With the nominees set, the judges and the prizes have been announced for this year’s inaugural Australian RAWards ceremony, taking place in Brisbane later this month.
Following on from the recently announced J Awards nominees, Country Music Awards forerunners, and the Fowlers Live Music Awards in South Australia, recognising bands like The Beards and Lady Strangelove, Brisbane’s RAWwards is gearing up to celebrate emerging local talent.
To be held at The Arena in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on Friday 23 November, five nominees are being showcased in the music category, including The Better Mousetrap Treatment, Capital Control, Pink Fur, The Black Coats, The Roshambos, Tundra, el Motel, Boss Moxi, We Old Owls and Brianna Captenter.
Martine Cotton the program manager for QMusic, who run Brisbane’s BIGSOUND music conference, and Stephen Green, the managing director of SGC New Media Marketing, have both been announced as the judges for this year’s event, making up 50% of the vote for this year’s winner.
Of the announcement on their selection of judges, Kristen Wehlow, the executive director of RAW Australia said “being an organisation by artists for artists, we have been lucky enough to gain support from well-respected and highly resourceful industry judges like Martine and Stephen, along with incredible career-boosting prizes.”“Whether it’s solo folk artists, or alternative rock groups, Brisbane has produced wonderfully talented musicians throughout the 2012 RAW season,”
The prizes for the winner of the Musician of the Year award have also been revealed, with the lucky artist set to walk away with a singles packages with Lot17 Studios worth $500, as well as marketing and strategic release consultation with competition judge Stephen Green, a one year membership with QMusic and well as featured spots on ReverbNation.com valued at $300.
All winners will also receive a consultation with Media Arts Lawyers, $30 credit to MOO, write up and features in Moustache Magazine and Everguide, and RAW:Australia awards and accolades.
The Australian leg of the competition was announced earlier in the year and is the first to take place outside of RAW’s home of California since its inception in 2009.
Throughout the year, RAW have held exhibitions throughout Brisbane, selecting the nominees for the RAWards out of more than 100 artists that were featured. 40 were then selected as potential nominees, and the public have been placing their votes online since October to narrow the competition to just 9 nominees.
“Whether it’s solo folk artists, or alternative rock groups, Brisbane has produced wonderfully talented musicians throughout the 2012 RAW season,” said Wehlow.
Organisers have pushed the competition as a way for contestants to have their work seen by industry heavyweights, with the exposure offered by the local and international presence of RAW seen as a way for Australian artists to get ahead while still remaining independent artists, offering a viable alternative to more mainstream awards offerings like the ARIAs, which kicks off at the end of the month following ARIA Week’s live showcases.
The event takes place on Friday November 23 with tickets available for purchase at RAWarstists.org/Brisbane.
