Music Victoria Awards - Page 3

In late 2020, select nominees of the Music Victoria Awards were given the opportunity for a paid and professionally filmed livestream event, thanks to funding from the Victorian Government’s Victoria Together Program.

These live-streamed concerts will provide a valuable income and promotional stream for the nine lucky recipients, along with providing income and networks to the crew behind the scenes.

Each Tuesday for the following 7 weeks, Music Victoria will introduce you to a new award-nominated artist, via live performances filmed at some of Victoria’s most iconic music venues, exclusively for Victoria Together.

WATCH EPISODE 3:

Music Victoria presents Leah Senior – Live at The Thornbury Theatre
Presented by Music Victoria
Still and Video Production by Semiconductor Media

Leah Senior silences audiences with her ethereal vocals and unique lyricism. Her latest album The Passing Scene lilts between spring time baroque-pop and 70s folk, with lead single “Evergreen” nominated for Best Song at the Music Victoria Awards 2020. The Passing Scene effortlessly weaves together themes of impermanence, the natural world, loss and ultimately hope. When performing, Senior is joined by her sister Andi and guitarist/pianist Jesse Williams creating a tapestry of ethereal harmonies and jangly 60s guitar. The Passing Scene also features Tam Matlakowski on bass and Luke Brennan on drums. Leah Senior has performed extensively throughout Australia and Europe, playing at major festivals including Golden Plains, Boogie, Queenscliff Music Festival and OOAM (Switzerland). Early 2019 saw Leah Senior embark on her first headline international tour in support of her single Graves. Leah Senior will be returning to Europe and then joining King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard for their upcoming tour of America and Canada in 2021.

Catch a teaser of Leah Senior's set below and keep checking in weekly for the other concerts on Victoria Together's website.

Artist Social Media
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp

Leah Senior: Music Victoria Awards 2020 showcase from Victoria Together on Vimeo.

Leah Senior – Live at The Thornbury Theatre is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria

These live-streamed concerts will provide a valuable income and promotional stream for the nine lucky recipients, along with providing income and networks to the crew behind the scenes.

Each Tuesday for the following 8 weeks, Music Victoria will introduce you to a new award-nominated artist, via live performances filmed at some of Victoria’s most iconic music venues, exclusively for Victoria Together.

WATCH EPISODE 2:

Music Victoria presents Shepparton Airplane – Live at The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Presented by Music Victoria
Still and Video Production by Semiconductor Media

Shepparton Airplane is a post-punk band from Melbourne, Australia. The band is driven by the twin guitars of Matt Duffy and Ezra Dowling and powered by the rhythm section of Steven Carter on drums and Stewart Rayner on bass guitar. Latest LP 'Sharks' is replete with unpredictable twists and genre-spanning soundscapes, signaling a sonic expansion for the band, all the while retaining the frenetic blend of jagged melody and pithy punk rock discourse found on 2018's 'Almurta' and 2016's self-titled debut. “Sharks” was nominated for Best Rock/Punk Album at the Music Victoria Awards 2020.

Catch a teaser of Shepparton Airplane's set below and keep checking in weekly for the other concerts on Victoria Together's website.

Artist Social Media
Facebook / Instagram / Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp

Shepparton Airplane – Live at The Gasometer Hotel Collingwood is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria

Sui Zhen: Music Victoria Awards 2020 showcase from Victoria Together on Vimeo.

In late 2020, with funding from Victoria Together, Music Victoria commissioned select nominees and winners of the Music Victoria Awards 2020 to perform professionally filmed live concerts at some of Victoria’s most iconic music venues.

Commissioning these artists also resulted in the employment of video and audio professionals, mastering, captioning, and venue hire – pumping $63,000 back into the Victorian music industry at a vital point in the COVID19 recovery.

Each Tuesday starting from today, this 9-week series will introduce you to a new award-nominated artist, via their live performances filmed at some of Victoria’s most iconic music venues, exclusively for Victoria Together.

The featured artists are:
Birdz
Black Jesus Experience
Cable Ties
Elizabeth
Freya Josephine Hollick
Kee'Ahn
Leah Senior
Shepparton Airplane
Sui Zhen

We are thrilled to announce that the first of these concerts has just gone live, starring Sui Zhen live at the Night Cat, Fitzroy

Catch a teaser of Sui Zhen's set over here and keep checking in weekly for the other concerts on Victoria Together's website.

