Joel Carnegie tells stories — with meaning, with music, with heart.

His work is about creating moments that connect us: to ourselves, to each other, to the present, to something bigger. He’s drawn to the emotional undercurrent. The hum beneath the noise. The kind of storytelling that leaves a mark — not just in the mind, but in the body.

Each weeknight, Joel hosts the national Evenings program on ABC Classic (Mon–Fri, 7pm–11pm), and pops up regularly on ABC Local Radio across Australia.

As a presenter and creator, Joel’s story work has reached millions worldwide on Audible, the ABC, American Public Media, BBC World Service, CBC (Canada), Deutsche Welle (Germany), and RFI (France). His work has been recognised with awards at the New York Festivals International Radio Awards and The Whickers, and he has served as a juror for the Signal Awards (USA), Prix Europa, New York Festivals, the Australian Podcast Awards, and the ARIA Music Awards.

On stage and in the rehearsal room, Joel is known as a music director, conductor, and performer who brings high energy, precision, and joy in the service of storytelling. He has trained with leading practitioners in Australia, Europe and the USA: including Ingrid Martin (conducting), Chris Nolan (voice), Patricia Angelin (Alba Emoting), Dawn Arnold (Chekhov Technique) and others - and leads collaboratively with honesty, depth, and heart.

From 2015 to 2024, Joel was Founder and Head of Storytelling at The Space Company, where he led the creation of music-rich original podcast, screen, and live-on-stage productions. Highlights included the gripping rescue drama Hells Gates (2023), which he created and led, and the award-winning, nationally touring double bill Stardust + The Mission, which he performed in, musically directed, and steered across 45 cities with over 60 project partners and 200+ locally sourced musicians involved.

A graduate of the Australia Council for the Arts’ Future Leaders program (2020–2022), Joel holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the University of Melbourne, which included performance training at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz. He then completed a Master of Arts (Media and Communications) from Swinburne University of Technology and a Graduate Certificate in Business (Arts and Cultural Management) from Deakin University.

Open to collaboration, commissions, and opportunities as a story-first presenter, narrative architect, and musical director, Joel is also regularly invited to host, MC, and facilitate conversations, and to speak at events exploring the intersections of music, culture, storytelling, community, innovation, and leadership.

Reach out for his availability here.