Eight Aussie rising stars you need to watch out for in 2017

Most of us were willing 2016 to end, with a particularly bad mojo hanging over the year managing to take out much-loved British pop idol George Michael as well as movie stars Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds over Christmas, having snatched David Bowie early on and Leonard Cohen and Prince along the way.  

With Trump now President of the United States, this year looks set to be just as interesting. Rather than focus on the gloomy, it's the perfect time to identify the men we'd rather look to for inspiration in 2017.

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From the young gun AFL rookie whose speed and showmanship mark him out for an exciting season to come, to the politician who made history just by being himself, from a schoolboy tech start-up to an Obama lookalike, there's plenty to impress on this honourable roll call, but who would you nominate?

The designer

Newly crowned Young Australian of the Year, 26-year-old Adelaide fashion designer Paul Vasileff is a savvy businessman gifted with passion, dedication and unbridled creativity. Taught to sew by his grandmother, since starting out at 16, his couture label Paolo Sebastian has grown so successful his catwalk creations have graced the Oscar red carpet and Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

Closer to home, dedicated follower Carrie Bickmore wore one of his finest dresses when she claimed her Gold Logie. The Australia Council's recognition can only mean better days to come, with Vasileff's brand growing bigger all the time.

The entrepreneur

It's never too late to turn a corner, or should that be too early with Vasileff's fellow Young Australian nominee Taj Pabari? Once suspended from school, the Brisbane-based, 17-year-old entrepreneur founded tech start-up company Fiftysix Creations which teaches up kids anywhere in the world and especially in in remote communities how to code tablet computer games from scratch.

Until he recently graduated from John Paul College, the keen tennis player would get up at 4am for pre-school conference calls. A former winner of the Australian Young Innovator of the Year Award, Pabari is in demand as a keynote speaker, including TedX. As for getting in trouble at school, he likes to quote movie star and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Break the rules, not the law. It is impossible to be original if you are too well behaved."

The athlete

Like father, like son, Richmond Football Club draftee Shai Bolton follows in the footsteps of former Fremantle midfielder Darren Bolton. The Melbourne club spotted his swift, nifty moves and sure-footed bounce as a small forward for South Fremantle over three seasons in the WAFL colts, scooping the Flying Boomerangs Indigenous Academy alumni up in November last year.

A crowd favourite already who regularly roused Freo crowds, we predict a bright future for the 18-year-old Aboriginal man, who takes on the treasured mantle of Kevin Bartlett's No.29.

The writer

Western Sydney-based author and spoken word performer Peter Polites' raw, contemporary voice has been singing loud and proud, from assisting marginalised communities as part of the SWEATSHOP literacy movement to co-penning this year's Sydney Festival culture clash hit Home Country alongside Andrea James and Gaele Sobott.

His debut novel, the burning neo-noir Down the Hume, which tackles multiculturalism, addiction and sexuality, will explode onto Australia's literary scene late February. With the grit and guts of Christos Tsiolkas and a fierce freshness all of his own, expect big things.

The musician

Think Peter Gabriel meets Pink Floyd via Gotye, Castlemaine's finest D.D. Dumbo, aka Oliver Hugh Perry, rocketed into the airwaves with his Triple J award-winning Australian Album of the Year Utopia Defeated last October. Having kept us waiting three years since he first dropped self-recorded EP Tropical Oceans, the talented multi-instrumentalist is picking up the pace, appearing at Laneway Festival across Australia this month.

We're pretty sure you'll be hearing a lot more from him from hereon in.  

The actor

President Barrack Obama may have left the White House, but you can get your fix of the former leader of the free world care of Perth star-in-the-making Devon Terrell. Appearing as a college years Obama in the Vikram Gandhi-directed Netflix series Barry, NIDA graduate Terrell first came to the attention of casting directors after landing the lead role in an HBO pilot for 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen.

That project never saw the light of day, but it's a mere blip, as the American-born star is already hot property and has relocated to New York to pursue his dream. Just like Nicole Kidman, we'll always call him ours.

The chef

Charlie Carrington left school to follow his dream of becoming a chef with the full support of his parents at only 15 years old. It was a wise move, landing in London and studying under Gordon Ramsay the following year.

Stints at Firedoor and Marque in Sydney and Vue De Monde in Melbourne followed. He opened his first restaurant, Atlas Dining, in Melbourne's affluent suburb of South Yarra in September 2016.

Having travelled the world soaking up its culinary riches, Atlas' wine-matched set menu skips to another corner of the globe every four months. Kicking off with Vietnamese, he's now onto Israeli and the buzz just keeps building.

The politician

Former chief executive officer of the National Retail Association, the newly installed LNP Member for Brisbane Trevor Evans made headlines during last year's prolonged eight-week election campaign as a proud gay man running opposite Labor's also same-sex attracted candidate, army major Pat O'Neil. It was the first time in Australian politics both major parties fielded an LGBTIQ candidate.

His maiden speech, recognised that, "I stand here speaking for the ongoing triumph of liberal democracy, with the willing support of those who understand the fundamental value of human life and the powerful potential of each individual."

He also took the time to recognise the 18-year commitment of retiring MP Teresa Gambaro and her Italian background, as well as Australia's first Indigenous politician Neville Bonner, the previous MP to hail from Evan's hometown of Tweed Heads, NSW.

Check out the gallery above to see the future leaders you should keep an eye out for in 2017.

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