Huge music lineup of acts locked in for the 2021 Music Victoria Awards

The likes of Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, Kerryn Fields, Maple Glider and Mindy Meng Wang & Tim Shiel will perform at the much-anticipated event.

Music Victoria has just revealed the music lineup set to perform at the 2021 Music Victoria Awards for its return to the Melbourne Recital Centre stage this December and they haven’t disappointed.

Off the back of their stellar album ‘Under These Streets’ released back in September as part of the City Of Melbourne’s Flash Forward Festival, soul virtuosos Emma Donovan & The Putbacks will take to the stage alongside adored storyteller Kerryn Fields, heavenly singer-songwriter Maple Glider, and cinematic duo Mindy Meng Wang x Tim Shiel, who will perform some of their most beloved releases of the year to a live audience of music industry workers, music lovers and fellow nominees.

What you need to know

The Music Victoria Awards has announced its lineup for its December event
The likes of Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, Kerryn Fields, Maple Glider, and Mindy Meng Wang x Tim Shiel will take to the stage, with MC Myf Warhurst
The Music Victoria Awards to go ahead as a full-scale live event, with registrations for tickets open now.

Keep up with all the latest music interviews, news and reviews here.

Co-presented by PBS 106.7FM and RRR 102.7FM and taking place at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Thursday 9 December as part of the Melbourne Music Week program, this will be the 17th year for the annual event, celebrating the Victorian music communities huge achievements despite facing one of their toughest times in history.⁠

Once again broadcast on Channel 31 and live-streamed via Music Victoria’s Youtube Channel, the 2021 Music Victoria Awards ceremony will be hosted by none other than Australian music industry veteran Myf Warhurst, plus guest presenters including the likes of Helen Jennings OAM, Denise Hylands, Katie Pearson, Lisa McKinney, Annalee Koernig, Una McAlinden, Kene Lightfoot, Sarah Iman, Eyal Chipkiewicz, Chelsea Wilson, Rich Moffat, Zare Demus, Chris Pearson, Samira Farah, Caroline Bowditch and more to be announced.

Successful artists will be recognised for their 2021 achievements under the following public-voted banners: Best Album, Best Band, Best Song, Best Solo Artist, Best Musician, Best Breakthrough Act and Best Live Act, with winners receiving a slew of worthy prizes.

This year also includes the inaugural Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award (for deaf and disabled musicians) which will see the winner take home $3,000 cash sponsored by Arts Access Victoria and a rehearsal package from Bakehouse.

The industry-voted awards set to be revealed on the night include Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act, the Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent and a range of genre-specific awards such as Best Blues Album, Best Country Album, Best Electronic Act, Best Experimental or Avant-garde Act and more. You can view the full list of nominees below.

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It comes after a host of awards were given out at October’s standalone Industry Awards night. Here, Northcote Social Club won best Best Small Venue while Melbourne Recital Centre – Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Southbank took home the gong for Best Large Venue.

Other awards saw the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine honoured for Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (over 50 gigs per year) and the Vine Hotel in Wangaratta recognised for the same award but for venues hosting less than 50 gigs in a year.

Isol-Aid also won Best Festival, while Charlotte Abroms took out the Outstanding Woman in Music award, Eilish Gilligan was awarded Best Producer, and Kylie Minogue and PBS legend Pierre Baroni were honoured as Music Victoria Hall of Fame inductees.

Limited tickets will be available to purchase soon from $50 GA or $35 for Music Victoria members, with expressions of interest registrations now open via the Music Victoria website.

The 2020 Music Victoria Awards go down on Thursday, December 9 at Melbourne Recital Centre and can be viewed on Channel 31 and via the MV website.

