Pictured: Busby Marou, Jessica Mauboy, Shellie Morris, Gurrumul Yunupingu, Troy Cassar-Daley.
From the Top End to Tasmania, the nation’s most outstanding Indigenous artists have been selected as the finalists in the 2012 National Indigenous Music Awards with the winners announced on August 11.
Country music superstar Troy Cassar-Daley and folk/roots act Busby Marou have both received nominations for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. Gurrumul Yunupingu, pop singer Jessica Mauboy and acclaimed ensemble The Black Arm Band are also finalists in Artist of the Year.
For their debut album Foundations, newcomers The Medics have scored three nominations for Album, New Talent and Song of the Year. The collaborative work of the Song People’s Session, where traditional and contemporary Australian Indigenous musicians come together have been recognised with two nominations in the Album of the Year category for Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen and Warren H Williams and the Warumungu Songmen.
Alongside The Medics, New Talent of the Year finalists include Aboriginal owned record label and hip hop group Impossible Odds and Dewayne Everettsmith whose song ‘It’s Like Love’ has recently been picked up for an international Tourism Australia campaign. ‘It’s Like Love’ is also up for Song of the Year, in a high calibre field that features Busby Marou, Impossible Odds, The Medics, Last Kinection, Gurrumul Yunupingu with Sarah Blasko, John Bennett – WA’s only contender, and East Journey.
NE Arnhem Land rising stars East Journey have received five nominations in total, including the NT categories of G.R. Burarrawanga Memorial, Film Clip and Cover Art and the national Song of the Year. This comes as no surprise as lead singer Rrawun Maymuru took home the New Talent award in 2011 and the band has been attracting national attention for Song of Arnhem Land. Meanwhile ever popular Alice Springs rockers Tjupi Band and The Sandridge Band both have two nominations apiece.
“It was fantastic to receive so many artist nominations from around the country. The judges had such an amazing pool of talent to work with and it was a really hard process whittling them down to these finalists. We’re really looking forward to the awards concert and ceremony on August 11, when many of the finalists will perform,” says Mark Smith, MusicNT General Manager.
The NIMAs Concert and Ceremony on August 11 features a line up of some of the best Indigenous acts in the country including Troy Cassar-Daley, Warren H Williams and The Warumungu Songmen, The Medics with Bunna Lawrie, Yabu Band, East Journey, Sunrize Band, Lajamanu Teenage Band and triple j Unearthed winner Thelma Plum. Tickets available now via darwinfestival.org.au.
NATIONAL Artist of the Year
The Black Arm Band
Gurrumul Yunupingu
Jessica Mauboy
Busby Marou
Troy Cassar-Daley
NATIONAL Album of the Year
Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu – Together We Are Strong – Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen
Winanjjara – Warren H Williams and the Warumungu Songmen
Foundations – The Medics
Busby Marou – Busby Marou
Home – Troy Cassar-Daley
NATIONAL New Talent of the Year
The Medics
Impossible Odds
Dewayne Everettsmith
NATIONAL Song of Year
‘Song Of Arnhem Land’- East Journey
‘I Still Don’t Believe’ – Busby Marou
‘Griffin’ – The Medics
‘Everything’ – Impossible Odds
‘Are We There Yet’ – The Last Kinection
‘It’s Like Love’ – Dewayne Everettsmith
‘Bayini’ – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (with Sarah Blasko)
‘Wangkaja’ – John Bennett
NT Film clip of the Year
‘Song of Arnhem Land’ – East Journey
‘Ngarrpiya’ – East Journey
‘Cultural Ways’ – The Sandridge Band
‘Wati’- Tjupi Band
NT – G.R. Burarrawanga Memorial Award for significant achievement in the NT music industry
East Journey
Catherine Satour
Tjupi Band
NT Cover Art of Year
‘Bayini’ – Gurrumul Yunupingu & Sarah Blasko
‘Brolga Dreaming’ – The Sandridge Band
‘Guwak’ – East Journey
Song Peoples Session: Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen – ‘Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu’ & Warren H Williams and the Warumungu Songmen – ‘Winanjjara’
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National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAS)
Sat 11 August, 7pm
The Amphitheatre, George’s Green
Tickets: $25 Full/ $20 Conc/ Children under 12 FREE
Catch these NIMAs finalists as they perform in August during Darwin Festival:
The Medics – Thursday 10 August & NIMAs Saturday August 11
Troy Cassar-Daley – NIMAs Saturday August 11
Warren H Williams and the Waramungu Song Men – NIMAs Saturday August 11
East Journey – NIMAs Saturday August 11
Shellie Morris and Yanyawi Choir – Sunday 12 August
The Black Arm Band – Sunday 26 August
Tickets on sale now via darwinfestival.org.au
The National Indigenous Music Awards are presented by Music NT and the NT Government.