Music Victoria presents Sui Zhen – Live at The Night Cat, Fitzroy
Presented by Music Victoria
Still and Video Production by Semiconductor Media

Experimental pop and performance artist Sui Zhen’s work zooms in on the intersections between human life and technology - how to exist in the digital age, as well as the ways in which we risk losing true sight of ourselves in the process.⁠
⁠
Her last album "Losing, Linda" was released in 2019, the same year she won Best Electronic Act at the Music Victoria Awards.

In 2020, she was nominated again in the Best Solo Artist category.

Artist Social Media
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Youtube / Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp

Sui Zhen – Live at The Night Cat, Fitzroy is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria

Sui Zhen: Music Victoria Awards 2020 showcase from Victoria Together on Vimeo.

By Lyndelle Wilkinson (PBS Broadcaster and Music Victoria Awards co-host), with assistance from Marty Boulton (The Age)

What started as a celebration for the 21^st birthday of the EG, has resulted in where we find ourselves in 2020. With a whole lot of extraordinary in the middle. There is a history here that we would like to share.

Back in 2006 Paddy Donovan wanted to celebrate The Age’s much loved music bible, the Entertainment Guide – EG. He had another idea too – to create a public vote to honour the best music and artists of those years and award them on the night.

Droves turned up – it was a concert and a party but with awards. And ‘wha-la’, recognising and celebrating music in this great city became an annual event. It was a huge success.

I first met Paddy when he wandered into PBS FM at 8am to promote one of the early award nights at The Prince Bandroom, on my radio show. He had a huge announcement to share. Bonnie Tyler was to perform and it’s here when I learned the 'power of Paddy', as he handed me a CD and said ‘here, it’s a Bonnie Tyler track to play, it’ll go off’ and so I simply nodded and played it. Later that night, I witnessed Bonnie Tyler bursting onto the stage singing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ backed by the mighty EG All-Stars and it blew everyone away – I know! Paddy knew. That’s how it works. That moment for Paddy would sit up there as one of his favourite music memories of all time

Those early, rollicking awards nights at the Prince were legendary, one of the best was the year he convinced the Painters and Dockers to get back together – they were celebrated and inducted into the Hall of Fame. Like the year Nirvana played nearby at the Palais - the concert that everyone says they were at – this was one of those nights. Paddy helped put the Dockers back together and they are still going today.

There were some extraordinary names being recognised along the way – fantastic musicians like Paul Kelly, Kim Salmon, Weddings Parties Anything and Wagons. Hall of Fame inductions like the late, great Steven Walker. Great contributors to our local music scene.

Six years on from the first awards night, Paddy left The Age - he became the first CEO of Music Victoria - a job he was made for. It’s a role he has embodied for the past 10 years.

In 2012 & 2013 The Age's Jo Roberts, Marty Boulton along with 2020's Hall of Fame inductee Mary Mihelakos, carried the flame for the awards, much to the delight of Melbourne’s music loving punters. By then it had become part of the city’s music calendar.

Once Music Victoria got off the ground - The Age partnered up with Music Victoria to take the awards to the next level - and to return them to the father of the awards - Paddy Donovan - from which time - they went from strength to strength, moving to 170 Russell and expanding recognition to more artists.

This period ushered in a terrific innovation - the creation of the Genre Awards, which spread the spotlight to even more Victorians artists - and til this day they are a real and important feature of the awards.

In 2019, The Age stepped away as a partner and the big event continued as the Music Victoria Awards, co-presented by Triple R 102.7FM and PBS 106.7FM.

Superstar favourites of the awards - like Courtney Barnett, The Drones, Paul Kelly and Adalita continue to attend, support and perform at the awards – which speaks to the place that the awards now hold in our Victorian music community.

In more recent years - at our now prestigious home for the awards, The Melbourne Recital Centre, the awards have grown in stature – The Teskey Brothers, Baker Boy, Sampa the Great and Mildlife are just some of the acts to join the stage and carry home awards.

Back in 2015, for the 10th annual awards, Paddy’s marvelous mind stepped it up a notch with a special celebration at the Palace, hosting a lunch for all of the Hall of Fame inductees, right on the stage of magnificent old venue - followed soon after by a concert by some of the greats - John Farnham, Archie Roach, The Seekers - all devised and agreed to on a handshake with Glen Wheatley and the manager at The Palais at the time. Hosted by Brian Nankervis – the night was a huge success.

