can remember, performing to crowds of over 25,000 people, as well as national television audiences. Notable performances include performing the National Anthem for the televised VFLW Grand Final (AFL, Channel 7), headlining “Big Hug Day” (3AW/Channel 9/Eynesbury Homestead), regularly performing to 14,500+ people at “Carols by Kingston”, and notable Australian Country Music festival “Savannah in the Round” (headlined by Zac Brown Band and Jackson Dean).
Having already made waves in the country music scene, Sammi’s recently released debut album “No Settlin’” recorded with award-winning Producer Rod McCormack (Paul Kelly, The Wolfe Brothers & Lee Kernaghan) was named one of CountryTown’s Best Australian Country Albums of 2025. Her debut Country single “Meet in the Middle” debuted at #3 on the Australian iTunes Country chart, #8 All Genre, with multiple follow-up singles debuting in the Top 10 on the Australian iTunes Country charts, and singles “No Settlin’” and “Meet in the Middle” charting in the official CountryTown National Airplay Chart Top 50. Sammi was named in NSAI's (Nashville Songwriters Association International) "One's to Watch" list for singles “Don’t Blink” and “Read Between the Lies” and announced as a 2023 and 2024 Country semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for her singles "Meet in the Middle" and "No Settlin'".
Sammi’s musical influences are evident in her dynamic vocal range and powerful stage presence, drawing inspiration from the 90's country we all fell in love with and the likes of artists Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Carly Pearce, Lainey Willson, and more. Off that back of a massive 2025 that included releasing her debut album “No Settlin’, multiple full-band headline shows, and performances at the prestigious Australian country music festival "Savannah in the Round" (Mareeba), Sammi is looking forward to bringing new music and a brand new project to her growing fan base from early 2026, starting with single "A Little More Backroad" on February 27.
