The AIR Awards, a prestigious event dedicated to honouring Australia's Independent Music sector, has recently unveiled the nominees for their 2023 edition.
With a rich history of recognising, promoting, and celebrating independent artists, the AIR Awards have propelled emerging talent into the spotlight. Over 250 individual awards have been presented thus far, providing artists with their first taste of industry recognition and paving the way for national and international acclaim. Past winners and nominees, including the likes of 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.
Mark your calendars for the highly anticipated 2023 AIR Awards, set to take place on Thursday, August 3, at the illustrious Freemasons Hall in Adelaide.
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
AIR Awards nominees
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
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, THE COMMS DEPARTMENT – The Wiggles, ReWiggled
- THINKING LOUD – Genesis Owusu, Get Inspired
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