With just a few weeks left in 2016, the Australian music industry is by no means slowing down and heading into any type of hibernation for the holidays. With our summer festival season just ramping up, the last few months seem to have been all about celebrating some amazing talent doing amazing things both in the studio and out on the road.
For our third year, the AU Awards return to do just this – it’s a time where we put the word out to our contributors and editors to pool together the artists and events they’ve adored through the year. A time to revisit playlists, record collections, reflect on festival sets and headline tours – the shows that made us party hard, cry, and discover our new favourite artists.
From NGAIIRE to Yeo, the rise of Camp Cope and Montaigne to the emergence of artists including Alexander Biggs, Gabriella Cohen and Skegss further into the spotlight, 2016 has definitely brought the goods (which is no small feat considering how shit it’s been in other areas…).
So, without further ado, our nominees for the third annual AU Awards: the winners will be announced on December 16th, including the publicly voted Australian Artist of the Year award. Keep your eyes peeled!
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
D.D DUMBO
YEO
MARCUS WHALE
PAUL DEMPSEY
REMI
DAN SULTAN
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
MONTAIGNE
OLYMPIA
NGAIIRE
ALEX LAHEY
ECCA VANDAL
SAMPA THE GREAT
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
CAMP COPE
LANKS
TASH SULTANA
ALEXANDER BIGGS
WEST THEBARTON BROTHEL PARTY
GABRIELLA COHEN
GROUP OF THE YEAR
KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD
THE DRONES
VIOLENT SOHO
CAMP COPE
TIRED LION
THE SMITH STREET BAND
ABORIGINAL OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST OF THE YEAR
A.B. ORIGINAL
ARCHIE ROACH
GAWURRA
EMILY WURRAMARA
LONELY BOYS
EMMA DONOVAN
ROCK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER
VIOLENT SOHO
GANG OF YOUTHS
HOLY HOLY
POLISH CLUB
GOLD CLASS
POP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
FLOWERTRUCK
MONTAIGNE
BALL PARK MUSIC
MIDDLE KIDS
BEC SANDRIDGE
CUB SPORT
HIP HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
A.B. ORIGINAL
URTHBOY
L-FRESH THE LION
REMI
B WISE
DRAPHT
R&B/SOUL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
NGAIIRE
MOJO JUJU
THANDO
JORDAN RAKEI
CAITI BAKER
ODETTE MERCY & THE SOUL ATOMICS
ELECTRONIC/DANCE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
WILLOW BEATS
FLUME
RÜFÜS
MARCUS WHALE
THE AVALANCHES
SLUMBERJACK
FOLK/ACOUSTIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR
BREE TRANTER
ALEXANDER BIGGS
JACK CARTY
JOSH PYKE
JESS RIBEIRO
OH PEP!
COUNTRY & AMERICANA ARTIST OF THE YEAR
FANNY LUMSDEN
KAYLEE BELL
WOLFE BROTHERS
THE WILSON PICKERS
HENRY WAGONS
C.W. STONEKING
BLUES or ROOTS ARTIST OF THE YEAR
TASH SULTANA
PIERCE BROTHERS
RUBY BOOTS
CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS
WILLIAM CRIGHTON
JULIA JACKLIN
HEAVY or PUNK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
THE HARD ACHES
SKEGSS
LUCA BRASI
THE PEEP TEMPEL
CERES
THY ART IS MURDER
RAG N BONE
AUSTRALIAN LIVE MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR (METRO)
KING STREET CRAWL
ST. JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL
A DAY OF CLARITY
WAM FESTIVAL
MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK
VIVID SYDNEY
AUSTRALIAN LIVE MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL)
JUNGLE LOVE FESTIVAL
WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL
BLENHEIM MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS
NYE ON THE HILL
GROOVIN’ THE MOO
AUSTRALIAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR – PUBLIC VOTED
COLIN LILLIE
TKAY MAIDZA
ALEX LAHEY
LEANNE TENNANT
HARTS
GANG OF YOUTHS
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