The AIR Awards 2014 nominations have been revealed as the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) unveils the list of artists up for a gong at this year’s annual ceremony.
This year’s nominees include a stunning array of the country’s brightest emerging artists, alongside established and respected performers, acknowledging yet another extraordinary year for Independent music.
Awards to be presented during the evening include Best Independent Album, Best Independent Artist, Best Independent Hip Hop Album, the Carlton Dry Global Music Grant, and Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album among others.
The nominations for Best Independent Artist have each received multiple nods, with Violent Soho leading the pack across 4 categories, including Best Independent Album, Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album for their latest release ‘Hungry Ghost’, and Best Independent Single or EP presented by Levi’s for ‘Covered In Chrome’.
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Sia is nominated for three awards including Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Album for her sixth studio release, ‘1000 Forms Of Fear’, and Best Independent Single or EP for her world-wide hit ‘Chandelier’ which reached Top 10 in a number of countries including Australia, the US, the UK, Norway and New Zealand.
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Previous dual award winner Chet Faker is also nominated in three categories for Best Independent Artist, Best Independent Album and Best Independent Dance, Electronica Album for his self-produced debut album “Built On Glass”.
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2013 nominees RÜFÜS garnered three nominations: Best Independent Album and Best Independent Dance, Electronica Album for the band’s debut album ‘Atlas’ and Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single for ‘Sundream’.
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Courtney Barnett is up for two awards, Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Single or EP for ‘Avant Gardener’, the track that saw her US network TV debut when she performed on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.
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Past winners Dan Sultan and John Butler Trio are both nominated for Best Independent Blues And Roots Album and newcomers D.D Dumbo andDMA’s are nominated for their first awards, the PPCA sponsored Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year.
The nominees for the Carlton Dry Global Music Grant will be announced on September 11th at Bigsound. The Carlton Dry Global Music Grant winner will receive $50,000 to go towards breaking the international music market. Melbourne band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard won the inaugural grant last year.
This year’s ceremony marks a change of scenery, taking place at the heritage-listed North Melbourne Meat Market on Wednesday 8th October, moving away from Kensington’s Revolt warehouse where it has resided the last three years.
Performing at the ceremony are nominated acts Sheppard, Remi, DMA’s, SAFIA and Meg Mac.
AIR Awards 2014 Nominations
BEST INDEPENDENT ARTIST
Chet Faker
Courtney Barnett
John Butler Trio
Sia
Violent Soho
BEST INDEPENDENT ALBUM
Chet Faker – Built On Glass (Future Classic)
RÜFÜS – Atlas (Sweat it Out)
Sia – 1000 Forms Of Fear (Monkey Puzzle)
Total Control – Typical System (Independent)
Violent Soho – Hungry Ghost (I Oh You)
BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
D.D Dumbo
DMA’s
Meg Mac
Remi
Sheppard
BEST INDEPENDENT SINGLE OR EP presented by Levi’s
Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener (Milk Records!)
DMA’s – DMA’s EP (I Oh You)
Sheppard – Geronimo (Empire of Song)
Sia – Chandelier (Monkey Puzzle)
Violent Soho – Covered In Chrome (I Oh You)
BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM
Allday – Startup Cult (ONETWO)
Horrorshow – King Amongst Many (Elefant Tracks)
L-FRESH The LION – One (IVienna People Recordings)
Remi – Raw x Infinity (House of Beige)
Thundamentals – So We Can Remember (Obese Records)
BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM
Davidson Brothers – Wanderlust (Independent)
Halfway – Any Old Love (Plus One Records)
Sara Storer – Lovegrass (ABC Music)
The Painted Ladies – Play Selections From ‘The Loner’ (Plus One Records)
The Perch Creek Family Jugband – Jumping On The Highwire (Vitamin Records)
BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM
Dan Sultan – Blackbird (Liberation Music)
John Butler Trio – Flesh & Blood (Jarrah Records)
Little Bastard – Little Bastard (Four | Four)
Mia Dyson – Idyllwild (Black Door Music)
Paul Kelly – The Merri Soul Sessions (Gawd Aggie Recordings)
BEST INDEPENDENT HARD ROCK, HEAVY OR PUNK ALBUM
DZ Deathrays – Black Rat (I Oh You)
High Tension – Death Beat (Cooking Vinyl Australia)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Oddments (Flightless)
sleepmakeswaves – Love Of Cartography (Bird’s Robe Records)
Violent Soho – Hungry Ghost (I Oh You)
BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM
Andrea Keller Quartet with Strings – Wave Rider (Jazzhead)
Gian Slater – Still Still (Which Way Music)
Joseph Tawadros – Permission To Evaporate (ABC Jazz)
Julien Wilson Quartet – This Is Always (Lionsharecords)
Paul Grabowsky Sextet – The Bitter Suite (ABC Jazz)
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA ALBUM
Andras Fox – Overworld (Homeloan Records)
Chet Faker – Built On Glass (Future Classic)
Guerre – Ex Nihilo (Yes Please)
RÜFÜS – Atlas (Sweat it Out)
Ta-ku – Songs To Break Up To (HW&W Recordings)
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE
Kilter – They Say (etc/etc)
LUCIANBLOMKAMP – Help Me Out (Yes Please)
Peking Duk feat. Nicole Millar – High (Vicious Bitch)
RÜFÜS – Sundream (Sweat it Out)
SAFIA – Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds (Independent)
BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM
Anna McMichael and Tamara-Anna Cislowska – Close Your Eyes and I’ll Close Mine (Tall Poppies)
Gurrumul & Sydney Symphony Orchestra – His Life And Music (ABC Music / Skinnyfish)
Jane Sheldon & Nicole Panizza – Nature (Phosphor Records)
Michael Kieran Harvey – Psychosonata (Move Records)
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra – Hush Collection, Vol. 13: The Magic Island (Hush)
For more info on the Awards, Charts and Independent music check out www.air.org.au
