Music Victoria has announced a one-year hiatus for their annual awards ceremony to reassess and evolve.
The Music Victoria Awards will not take place in 2025, as the organisation takes time to rebuild the platform from the ground up.
Music Victoria has suspended their annual awards ceremony for 2025, citing the need for comprehensive restructuring. The organisation plans to use this pause to reimagine the Music Victoria Awards in a way that better reflects Victoria’s diverse music landscape while ensuring financial sustainability.
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The decision follows Music Victoria discovering voter fraud in five of the six public voting categories for the 2024 Music Victoria Awards, as well as what Music Victoria describes as extensive consultation and feedback gathered over the past 18 months. CEO Fiona Duncan framed the suspension as a strategic move, allowing the organisation to strengthen the awards for future years.
This suspension represents a significant shift for the Victorian music industry, where the Music Victoria Awards have long been a cornerstone event celebrating local talent. The organisation emphasises that the pause is temporary, with plans already underway to collaborate with stakeholders across Victoria’s music community.
Despite the suspension of the awards, Music Victoria maintains their commitment to supporting and advocating for musicians and industry professionals throughout Victoria. The organisation will continue their other initiatives during this transitional period.
The reimagining process aims to create a more inclusive and representative awards platform that can better showcase the depth and breadth of musical talent across the state. This restructuring period offers Music Victoria the opportunity to address both creative and logistical aspects of the awards.
Industry response to the announcement remains to be seen, though Music Victoria’s framing suggests they anticipate support for their decision to prioritise long-term sustainability over maintaining the status quo.
Duncan and the Music Victoria team have explicitly invited community involvement in shaping the future direction of the awards, signalling an open and collaborative approach to the reimagining process.
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