Music Victoria Awards Nominees 2021 (industry-voted)

BEST BLUES ACT
Nominees:
Aaron Pollock
Anna Scionti
Blues Roulette
Dan Dinnen & Shorty
Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald

BEST COUNTRY ACT
Nominees:
Ben Mastwyk & His Millions
Georgia State Line
James Ellis & The Jealous Guys
Lachlan Bryan & the Wildes
The Weeping Willows

BEST ELECTRONIC ACT
Nominees:
Alex Albrecht
Female Wizard
Jennifer Loveless
Reptant
SaD

BEST EXPERIMENTAL OR AVANT-GARDE ACT
Nominees:
Aarti Jadu
Candlesnuffer
Deborah Cheetham, Byron Scullin, Tom Supple
Red Wine and Sugar
Thembi Soddell

BEST FOLK ACT
Nominees:
Charm of Finches
Erica Bramham
Kerryn Fields
Lucy Wise
Maple Glider

BEST HEAVY ACT
Nominees:
Divide and Dissolve
Dr. Colossus
Faceless Burial
Growth
NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER

BEST HIP HOP ACT
Nominees:
Agung Mango
Briggs
DRMNGNOW
Man Made Mountain
Pookie

BEST INTERCULTURAL ACT
Nominees:
Ajak Kwai
Amaru Tribe
Black Jesus Experience
Gelareh Pour’s Garden
Tio

BEST JAZZ ACT
Nominees:
Australian Art Orchestra
Andrea Kellar
Audrey Powne
Menagerie
The Rookies

BEST POP ACT
Nominees:
Alice Ivy
Alice Skye
Geoffrey O’Connor
Gregor
June Jones

BEST REGGAE AND DANCEHALL ACT
Nominees:
Disun Future
Jah Tung
JahWise Productions
Marvin Priest
Monkey Marc

BEST PUNK/ROCK ACT
Nominees:
Blake Scott
Civic
MOD CON
Plaster of Paris
Tom Lyngcoln

BEST SOUL, FUNK, R’N’B OR GOSPEL ACT
Nominees:
The Bamboos
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks
Hiatus Kaiyote
Izy
Kee’ahn

BEST REGIONAL/OUTER SUBURBAN ACT
$3,000 cash (Sponsor: Bendigo Bank)
Nominees:
Baker Boy
Bones and Jones
D’Arcy Spiller
Fenn Wilson
The Teskey Brothers

ARCHIE ROACH FOUNDATION AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT (FOR FIRST NATIONS ACTS)
$3,000 cash (Sponsor: Archie Roach Foundation) and a rehearsal package (Sponsor: Bakehouse)
Nominees:
Allara
Bumpy
Madi Colville Walker
The Merindas
River Boy

ARTS ACCESS VICTORIA AMPLIFY AWARD (FOR DEAF AND DISABLED ACTS)
$3,000 cash (Sponsor: Arts Access Victoria) and a rehearsal package (Sponsor: Bakehouse)
Nominees:
Eliza Hull
Gordon Koang
Kerryn Fields
Nat Bartsch
Rudely Interrupted

Music Victoria Awards Nominees 2021 (public-voted)

BEST ALBUM
$5000 media package (Sponsor: Plakkit)
Nominees:
Alice Ivy – Don’t Sleep
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover
Gordon Koang – Unity
Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant

BEST GROUP
$2,000 voucher to spend on Yamaha gear (Sponsor: Yamaha)
Nominees:
The Avalanches
Emma Donovan and The Putbacks
Hiatus Kaiyote
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Mildlife

BEST SONG
Nominees:
Alex Lahey & Gordi – Dino’s
Alice Skye – Party Tricks
The Avalanches – Wherever You Go
Geoffrey O’Connor & Jonnine – For As Long As I Can Remember
Hiatus Kaiyote – Red Room

BEST SOLO ARTIST
$1,000 voucher to spend on Yamaha gear (Sponsor: Yamaha)
Nominees:
Alice Ivy
Baker Boy
Blake Scott
G Flip
Gordon Koang
Kylie Auldist
Liz Stringer
Maple Glider
Mia Wray
Sampa the Great

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ACT
$1,000 value of custom-made merch (Sponsor: Sound Merch) and a rehearsal package (Sponsor: Bakehouse)
Nominees:
Ashwarya
Blake Scott
Cry Club
Maple Glider
SHOUSE

BEST MUSICIAN
$1,000 voucher to spend on Yamaha gear (Sponsor: Yamaha)
Nominees:
Amanda Roff (Time For Dreams, Harmony)
Andrea Keller
Davey Lane (Solo, You Am I)
Emma Donovan
Erica Dunn (Tropical Fuck Storm, MOD CON)
G Flip
Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos)
Mindy Meng Wang
Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote)
Stu Mackenzie (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard)