Denis Handlin recognised for contribution to music at 2020 QMAs
The 2020 Queensland Music Awards have wrapped for another year, with the big winners including Thelma Plum and The Jungle Giants.
Celebrating the past year in Queensland music, attendees were treated to performances from the likes of Jaguar Jonze, Cub Sport, Nat Dunn, Busby Marou and Order Sixty6.
The ceremony saw Sony Music chief executive Denis Handlin given the QMusic Honorary Award in recognition of his 50-year tenure at Sony Music Entertainment and his support of local artists and driving of charitable donations.
Thelma Plum capped off a massive 2019 with the sought-after gong for Album Of The Year for her debut LP Better In Blak.
Brisbane indie-rockers The Jungle Giants went home with two awards, taking out Song Of The Year and the Pop category for ‘Heavey Hearted’.
Jaguar Jonze Performs
Harry Phillips was the recipient of the $10,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship for 2020, which will see the singer-songwriter gain mentorship from Chugg Entertainment.
Previous recipients of the Arts Queensland-supported scholarship include Sam Hales of The Jungle Giants and Jeremy Neale.
“2019 was a stellar year for Queensland music and tonight we got to celebrate some of our finest homegrown talent who are at the forefront of Queensland artists making big waves on the national and global music front,” said QMusic CEO Angela Samut.
Brentyn ‘Rollo Rollason won the Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement Award.
Some of the other highlights and winners included:
- The Kite String Tangle – Electronic/Dance and Video
- Amy Shark – Highest Selling Single for ‘Mess Her Up’
- Conrad Sewell – Highest Selling Album for Life
- Nat Dunn – Export Achievement Award
- Busby Marou – Blues/Roots Category
- Miiesha – Remote Category
- Jaguar Jonze – Singer Songwriter/Folk
- Hope D – QMusic Emerging Artist Of The Year
- Oh Hawloe – Country
- Eliza & The Delusionals – Rock
- Carmoflage Rose – Hip-Hop/Rap
- Mau Power – Indigenous
- Leanne Tennant – Regional
- HANNI – Schools Award
- Sean Foran – Jazz
- Pink Matter – Soul/Funk/R’n’B
- Matt Hsy’s Obscure Orchestra – World Music
Amy Shark, Denis Handlin, Conrad Sewell
There were also awards for festivals and events as part of the QMAs People’s Choice Awards, which saw Big Pineapple win Festival Of The Year for the third consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Solbar won Regional Venue Of The Year and The Triffid won Metro Venue Of The Year.