Flume blitzes Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards

Flume blitzed last night’s Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards with four wins. The Sydney-based beatmaker picked Best Independent Artist, while his self-titled platinum spinning #1 album took Best Independent Album and the Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album while Holdin’ On was voted Best Independent Dance/Electronica or Club Single.

Flume is away in New Zealand on tour but kept abreast of the night’s progress via twitter.

Two Melbourne acts, Vance Joy and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – both first time nominees – took out two wins each.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard who mused whether to boil their trophy for Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album (for 12 Bar Bruise) into a bong, also took out the inaugural Carlton Dry Global Music Grant of $50,000 to help them record or tour abroad behind their recently released album Float On – Fill Your Lungs. 

The awards were held at Revolt in Kensington, Melbourne, before a crowd of 900.

Vance Joy, whose breakthrough single Riptide is now double Platinum, took Breakthrough Independent Artist while God Loves You When You’re Dancing got Best Independent Single/EP.

Paul Kelly took out Best Independent Blues And Roots Album forSpring And Fall. The singer songwriter was on his way back from the United States, and got nephew and regular collaborator Dan Kelly to pick up the gong for him.

Seth Sentry won the “aww factor” for the night when he thanked “my ex-girlfriends who put up with me when I was a scumbag wannabe rapper, and paid my rent” as he accepted Best Independent Hip Hop Album for This Was Tomorrow.

Catherine Britt, who is recording in Nashville, took Best Independent Country Album for Always Never Enough. London-based saxplayer Amy Dickson (who this week also took out Breakthrough Artist of the Year at The Classic BRITs in London) won Best Independent Classical Album for Catch Me If You Can. Sydney-based Jonathan Zwartz’s The Remembering And Forgetting Of The Air trumped the Best Independent Jazz Album category.

Future Classic, already represented onstage with Flume’s wins, also took Best Independent Label from Liberation, Milk! Records, Sweat It Out and Two Bright Lakes.

The Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards were attended by up to 900 guests and again held at Revolt in Melbourne’s Kensington. Performers were Archie Roach, Big Scary, Seth Sentry, RÜFÜS, Violent Soho and Saskwatch, with an unexpected set from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The night opened with a speech from The Cat Empire’s Harry James about the passion that the Australian independent music community displays.