BRISBANE indie-pop band Cub Sport have capped off a stellar run of late, being named inaugural winners of the ARIA Emerging Artist Scholarship.

The award is co-sponsored by Virgin Australia, and as part of the prize, the four-piece will receive travel support for both the domestic and international legs of their current world tour.

The band are midway through a tour of the US and Canada, and will perform two sold-out shows in London next month.

Their next scheduled Australian shows will be supporting Vance Joy, including two shows at Brisbane’s Riverstage in September.

Cub Sport frontman Tim Nelson told The Courier-Mail winning the scholarship would be “a real game-changer for the year ahead”.

“We were hopeful but we really had no idea what to expect - there are so many amazing emerging artists coming out of Australia right now,” Nelson said.

ARIA chief executive Dan Rosen said: “On behalf of all at ARIA we are thrilled to present Cub Sport with the inaugural ARIA Emerging Artist Scholarship Presented by Virgin Australia.

“I would like to thank Virgin Australia for their support and contribution, which will assist in developing the band’s career and help them take their music to the world.”

Nelson said winning the prize would enable the band to undertake another overseas tour later in the year that they may not otherwise been able to afford

“We’re on tour in the US at the moment, then we’re heading to the UK and Europe after this and we’ve scheduled in time for another international tour for later in the year - we’re using it as an opportunity to invest more into the production level of the live show, which is super exciting,” Nelson said.

“It’s so important – returning to market is key and initiatives like this make building an international following more sustainable.”

It’s been a big year for the band – they were one of the most-talked-about acts at last year’s BIGSOUND music conference and festival in Brisbane, their second album BATS was heaped with critical praise upon its release in September and their song Chasin’ made it into Triple J’s Hottest 100 in January.

Nelson and his bandmate and partner Sam Netterfield also announced their engagement last July, and the pair are scheduled to be married for later year.

When asked if there has been a specific moment from the past year that stands out as a highlight for Cub Sport, Nelson says the opportunity to help others struggling with their identity.

“We’ve had heaps of people sending messages saying that our openness and pride in being queer has helped them learn to love themselves just as they are, whether they’re cis, trans, gay, bi or straight, or if they just feel like they’re different in some other way,” Nelson said.

“For me, that’s hands-down the most rewarding part of what we’re doing.

“It’s definitely encouraging to read good reviews of the album, but our motivation really comes straight from our fans, hearing how it’s impacted their lives - that’s what makes me want to keep doing it forever.”

In the meantime, the band are eagerly anticipating their London show, which “sold out months in advance” and returning to Australia for the Vance Joy tour.

“We just got an email one day asking if we’d be available for the dates (for the Vance Joy tour). I kind of freaked out! It’ll be the biggest tour we’ve been a part of without a doubt - we’re ready to hit up some arenas.”