Over the years the Hall of Fame has welcomed Molly Meldrum, Chrissy Amphlett, Vika and Linda, Renee Geyer and Daddy Cool, who like Painters and Dockers - Paddy coerced back onto the stage. So after 25 years they reformed for the event - with what turned out to be, the last ever, unforgettable live performance of Daddy Cool. The queues that night went around the corner.

In another memorable year - Paddy was determined to fit the entire Melbourne Ska Orchestra – that’s 30 plus performers - on stage at 170 Russell with an Awards event that went for 7+hours. It went off! There are no obstacles with Paddy and his determination to celebrate and create memories. He is inclusive, well-loved and respected and humble. There are so many stories, but alas not enough time to relay them all.

The sponsorship for these awards which Paddy has been able to secure to fund these awards has been monumental, he started from scratch and after all of these years the tally of prize money going directly to artists exceeds $120,000. It's been a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and grit, but these awards are now in a commanding position.

Along the way - the awards team has expanded, changed and brought together talented and passionate people, all led by Paddy. Bek Duke, Belinda Collins, Chloe Turner, Karen Conrad, Sarah Guppy and Emily Ulman are among those who have played significant roles. More recently, they have been in the very capable hands of Laura Imbruglia these past 2 years, she and her team have confidently taken the reins and they are in incredibly safe hands moving forward.

Thanks to Paddy, these awards have formed lifelong friends and created positive change and impact to our state and our amazing and valuable music scene. And for that we could never thank him enough. He parted ways with Music Victoria just last month after 10 years of steering the ship, we could not let an opportunity pass. So Paddy Donovan. Please take a stand and take a bow.

Last night, the 16th edition of the annual Music Victoria Awards honoured Victoria’s best acts, albums, songs and musicians of the year in another exceptional awards night. Taking place as part of the Melbourne Music Week Extended program at the Melbourne Recital Centre, the live-streamed event and Channel 31 TV special revealed the seven public-voted winners and 14 industry-voted winners following a handful of previously announced 2020 awards and accolades handed out at last month’s Industry Awards event.

Co-presented by RRR 102.7FM and PBS 106.7FM, and MC’d by beloved community radio presenters and stalwarts of the Victorian music scene, Lyndelle Wilkinson and Chris Gill, the evening also featured exciting live performances on the Recital Centre stage from Alice Skye, Elizabeth, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Simona Castricum.

This year’s Awards queen is the ineffable Sampa The Great who took home a massive four awards including Best Album, Best Solo Artist, Best Soul, Funk, Gospel or RnB Album and Best Song for her hit single ‘OMG’, and winning a $3000 in cash from APRA AMCOS. Beloved pub rock trio Amyl and The Sniffers took home three awards for Best Band, plus Best Live Act with frontwoman Amy Taylor being crowned Best Musician. Yamaha Music sponsored four Awards categories this year, providing $5000 in vouchers for Yamaha gear for the lucky winners.

Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal and Badu Island singer songwriter Kee’ahn took home the coveted Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent as well as a $2000 cash prize from the Foundation, and post-punk outfit Pinch Points were awarded Best Breakthrough Act, along with a $1000 credit for custom made merch from Australia’s leading merch company Sound Merch. Three-time previous Awards nominee Lloyd Spiegel took home Best Blues Album for his album Cut and Run, and previous two-time Award nominees Robin Fox and Birdz were named this year’s Best Experimental or Avant-garde Act and Best Hip Hop Act respectively.

Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife won Best Country Album for their album You Be The Lightning, four years on from taking out the same title for their previous LP Thieves, and previous Best Global or Reggae Album winners Black Jesus Experience were announced as this year’s Best Intercultural Act. The Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act with a cash prize of $3000 from Bendigo Bank, this year went to everyone's favourite siblings The Teskey Brothers, who are still based in Warrandyte.

Inaugural Awards entrants, Fiona Ross & Shane O'Mara, Sleep D, Diploid, Vanessa Perica Orchestra and Dub FX were each crowned first-time winners of their respective categories, with cathartic punk trio Cable Ties claiming their debut Music Victoria Award win for Best Rock/Punk Album for their 2020 record Far Enough after four years and eight nominations across almost every eligible category including Best Album, Best Live Act, Best Band, Best Song, and Best Emerging Act.

