Dobby, Amyl & The Sniffers and Pond Nominated for 2025 AIR Awards

Once again, Australia’s independent music scene is putting its best foot forward — muddy boots, steel caps, vintage Docs and all

The 2025 AIR Awards are officially locked in for Thursday July 31, returning to Adelaide Town Hall for a night dedicated to celebrating the strength, diversity and grit of Australia’s independent music scene.

Backed by the South Australian Government’s Music Development Office, the invite-only event shines a light on the artists, labels and teams who’ve helped shape another standout year for local music — often without the backing of major labels or radio campaigns.

Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP summed it up: “It’s fantastic to be hosting the awards in Adelaide again… a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform.”

With past winners like Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Sampa the Great, G Flip, and Confidence Man, the AIR Awards have become a solid indicator of who’s really making waves.

Here’s the full list of 2025 AIR Awards nominees:

BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM OR EP

• EMMA DONOVAN – Til My Song Is Done

• LITTLE QUIRKS – Little Quirks

• MIA DYSON – Tender Heart

• QUEENIE – New Moult

• STEPH STRINGS – Cradle Mountain

BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM OR EP

• 3% – Kill The Dead

• DOBBY – WARRANGU; River Story

• LITHE – What Would You Do?

• MISS KANINNA – Kaninna

• ZIGGY RAMO – Human?

BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM OR EP

• HENRY WAGONS – The Four Seasons

• KASEY CHAMBERS – Backbone

• LANE PITTMAN – Lane Pittman

• MICHAEL WAUGH – Beauty & Truth

• THE WHITLAMS BLACK STUMP – Kookaburra

BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM OR EP

• CLAIRE CROSS – Sleep Cycle

• LUCY CLIFFORD – Between Spaces of Knowing

• MOLLY LEWIS – On The Lips

• PARVYN – Maujuda

• SAM ANNING – Earthen

BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM OR EP

• AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA – Memoir of a Snail

• ELECTRIC FIELDS x MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – Live In Concert

• KATIE NOONAN & KARIN SCHAUPP – Songs of the Southern Skies Vol 2

• NAT BARTSCH – Forever Changed

• SIMON MAVIN – Some Days EP

BEST INDEPENDENT CHILDREN’S ALBUM OR EP

• BUNNY RACKET – Power

• EMMA MEMMA – Twirly Tunes

• TEENY TINY STEVIES – The Green Album

• THE QUOKKAS – Songs For Silly Billies

• THE WIGGLES – The Wiggles Sound System: Rave of Innocence

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE

• ALICE IVY – Do I Need To Know What Love Is? feat. Josh Teskey

• CONFIDENCE MAN – I Can’t Lose You

• HAIKU HANDS – Kicks

• MOKTAR – Haraka حركة

• ODD MOB – Vertigo feat. Ed Graves

BEST INDEPENDENT PUNK ALBUM OR EP

• DON’T THANK ME, SPANK ME! – Don’t Thank Me, Spank Me!

• DUNE RATS – If It Sucks, Turn It Up

• GUT HEALTH – Stiletto

• RADIO FREE ALICE – Polyester

• REGURGITATOR – Invader

BEST INDEPENDENT HEAVY ALBUM OR EP

• NORTHLANE – Mirror’s Edge

• OCEAN GROVE – Oddworld

• REDHOOK – Mutation

• THE AMITY AFFLICTION – Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)

• THE SOUTHERN RIVER BAND – D.I.Y

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE OR ELECTRONICA ALBUM OR EP

• 1TBSP – MEGACITY1000

• ALICE IVY – Do What Makes You Happy

• CONFIDENCE MAN – 3AM (La La La)

