The 2018 AIR Awards nominees have been announced

The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) have today announced the nominees that make up the 2018 AIR Awards, with some of Australia’s best and brightest receiving nods for this year’s awards.

Set to take place at Adelaide’s Queen’s Theatre on July 26th, the 12th AIR Awards will see some of Australia’s greatest independent artists recognised for their work over the past year, with over 40 artists being nominated for awards this year.

Priding itself on its constant support of the growth and development of Australia’s independent recording sector, the AIR Awards are an annual institution which last year saw A.B. Original take home all five of the awards that they were nominated for.

This year’s awards sees nominees in a variety of categories, ranging from Best Independent Artist, to the best Independent Album in the Hip-Hop, Country, Blues And Roots, and Hard Rock, Heavy Or Punk genres, just to name a few. This year also sees Melbourne’s RVG nominated for five awards, The Jungle Giants for four, while Alex Lahey and Baker Boy are nominated in three categories.

The awards are set to be handed out at Adelaide’s Queen’s Theatre on July 26th. While we wait for that date to approach, check out the full list of nominees below.

Check out RVG’s ‘Quality Of Mercy’:

2018 AIR Awards Nominees

Best Independent Artist

Alex Lahey
Baker Boy
Jen Cloher
Stella Donnelly
The Jungle Giants

Best Independent Album Or EP

RVG – A Quality Of Mercy
Methyl Ethel – Everything Is Forgotten
Alex Lahey – I Love You Like A Brother
Jen Cloher – Jen Cloher
The Jungle Giants – Quiet Ferocity
Alex The Astronaut – See You Soon

Best Independent Single

RVG – A Quality Of Mercy
Alex Lahey – Every Day’s The Weekend
The Jungle Giants – Feel The Way I Do
Baker Boy – Marryuna (feat. Yirrmal)
Methyl Ethel – Ubu

Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year – Presented By PPCA

Angie Mcmahon – Slow Mover
Baker Boy – Marryuna
RVG – A Quality Of Mercy
Stella Donnelly – Thrush Metal
The Jungle Giants – Quiet Ferocity

Best Independent Hip Hop Album

Horrorshow – Bardo State
Bliss N Eso – Off The Grid
Allday – Speeding
Winston Surfshirt – Sponge Cake
Birdz – Train Of Thought

Best Independent Country Album

Halfway – Live At The Triffid
Fanny Lumsden – Real Class Act
Caitlyn Shadbolt – Songs On My Sleeve
Lee Kernaghan – The 25th Anniversary Album

Best Independent Blues And Roots Album

The Teskey Brothers – Half Mile Harvest
The Waifs – Ironbark
Dan Sultan – Killer
All Our Exes Live In Texas – When We Fall
Caiti Baker – Zinc

Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy Or Punk Album

RVG – A Quality Of Mercy
Bad//Dreems – Gutful
Sleepmakeswaves – Made Of Breath Only
Northlane – Mesmer
The Smith Street Band– More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard – Murder Of The Universe

Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album Or EP

Pnau – Changa
Crooked Colours – Vera
Thrupence – Ideas Of Aesthetics
SLUMBERJACK – Fracture

Best Independent Dance, Electronica Or Club Single

Touch Sensitive – Lay Down
Pnau – Go Bang
Banoffee – Ripe
Benson – Trying (feat. Yeo)
Motez – The Future (feat. Antony And Cleopatra)
Confidence Man – Bubblegum

Best Independent Jazz Album

The Vampires – The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke
James Morrison/BBC Concert Orchestra – The Great American Songbook
Jeremy Rose – Within And Without
My Name Is Nobody – My Name Is Nobody
Joseph Tawadros – Live At Abbey Road

Best Independent Classical Album

Grigoryan Brothers – Songs Without Words
Australian Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tognetti – Jonny Greenwood
Water/Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Night Music
Slava Grigoryan – Bach: Cello Suites Volume II
Sydney Chamber Choir/Paul Stanhope – Paul Stanhope: Lux Aeterna
Kate Miller-Heidke/Sydney Symphony Orchestra/Benjamin Northey – Kate Miller-Heidke Live With The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

2018 AIR Awards

Thursday, July 26th
Queens Theatre, Adelaide, SA

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.