Music Victoria would also like to thank all their very generous partners for all of their contributions this year, plus each of the nominees of Best Song and Best Album were also awarded the opportunity for a paid and professionally filmed livestream event, thanks to funding from the Victorian Government’s Victoria Together Program.

The evening also saw Australian music icon Paul Kelly induct the late, great Chris Wilson into the Music Victoria Hall Of Fame, presenting a touching speech and inviting Chris’ wife Sarah Carroll and sons Fenn Wilson and George Carroll Wilson to the stage to accept the induction. Kim Salmon and Jo Roberts presented fellow Hall of Fame Inductee Mary Mihelakos with her official induction to celebrate her extensive and prolific industry career. Music Victoria’s outgoing CEO Patrick Donovan was also acknowledged for his work growing the Awards over 16 years and for his achievements at the helm of the organisation.

A testament to the strength of the Victorian music community, Music Victoria would like to thank Major Partners Bendigo Bank, City of Melbourne, Creative Victoria and Melbourne Recital Centre in their ongoing support of the Music Victoria Awards and send a big thank you to everyone who voted or tuned in to the 2020 Awards and to all those who continue to support and champion local musicians, venues festivals and industry. Here’s to the next 12 months of world class Victorian music!

Watch back the awards:

THE 2020 MUSIC VICTORIA AWARD WINNERS:

PUBLIC-VOTED WINNERS

Best Album
Sampa The Great – The Return

Best Band (Prize $2000 voucher from Yamaha)
Amyl and The Sniffers

Best Song (Prize $3000 cash from APRA AMCOS)
Sampa The Great – OMG

Best Solo Artist (Prize $1000 voucher from Yamaha)
Sampa The Great

Best Musician (Prize $1000 voucher from Yamaha)
Amy Taylor (Amyl and The Sniffers)

Best Breakthrough Act (Prize $1000 in merch from Sound Merch + Bakehouse Rehearsal Package)
Pinch Points

Best Live Act
Amyl and The Sniffers

INDUSTRY-VOTED WINNERS

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act (Prize $3000 cash from Bendigo Bank)
The Teskey Brothers (Warrandyte)

Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent (Prize $2000 cash from Archie Roach Foundation + Bakehouse Rehearsal Package)
Kee’ahn

Best Blues Album
*Lloyd Spiegel – Cut and Run

Best Country Album
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – You Be The Lightning

Best Electronic Act
Sleep D

Best Experimental or Avant-garde Act
Robin Fox

Best Folk Album
Fiona Ross & Shane O'Mara – Sunwise Turn

Best Heavy Album
Diploid – Glorify

Best Hip Hop Act
Birdz

Best Intercultural Act
Black Jesus Experience

Best Jazz Album
Vanessa Perica Orchestra – Love is a Temporary Madness

Best Reggae and Dancehall Act
Dub FX

Best Rock/Punk Album
Cable Ties – Far Enough

Best Soul, Funk, Gospel or RnB Album
Sampa The Great – The Return

INDUSTRY AWARDS WINNERS

Best Small Venue (under 500 capacity) (Prize: Branded tinnies from Brick Lane Brewing Co.)
The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

Best Large Venue (over 500 capacity) (Prize: Branded tinnies from Brick Lane Brewing Co.)
Forum Melbourne

Best Festival (Prize: 3 year subscription to loadin.com)
Golden Plains

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Over 50 gigs per year) (Prize $3000 cash from Bendigo Bank)
Barwon Club Hotel – Geelong

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Under 50 gigs per year) (Prize $3000 cash from Bendigo Bank)
*Theatre Royal – Castlemaine

Outstanding Woman In Music
Sarah Hamilton (One Of One)

Best Producer
Joelistics: Mo’Ju & Joelistics Ghost Town EP

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Mary Mihelakos (industry)
Chris Wilson (musician)

*Music Victoria ex-Board Member Tim Heath is a co-owner of Regional Venue winner Theatre Royal.
* Best Blues Album winner Lloyd Spiegel is a member of the Music Victoria Artist Advisory Panel. These Awards are industry-voted by independent panels, and nominees and winners are not involved in the voting process

Photography by Martin Philbey

This week, Wed Dec 9 at 7PM - the Music Victoria Awards!

