2023 AIR Awards Nominees

Thanks to the continued support from the South Australian Government, the Australian Independent Record Labels Association is thrilled to return to the UNESCO City of Music this August for its annual AIR Awards and Indie-Con Australia Conference.

Minister for Arts. Andrea Michaels MP said: “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 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. 

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:

The 2023 AIR Awards will be held at the Freemasons Hall, Adelaide on Thursday 3rd August 2023.

THE 2023 NOMINEES ARE…

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 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 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 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


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

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
IOHYOU, MUSHROOM MARKETING – CONFIDENCE MAN, TILT

BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY PPCA

ANDY GOLLEDGE
JEM CASSAR-DALEY
KING STINGRAY
TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS
WANDERERS



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 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 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?
 

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
 

DANIEL JOHNS – FUTURENEVER
JULIA JACKLIN – PRE PLEASURE
KING STINGRAY – KING STINGRAY
LAURA JEAN – AMATEURS
NORTHLANE – OBSIDIAN

INDEPENDENT SONG OF THE YEAR

CUB SPORT – ALWAYS GOT THE LOVE
GENESIS OWUSU  GET INSPIRED
JEN CLOHER – MANA TAKATAPUI
JULIA JACKLIN  I WAS NEON
KING STINGRAY – CAMP DOG
 

INDEPENDENT LABEL OF THE YEAR

ABC MUSIC
CHAPTER MUSIC
DOMESTIC LA LA
LIBERATION RECORDS
UNFD

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 (REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE), THE COMMS DEPARTMENT – THE WIGGLES, REWIGGLED
THINKING LOUD – GENESIS OWUSU, GET INSPIRED

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