The complete list of albums nominated for this year’s Australian Music Prize has been revealed, and oh what a year it has been.
The 2021 Soundmerch Australian Music Prize nominees have been revealed, and it’s full of 110 of the year’s biggest and best albums across various genres.
From Genesis Owusu‘s ARIA dominating Smiling With No Teeth, to Courtney Barnett‘s Things Take Time, Take Time, the list is a reflection of the musical year that was and the mighty albums that made it.
Last year’s winner’s, The Avalanches, took home the $20k prize for their third studio album We Will Always Love You and they sure did deserve it!
This year marks the 17th instalment of the Australian Music Prize, which sees one album of 110 nominations win a $30k cash prize. That’s a lotta dosh, that can help any number of these Australian musicians in their artistic pursuits.
Of the 110 nominations, nine will be shortlisted to win the 2021 album of the year. Sponsors EMI, Virgin, and Island will be contributing $3k each to form a Shortlist funding pool of $9k. The funding pool will ensure the artists can attend the Australian Music Prize Winner Announcement event, which will take place in March in Melbourne.
The best nine albums of 2021 shortlist will be announced in January next year.
A diverse judging panel of industry experts reviewed over 450 eligible Aus artist album releases from the year to curate the nominations list.
Whether your year was soundtracked by the invigorating and luminous indie-rock sounds of Ruby Fields‘ Been Doin it For a Bit, or you’re more entwined by the chill-pop beats of Tora‘s A Force Majeure, you’re sure to find something in the list that resonates.
2021 Australian Music Prize Album of the Year nominations list
Allday – Drinking With My Smoking Friends
Amends – Tales Of Love, Loss, and Outlaws
Amyl and The Sniffers – Comfort To Me
Australian Art Orchestra – Hand To Earth
B Wise – Jamie
Bad Bangs – Character Building
Baker Boy – Gela
Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time
Big Scary – Daisy
Billy Davis – This Is What’s Important
The Black Sorrows – Saint Georges Road
Bliss n Eso – The Sun
Bones and Jones – Ginger Gold (Farm Singles)
Bored Shorts – Way Off!
Katie Brianna – This Way Or Some Other
Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes – As Long As It’s Not Us
Candy – A Pull To Heal
Troy Cassar-Daley – The World Today
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage
Sarah Mary Chadwick – Me & Ennui Are Friends, Baby
Charm of Finches – Wonderful Oblivion
Belle Chen – Late Night Sessions: New Dawn
Chet Faker – Hotel Surrender
Children Collide – Time Itself
Civic – Future Forecast
Client Liaison – Divine Intervention
Comets – Rain Faces
Cool Sounds – Bystander
Cosmic Psychos – Mountain of Piss
Deuce – Deuce
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Under These Streets
Ryan Downey – A Ton Of Colours
Dseeva – Pressure Makes Diamonds
DZ Deathrays – Positive Rising: Part 2
Kutcha Edwards – Circling
Ruby Fields – Been Doin’ It For A Bit
Tori Forsyth – Provlépseis
Good Morning – Barnyard
The Goon Sax – Mirror II
Grigoryan Brothers – This Is Us: A Musical Reflection of Australia
Grinding Eyes – Taste The Monochrome
Harpooner – In Two Minds
Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant
Holy Holy – Hello My Beautiful World
HTRK – Rhinestones
IJALE – OTTN (On to the Next)
Illy – The Space Between
Indigo Sparke – Echo
Izy – Irene
Jarryd James – P.M.
Jazzparty – Nobody Gets Away
June Jones – Leafcutter
Jonnine – Blue Hills
The Jungle Giants – Love Sign
Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels – The Hall of Counterfeits
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – L.W.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Butterfly 3000
Kucka – Wrestling
Ajak Kwai – Let Me Grow My Wings
Jack Ladder – Hijack!
LANKS – Spirits Pt. 2
LIARS – The Apple Drop
Jess Locke – Don’t Ask Yourself Why
Luca Brasi – Everything Is Tenuous
Maple Glider – To Enjoy Is The Only Thing
Martha Marlow – Medicine Man
Mere Women – Romantic Notions
Merpire – Simulation Ride
Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest
here is ‘Stacking Chairs’ for @colbertlateshow #LateShowMeMusic 💙 https://t.co/aSpdMnQ0As
— Middle Kids (@MiddleKidsMusic) September 24, 2021
Mista Monk – Inkswel – Muti
Mitch Dillon’s Compulsive Ramblers – Mitch Dillon’s Compulsive Ramblers
Mod Con – Modern Condition
The Murlocs – Bittersweet Demons
Ngaiire – 3
Mike Noga – Open Fire
Odette – Herald
Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth
The Paper Kites – Roses
Parvyn – Sa
Perfect Moment – Kangourou
Tex Perkins & The Fat Rubber Band – Tex Perkins & The Fat Rubber Band
Pond – 9
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound
Jordan Rakei – What We Call Life
Gretta Ray – Begin To Look Around
REMI – Fried
The Rubens – 0202
Rüfüs Du Sol – Surrender
Emma Russack & Lachlan Denton – Something Is Going To Change Tomorrow, Today. What Will You Do? What Will You Say?
Saint Surly & Dyl Thomas – Twelve (Hundred)
Heather Shannon – Midnight Sun
Tim Shiel – Distractions One
J.P. Shilo – Jubjoté
Shining Bird – Deadlands
Skydeck – Coupon
Alice Skye – I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good
Sleep D x Ad Lib Collective – Flashed Glass
Snowy Band – Alternate Endings
Julia Stone – Sixty Summers
Liz Stringer – First Time Really Feeling
Tash Sultana – Terra Firma
Sam Teskey – Cycles
Time For Dreams – Life Of The Inhabitant
Tora – A Force Majeure
Tropical Fuck Storm – Deep States
Vika & Linda – The Wait
Bob Weatherall / Halfway / William Barton – Restless Dream
Marcus Whale – The Hunger
You Am I – The Lives Of Others
Gretta Ziller – Judas Tree