The 16th annual Music Victoria Awards will be a live-streamed event, forming part of the Melbourne Music Week opening night program.
Announcing: beloved singer songwriter Alice Skye, dreamy Melbourne musician Elizabeth, acclaimed indie rock five-piece Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and the incredible synth-pop icon Simona Castricum. These artists will perform live from the Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday 9 December, to an intimate live audience of music industry professionals, and broadcast live to the public throughout Australia and the world.

Awards Partners Channel 31 who will be broadcasting the event live on Australian TV and streaming worldwide via Music Victoria’s Youtube Channel. Industry supporters, Auslan Stage Left will be interpreting the event for our deaf community, and JMC Academy will provide students with access to valuable hands-on experience in event production, video editing, online content management and more, thanks to a brand new Education Partnership with the educational institution.

Co-presented by PBS 106.7FM and RRR 102.7FM, the annual Victorian music community love-in celebrates the best music of the year across 20 categories.

5.30pm Before the Awards - MMW Wominjeka live stream
Wominjeka! After a tumultuous year, MMW–Extended kicks off with a specially curated evening across four Melbourne locations by Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal, Zenadth Kes song woman, Kee’ahn. Join us live and online as we pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and custodians of the land we live, meet and create on, and capture this auspicious beginning of MMW–Extended by drone over the city.

A Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony will be presented by the Wurundjeri Corporation and take place at Melbourne Recital Centre, followed by music by dj pgz
This event will be available to enjoy in-person or via the live stream, shared here from 5.30pm on Wed 9 Dec.

7.00pm - 9.00pm - Music Victoria Awards
Melbourne Recital Centre (Elisabeth Murdoch Hall – Invite-only)
Performing live: Alice Skye, Elizabeth, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Simona Castricum
Members of the public can tune in to watch the event live-streamed as it happens right here or on Channel 31
Subscribe to get a youtube reminder here

PUBLIC-VOTED NOMINEES

Best Album
Cable Ties – Far Enough
Elizabeth – the wonderful world of nature
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways to New Italy
RVG – Feral
Sampa The Great – The Return

Best Band
Amyl and The Sniffers
Cable Ties
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
RVG

Best Song
Baker Boy – Move
Leah Senior – Evergreen
Mildlife – Rare Air
RVG – I Used To Love You
Sampa The Great – OMG

Best Solo Artist
Angie McMahon
Baker Boy
Briggs
Courtney Barnett
Elizabeth
Gordon Koang
Leah Senior
Sampa The Great
Simona Castricum
Sui Zhen

Best Musician
Amy Taylor (Amyl and The Sniffers)
Erica Dunn (Tropical Fuck Storm, Palm Springs, MOD CON)
Gareth Liddiard (Tropical Fuck Storm)
Gordon Koang
Jen Cloher (Dyson Stringer Cloher)
Romy Vager (RVG)
Sampa Tembo (Sampa The Great)
SilentJay (Sampa The Great, Mandarin Dreams)
Stu Mackenzie (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard)
Tom Iansek (Big Scary, #1 Dads)

Best Breakthrough Act
Alice Skye
Elizabeth
Grace Cummings
Nat Vazer
Pinch Points

Best Live Act
Amyl and The Sniffers
Cable Ties
Gordon Koang
Sampa The Great
The Teskey Brothers

INDUSTRY-VOTED NOMINEES

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act
Benny Walker (Echuca)
Bones and Jones (Geelong)
Freya Josephine Hollick (Ballarat)
The Kite Machine (Geelong West)
The Teskey Brothers (Warrandyte)

Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent
Alice Skye
Allara
Kee’ahn
The Merindas
River Boy

Best Blues Album
Aaron Pollock – Separated Through Time
Charlie Bedford – Good to Go
Joey Vincent’s Bakelite Radio – Rosary of Tears
*Lloyd Spiegel – Cut and Run
The Teskey Brothers – Live at The Forum

Best Country Album
The Cartwheels – Self-titled
Lost Ragas – This Is Not A Dream
Michael Waugh – The Weir
Mitch Dean – Holding Back the Levee
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – You Be The Lightning

Best Electronic Act
*DRMNGNOW
OK EG
Pugilist
Simona Castricum
Sleep D

Best Experimental or Avant-garde Act
Bridget Chappell
James Rushford
Maria Moles
Natasha Anderson
Robin Fox

Best Folk Album
Charm of Finches – Your Company
Fiona Ross & Shane O’Mara – Sunwise Turn
Liz Frencham – Love and Other Crimes
Louisa Wise – All of These Things
Ruth Hazleton – Daisywheel

