The Australian Independent Record labels association returns to the UNESCO City of Music this August for its annual AIR Awards and Indie-Con Australia Conference.
The AIR Awards recognise, promote, and celebrate the success of Australia’s Independent Music sector. Over 250 individual Awards have been presented to date and for many winners and nominees, it has been their first industry recognition that has helped facilitate national and international attention. Some of these artists include Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Vance Joy, Flume, Sampa the Great, Amyl and the Sniffers, Sheppard, Tones and I, A.B Original, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Violent Soho and Telenova.
Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP says “The Malinauskas Government is proud to support the AIR Awards and Indie-Con Australia Conference in 2023.”
“It is fantastic to be hosting the awards here in Adelaide – Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music – and I congratulate all of the nominees.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience.”
The 2023 AIR Awards will be held at the Freemasons Hall, Adelaide on Thursday 3rd August 2023.
This year’s nominees are as follows:
BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM OR EP
BABY VELVET – Please Don’t Be In Love With Someone Else
DOPE LEMON – Rose Pink Cadillac
LITTLE QUIRKS – Call to Unknowns
WILLIAM CRIGHTON – Water and Dust
ZIGGY ALBERTS – Dancing In The Dark
BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM OR EP
ALLDAY – Excuse Me
DANTÉ KNOWS – Phase One
JESSWAR – LIFE’S SHORT, LIVE BIG
KWEEN G – Sensible Rebel
YAWDOESITALL – LIFE I CHOSE
BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM OR EP
ADAM BRAND – All or Nothing
ANDY GOLLEDGE – Strength Of A Queen
CASEY BARNES – Light It Up
FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK – The Real World
LYN BOWTELL – Wiser
BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM OR EP
BARNEY MCALL – Precious Energy
DONNY BENÉT – Le Piano
JEREMY ROSE – Face to Face
MILDLIFE – Live From South Channel Island
SURPRISE CHEF – Education & Recreation
BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM OR EP
ENSEMBLE OFFSPRING – To Listen, To Sing – Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/BENJAMIN NORTHEY – Nigel Westlake: Blueback [Original Motion Picture Score]
MIRUSIA – Songbird
TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – Nightlight
WILLIAM BARTON/VERONIQUE SERRET – Heartland
BEST INDEPENDENT CHILDREN’S ALBUM OR EP
EMILY WURRAMARA – Ayarra Emeba (Calm Songs)
EMMA MEMMA – Emma Memma
PLAY SCHOOL – Very Jazzy Street Party
TEENY TINY STEVIES – How to Be Creative
THE WIGGLES – ReWiggled
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE
CUB SPORT – Always Got The Love
FLUME – Say Nothing feat. MAY-A
LIME CORDIALE, IDRIS ELBA, FATBOY SLIM – Holiday Fatboy Slim Remix
MEMPHIS LK – Coffee
PNAU & TROYE SIVAN – You Know What I Need
BEST INDEPENDENT PUNK ALBUM OR EP
BODY TYPE – Everything Is Dangerous But Nothing’s Surprising
HARD-ONS – Yummy!
PRESS CLUB – Endless Motion
TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS – Pretty Good For A Girl Band
THESE NEW SOUTH WHALES – TNSW
BEST INDEPENDENT HEAVY ALBUM OR EP
CLAMM – Care
NORTHLANE – Obsidian
PARKWAY DRIVE – Darker Still
THORNHILL – Heroine
YOURS TRULY – is this what i look like?
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE OR ELECTRONICA
ALBUM OR EP
CONFIDENCE MAN – TILT
FLUME – Palaces
NINAJIRACHI – Second Nature
TELENOVA – Stained Glass Love (Telenoir Versions)
THE JUNGLE GIANTS – Love Signs Remixed
BEST INDEPENDENT ROCK ALBUM OR EP
BALL PARK MUSIC – Weirder & Weirder
CAMP COPE – Running with the Hurricane
KING STINGRAY – King Stingray
OCEAN ALLEY – Low Altitude Living
SLOWLY SLOWLY – Daisy Chain
BEST INDEPENDENT SOUL/RNB ALBUM OR EP
ASHLI – Only One
BECKAH AMANI – April
FELIVAND – Ties
WANDERERS – WANDERERS
WINSTON SURFSHIRT – Panna Cotta
BEST INDEPENDENT POP ALBUM OR EP
BIG SCARY – Me and You
DANIEL JOHNS – FutureNever
JEM CASSAR-DALEY – I Don’t Know Who To Call
TELENOVA – Stained Glass Love
VANCE JOY – In Our Own Sweet Time
BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY PPCA
ANDY GOLLEDGE
JEM CASSAR-DALEY
KING STINGRAY
TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS
WANDERERS
INDEPENDENT SONG OF THE YEAR
CUB SPORT – Always Got The Love
GENESIS OWUSU – Get Inspired
JEN CLOHER – Mana Takatāpui
JULIA JACKLIN – I Was Neon
KING STINGRAY – Camp Dog
INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
DANIEL JOHNS – FutureNever
JULIA JACKLIN – PRE PLEASURE
KING STINGRAY – King Stingray
LAURA JEAN – Amateurs
NORTHLANE – Obsidian
BEST INDEPENDENT LABEL
ABC MUSIC
CHAPTER MUSIC
DOMESTIC LA LA
LIBERATION
UNFD
This year AIR announced two new industry award categories – the Independent Marketing Team of the Year and the Independent Publicity Team of the Year awards.
Below are the nominees:
INDEPENDENT MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
ABC MUSIC, THE ORCHARD – The Wiggles, ReWiggled
CHUGG MUSIC, THE ANNEX – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba
DOMESTIC LA LA – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band
FUTURE CLASSIC – Flume, Palaces
I OH YOU, MUSHROOM MARKETING – Confidence Man, TILT
INDEPENDENT PUBLICITY TEAM OF THE YEAR
GENNA ALEXOPOULOS – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band
MUSHROOM PUBLICITY – Confidence Man, TILT
POSITIVE FEEDBACK – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba
RPM, BEC BROWN COMMUNICATIONS – The Wiggles, ReWiggled
THINKING LOUD – Genesis Owusu, Get Inspired
Focusing on issues that are specifically relevant to the independent music sector, AIR’s Indie-Con Australia conference will be held from Wednesday 2nd to Friday 4th August at Mercury Cinema followed by Scouted.
AIR Associate, full and distributor members will receive complimentary tickets to Indie-Con. Click here find out if you qualify to become an AIR member. Non-members can also purchase tickets to attend Indie-Con online. Details about speakers and the program to be announced next month.
Follow AIR and join the conversation:
air.org.au | twitter.com/ausindies | facebook.com/australianindies | instagram.com/ausindies
@ausindies | @southaustralia | #AusIndies | #indieconaus | #ADLCoM | #SeeSouthAustralia