• NINAJIRACHI – Girl EDM

• PNAU – Hyperbolic

BEST INDEPENDENT ROCK ALBUM OR EP

• AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS – Cartoon Darkness

• KING STINGRAY – For The Dreams

• PARTY DOZEN – Crime In Australia

• ROYEL OTIS – Pratts & Pain

• THE RIONS – Happiness In A Place It Shouldn’t Be

BEST INDEPENDENT SOUL/RNB ALBUM OR EP

• BECKAH AMANI – This Is How I Remember It

• DON WEST – Don West

• ELLA THOMPSON – Ripple On The Wing

• MILAN RING – Mangos

• RADICAL SON – Bilambiyal

BEST INDEPENDENT POP ALBUM OR EP

• ANNIE HAMILTON – Stop and Smell the Lightning

• ASHA JEFFERIES – Ego Ride

• EMMA RUSSACK – About The Girl

• GOOD MORNING – Good Morning Seven

• SHEPPARD – Zora

BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR (PPCA)

• 3%

• GUT HEALTH

• MISS KANINNA

• QUEENIE

• THE DREGGS

INDEPENDENT SONG OF THE YEAR

• ALICE IVY – Do I Need To Know What Love Is? feat. Josh Teskey

• AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS – U Should Not Be Doing That

• JEM CASSAR-DALEY – Big Container

• OCEAN ALLEY – Tangerine

• SYCCO – Meant To Be

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS – Cartoon Darkness

• EMILY WURRAMARA – Nara

• KING STINGRAY – For The Dreams

• ROYEL OTIS – Pratts & Pain

• THE DREGGS – Caught In A Reverie

BEST INDEPENDENT LABEL

• ABC MUSIC

• DINOSAUR CITY

• ETCETC.

• I OH YOU

• IMPRESSED RECORDINGS

INDEPENDENT MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR

• ABC MUSIC, THE ANNEX – Emily Wurramara, Nara

• FUTURE CLASSIC, THE ANNEX – Sycco, Zorb

• GYROSTREAM – Lithe, Fall Back

• I OH YOU, MUSHROOM MUSIC – Confidence Man, 3AM (La La La)

• OURNESS, THE ANNEX – Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain

INDEPENDENT PUBLICITY TEAM OF THE YEAR

• I OH YOU, MUSHROOM MUSIC – Confidence Man, 3AM (La La La)

• LIZ ANSLEY – Emily Wurramara, Nara

• SUPER DUPER – Radio Free Alice, Polyester

• THINKING LOUD – Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain

• TWNTY THREE PR – The Rions, Happiness In A Place It Shouldn’t Be

INDEPENDENT MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• CLAUDIA SANGIORGI DALIMORE – Emily Wurramara, Lordy Lordy ft. Tasman Keith

• NICK RAE & JORDAN RUYI BLANCH – 3%, Won’t Stop ft. Jessica Mauboy

• POND – (I’m) Stung!

• ROSEMARY WHATMUFF – Kasey Chambers, Backbone (The Desert Child)

• STEPHANIE JANE DAY – Emma Russack, Everything Is Big

INDEPENDENT PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

• ALICE IVY – Do What Makes You Happy

• BONNIE KNIGHT – Coldwave, The Ants/Italia ’06

• DAVE HAMMER – Lime Cordiale, Enough of the Sweet Talk

• NICK DIDIA – Ocean Alley, Tangerine

• NINA WILSON – Ninajirachi, Girl EDM

INDEPENDENT MIX, STUDIO OR MASTERING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

• NICK HERRERA – Miss Kaninna, Kaninna

• ROBERT MUINOS – Rowena Wise, Senseless Acts of Beauty

• ROHAN SFORCINA & LACHLAN CARRICK – Emma Donovan, Til My Song Is Done

• STEVEN SCHRAM – Crowded House, Gravity Stairs

• TOM IANSEK – Tom Snowdon, Lonely Tree

The AIR Awards are part of Indie-Con Australia and A2IM’s Indie Week: Australian Edition, taking place July 30 – August 1 at Mercury Cinema. Expect speaker announcements soon — and yes, early bird tickets are already live.

Stay tuned here. This year’s celebration of indie spirit, sound and smarts is shaping up to be one of the most important yet.