Best Heavy Album
Carcinoid – Metastatic Declination
Dead – Raving Drooling
Diploid – Glorify
Internal Rot – Grieving Birth
Sithlord – From Out of the Darkness

Best Hip Hop Act
Birdz
DRMNGNOW
Jordan Dennis
Nomad
Sampa The Great

Best Intercultural Act
Amaru Tribe
Black Jesus Experience
Gelareh Pour’s Garden
No Borders Music
Sampa The Great

Best Jazz Album
Andrea Keller – Life Is Brut[if]al
Horns of Leroy – Big Night
JK Group – The Young Ones
Vanessa Perica Orchestra – Love is a Temporary Madness
ZEDSIX – The Shape Of Jazz

Best Reggae and Dancehall Act
Dub FX
Jah Tung
Marvin Priest
Monkey Marc
The Push Reggae Band

Best Rock/Punk Album
Cable Ties – Far Enough
Nuada – Beneath the Swamp
Pseudo Mind Hive – Of Seers and Sirens
RVG – Feral
Shepparton Airplane – Sharks

Best Soul, Funk, Gospel or RnB Album
Karate Boogaloo – Carn The Boogers
Sampa The Great – The Return
Surprise Chef – All News Is Good News
The Teskey Brothers – Live at The Forum
Various Artists – Over Under Away Volume 1: 10 Years of Hopestreet Recordings

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

TO BE INDUCTED AT THE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS
Mary Mihelakos (industry)
Chris Wilson (musician)

2020 MUSIC VICTORIA INDUSTRY AWARDS WINNERS

Best Small Venue (under 500 capacity) – The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Best Large Venue (over 500 capacity) – Forum Melbourne
Best Festival – Golden Plains
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Over 50 gigs per year) – Barwon Club Hotel – Geelong
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Under 50 gigs per year) – *Theatre Royal – Castlemaine
Outstanding Woman In Music – Sarah Hamilton (One Of One)
Best Producer – Joelistics: Mo’Ju & Joelistics Ghost Town EP

Music Victoria thanks Major Partners Bendigo Bank, City of Melbourne, Creative Victoria and Melbourne Recital Centre for their ongoing support of the Music Victoria Awards.

*Music Victoria Board Member Tim Heath is a co-owner of Regional Venue winner Theatre Royal. *VMDO/Songlines staff member Neil Morris is nominated for his work under the performing name DRMNGNOW. Music Victoria Artist Advisory Panel member Lloyd Spiegel is nominated in the Best Blues Album category. These Awards are industry-voted by independent panels, and nominees are not involved in the voting process.

Alice Skye, Elizabeth, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever & Simona Castricum announced to perform at the 2020 Music Victoria Awards
+ partnerships announced with Channel 31, Auslan Stage Left & JMC Academy

Ahead of the 16th annual Music Victoria Awards this year, Music Victoria are pleased to reveal a killer lineup of acts set to grace our screens this December for the unique live-streamed event, which forms part of the Melbourne Music Week program, taking place on opening night. Announcing: beloved singer songwriter Alice Skye, dreamy Melbourne musician Elizabeth, acclaimed indie rock five-piece Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and the incredible synth-pop icon Simona Castricum. These artists will perform live from the Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday 9 December, to an intimate live audience of music industry professionals, and broadcast live to the public throughout Australia and the world.

Music Victoria would like to thank 2020 Awards Partners Channel 31 who will be broadcasting the event live on Australian TV and streaming worldwide via Music Victoria’s Youtube Channel. Industry supporters, Auslan Stage Left will be interpreting the event for our deaf community, and JMC Academy will provide students with access to valuable hands-on experience in event production, video editing, online content management and more, thanks to a brand new Education Partnership with the educational institution.

Co-presented by PBS 106.7FM and RRR 102.7FM, the annual Victorian music community love-in celebrates the best music of the year across 20 categories. Victorian artists have contributed immensely to yet another year of great music, despite the COVID-19 crisis. With voting now closed and verdicts currently being calculated for all public and industry-voted categories, the winners of the best Victorian acts, artists, musicians, songs and albums will once again be announced by long-time awards MC’s Lyndelle Wilkinson and Chris Gill on the night. Winners of the best Victorian venues, festival and producer have already been announced at the recent live-streamed Industry Awards event, along with the winner of the inaugural Outstanding Woman in Music Award. Congratulations again to the 2020 industry winners The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood (Best Small Venue), Forum Melbourne (Best Large Venue), Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong (Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue - Over 50 gigs/yr), Theatre Royal, Castlemaine (Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue - Under 50 gigs/yr), Golden Plains (Best Festival), Joelistics (Best Producer) and Sarah Hamilton (Outstanding Woman in Music). The 2020 Music Victoria Hall of Fame Inductees, Mary Mihelakos and Chris Wilson will be officially inducted at the Music Victoria Awards event in December.

