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.
Most recently Sammi performed the National Anthem for the televised VFLW Grand Final (AFL, Channel 7) for the second year running, appeared as the headline act at “Big Hug Day†(3AW/Channel 9/Eynesbury Homestead) in October, performed to 14,500+ people at “Carols by Kingstonâ€, and was named in NSAI's (Nashville Songwriters Association International) "One's to Watch" list for her single “Don’t Blinkâ€.
Sammi is currently recording her debut album with award-winning Producer Rod McCormack (Paul Kelly, The Wolfe Brothers & Lee Kernaghan). Her first Country single “Meet in the Middle†debuted at #3 on the Australian iTunes Country chart, #8 All Genre, and charted in the official Australian Country Radio Hot 50. Follow-up singles “You’ve Lived†and “Don’t Blink†debuted at #5 on the Australian iTunes Country chart, as did her Christmas single “From Me to Youâ€.
Inspired by the likes of Shania Twain and Bruce Springsteen, Sammi’s next single “Let Your Hair Down†(February 23 2024) is an uplifting song, full of good vibes. It’s written about balancing the weight of life with “letting your hair down†once in a while.
Sammi’s musical influences are evident in her dynamic vocal range and powerful stage presence, drawing inspiration from the likes of Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Carly Pearce, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood.