Earlier this year, it was announced that the first Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMAs) would take place in 2018, aiming to “spotlight excellence in artistry, technical and production skills, cross-cultural development, songwriting, education, photography, humanitarian work and more from incredible women in Australian music”.
Today, the finalists for the inaugural awards were announced, with the likes of Stella Donnelly, Camp Cope, Katie Noonan, Ngaiire, Rachel Maria Cox and Jen Cloher scoring nominations.
The finalists for the inaugural Australian Women in Music Awards have been announced, with the likes of Stella Donnelly, Camp Cope, and Jen Cloher scoring nominations.
There are 14 AWMA categories in total, celebrating excellence in songwriting, music leadership, photography, production and more. The winners of each award will be judged by “a specially-convened Jury Council comprised of industry professionals and practitioners of the highest calibre”.
“This will be a very special celebration of women in Australian music, those who have come before and those who continue to light the way,” says Founding Director and Executive Producer of the awards, Vicki Gordon.
“We are overwhelmed with support which we continue to receive from artists, the music community and the broader creative sector all of whom agree that the time for change has come.
“We received nominations from every state and across all areas of diversity, the quality was exceptional with a broad representation from artists and music practitioners who operate outside the mainstream industry. It made the task of our jurors very tough.”
The inaugural event will take place at the Brisbane Powerhouse from October 9-10, 2018 (tickets here). See more details here and the full list of nominees below.
Songwriter Award
Recognises a female songwriter or composer who has made extraordinary impact nationally and/or internationally in the past 12 months.
Sarah Blasko
Gordi (Sophie Payten)
Ngaiire
Music Leadership Award
Recognises a female CEO, Managing Director, Label Manager, A&R Director, Artist Manager or Publisher making significant impact in music industry leadership.
Linda Bosidis
Jen Cloher
Susan Heymann
Diversity in Music Award
Recognises individual artists or female-driven musical collaborations for their contribution to advancing a culturally diverse and inclusive music industry.
Mission Songs Project
Rachel Maria Cox
3 Signal Creative
Studio Production Award
Recognises a female sound engineer or producer who has made contributions of outstanding significance in the studio recording environment.
Anna Laverty
Kath Naunton
Becki Whitton
Music Photographer Award
Recognises a female music photographer currently working in the field and to acknowledge her body of work.
Lisa Businovski
Tashi Hall
Wendy McDougall
Creative Leadership Award
A curatorial award recognising excellence in creative programming and/or content creation from a woman working in a music festival, live performance/venue or media setting to champion female artists.
Zoe Hauptmann
Katie Noonan
Roz Pappalardo
Breakthrough Artist Award
Recognises a female artist who has had a significant breakthrough impact nationally in the past 12 months.
Camp Cope
Stella Donnelly
Amy Shark
Artistic Excellence Award
Recognises exceptional creative achievement from a female artist/musician across any genre.
Dalla Frasca
Gordi (Sophie Payten)
Ngaiire
Film-maker Award
Recognises a female music videographer, clip-maker or film-maker currently working in the field and to acknowledge her body of work.
Gemma Lee
Ruth Morris
Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore
Live Production Award
Recognises a female working in a live production or touring environment making significant impact in her field: Includes Tour Management, Live Sound, Lighting, Backstage and Roadcrew.
Lynette Britten
Kait Hall
Robyn Jelleff
Musical Excellence
Recognises exceptional musicianship from a female musician across any genre.
Fem Belling
Lydia Davies
Nerida Tyson-Chew
Educator Award
Recognises an individual who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and/or to empowering Indigenous female artists in remote and regional communities.
Dr Anita Collins
Louise Denson
Elizabeth Sellars
Auriel Andrew Memorial Award
Recognises a true pioneer of Aboriginal women in music.
Deborah Cheetham AOM
Jessie Lloyd
Shellie Morris
TIDDAS
Gina Williams
Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to a female artist or musician who has made outstanding artistic contribution to the field of recording and/or live performance during her lifetime.