The 2020 Music Victoria Awards
Wednesday 9 December, 7.00pm-9.00pm
Melbourne Recital Centre (Elisabeth Murdoch Hall - Invite-only)
Performing live: Alice Skye, Elizabeth, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Simona Castricum
Members of the public can tune in to watch the event live-streamed as it happens here or on Channel 31

Subscribe to get a youtube reminder here

PUBLIC-VOTED NOMINEES

Best Album
Cable Ties – Far Enough
Elizabeth – the wonderful world of nature
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways to New Italy
RVG – Feral
Sampa The Great – The Return

Best Band
Amyl and The Sniffers
Cable Ties
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
RVG

Best Song
Baker Boy – Move
Leah Senior – Evergreen
Mildlife – Rare Air
RVG – I Used To Love You
Sampa The Great – OMG

Best Solo Artist
Angie McMahon
Baker Boy
Briggs
Courtney Barnett
Elizabeth
Gordon Koang
Leah Senior
Sampa The Great
Simona Castricum
Sui Zhen

Best Breakthrough Act
Alice Skye
Elizabeth
Grace Cummings
Nat Vazer
Pinch Points

Best Live Act
Amyl and The Sniffers
Cable Ties
Gordon Koang
Sampa The Great
The Teskey Brothers

INDUSTRY-VOTED NOMINEES

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act
Benny Walker (Echuca)
Bones and Jones (Geelong)
Freya Josephine Hollick (Ballarat)
The Kite Machine (Geelong West)
The Teskey Brothers (Warrandyte)

Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent
Alice Skye
Allara
Kee’ahn
The Merindas
River Boy

Best Electronic Act
*DRMNGNOW
OK EG
Pugilist
Simona Castricum
Sleep D

Best Experimental or Avant-garde Act
Bridget Chappell
James Rushford
Maria Moles
Natasha Anderson
Robin Fox

Best Folk Album
Charm of Finches – Your Company
Fiona Ross & Shane O'Mara – Sunwise Turn
Liz Frencham – Love and Other Crimes
Louisa Wise – All of These Things
Ruth Hazleton – Daisywheel

Best Heavy Album
Carcinoid – Metastatic Declination
Dead – Raving Drooling
Diploid – Glorify
Internal Rot – Grieving Birth
Sithlord – From Out of the Darkness

Best Hip Hop Act
Birdz
DRMNGNOW
Jordan Dennis
Nomad
Sampa The Great

Best Intercultural Act
Amaru Tribe
Black Jesus Experience
Gelareh Pour's Garden
No Borders Music
Sampa The Great

Best Jazz Album
Andrea Keller – Life Is Brut[if]al
Horns of Leroy – Big Night
JK Group – The Young Ones
Vanessa Perica Orchestra – Love is a Temporary Madness
ZEDSIX – The Shape Of Jazz

Best Reggae and Dancehall Act
Dub FX
Jah Tung
Marvin Priest
Monkey Marc
The Push Reggae Band

Best Rock/Punk Album
Cable Ties – Far Enough
Nuada – Beneath the Swamp
Pseudo Mind Hive – Of Seers and Sirens
RVG – Feral
Shepparton Airplane – Sharks

INDUSTRY AWARDS WINNERS

Best Small Venue (under 500 capacity) - The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Best Large Venue (over 500 capacity) - Forum Melbourne
Best Festival - Golden Plains
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Over 50 gigs per year) - Barwon Club Hotel – Geelong
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Under 50 gigs per year) - *Theatre Royal – Castlemaine
Outstanding Woman In Music - Sarah Hamilton (One Of One)
Best Producer - Joelistics: Mo’Ju & Joelistics Ghost Town EP

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

TO BE INDUCTED AT THE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS
Mary Mihelakos (industry)
Chris Wilson (musician)

Music Victoria are excited to reveal the winners of the seven industry-voted awards handed out at tonight’s first ever live-streamed Industry Awards event, along with the two 2020 Music Victoria Hall of Fame Inductees. The new format online event also marked the beginning of the voting period for this year’s public-voted categories with all nominees now revealed.

Industry stalwart Mary Mihelakos, and late blues musician Chris Wilson were revealed as the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees, with Chris’ family Sarah Carroll, Fenn Wilson and George Carroll Wilson honouring his induction with a special live performance of his track ‘Hand Becomes Fist'.

The event also awarded a selection of winners for the year’s best venues, festival, producer and Outstanding Woman in Music. Music Victoria are thrilled to welcome Sarah Hamilton as the inaugural winner of the Outstanding Woman In Music Award for her incredible work (along with Joanna Cameron and Ellen Kirk) with One of One - a website that highlights women in the music industry and hosts a very special breakfast event on International Women's day, alongside Joelistics (Joel Ma) who was crowned the debut recipient of the new Best Producer category for his work on Mo’Ju & Joelistics Ghost Town EP. Joel will also receive a $1000 voucher from Award Sponsor Yamaha.

This year’s Best Festival winner, Golden Plains will receive three-year’s free subscription with festival management software Loadin.com. Regional Venue winners, Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong and Theatre Royal, Castlemaine will each receive a $3000 cash prize from Bendigo Bank, and the Best Small and Best Large Venue winners The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood and Forum Melbourne will each have the opportunity to rep their own bespoke line of branded Brick Lane tinnies!

All nominees for this year’s awards will each receive a $100 voucher courtesy of Yamaha & Billy Hyde Music to spend on all Yamaha products and their associated brands including Line 6, Ampeg, Steinberg, Vox, Vater and EarthQuaker Devices. Voters will also go in the draw to win some of these vouchers! Plus, the good folk at Brick Lane are offering all voters the chance to win a slab of beer just for naming your favourite artists, songs and albums of the year, so be sure to check out the list of nominees below and head to the Music Victoria website www.musicvictoria.com.au/votenow before Friday 6 November and vote!

All remaining categories will be awarded at the official 2020 Music Victoria Awards, taking place on Wednesday 9 December at the Melbourne Recital Centre for the 16th instalment.

INDUSTRY AWARDS – WINNERS AND NOMINEES

Best Small Venue (under 500 capacity)
Winner: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Nominees:
Howler, Brunswick
Northcote Social Club, Northcote
The Tote, Collingwood
The Old Bar, Fitzroy

Best Large Venue (over 500 capacity)
Winner: Forum Melbourne
Nominees:
Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank
Corner Hotel, Richmond
The Night Cat, Fitzroy
Hamer Hall, Southbank

Best Festival
Winner: Golden Plains
Nominees:
Brunswick Music Festival
Isol-Aid
Melbourne Music Week
Queenscliff Music Festival

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Over 50 gigs per year)
Winner: Barwon Club Hotel – Geelong
Nominees:
The Bridge Hotel – Castlemaine
The Eastern – Ballarat
Torquay Hotel – Torquay
Sooki Lounge – Belgrave

Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Under 50 gigs per year)
Winner: *Theatre Royal – Castlemaine
Nominees:
The Blues Train – Queenscliff
The Sound Doctor Presents – Anglesea
Volta – Ballarat
Daylesford Cider – Daylesford

Outstanding Woman In Music
Winner: Sarah Hamilton (One Of One)
Nominees:
Anna Laverty (Music Producer)
Charlotte Abroms (Support Act Fundraiser, Music Management)
Coco Eke (Bad Apples, Barpirdhila Foundation and Ngarrimili)
Emily Ulman (Isol-Aid, Brunswick Music Festival)

Best Producer
Winner: Joelistics: Mo’Ju & Joelistics Ghost Town EP
Nominees:
Annika Schmarsel aka Alice Ivy: Sunrise', 'Don't Sleep', 'Better Man' (singles)
Anna Laverty: Milk on Milk (Milk! Records compilation)
Damien Charles: Coda Chroma 'Inside The Still Life' (Album)
Tom Iansek: #1 Dads – Golden Repair (Album)

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
TO BE INDUCTED AT THE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS
Mary Mihelakos (industry)
Chris Wilson (musician)

INDUSTRY-VOTED AWARDS NOMINEES
WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS