A.B. Original wipe out South Australian Music Awards with six wins
Australia’s hottest hip-hop act of the moment, A.B. Original, continued their streak of multi-wins at awards events around the country with six accolades at the 3rd annual South Australian Music (SAM) Awards.
These were held last night at Thelby Lane (Thebarton Theatre) in Adelaide.
A.B. Original, took out all the categories they were nominated for after acclaim for their 2016 debut album Reclaim Australia and politically pertinent single ‘January 26’ featuring Dan Sultan.
The album took Best Release and the single trumped Best Song.
Other category wins were for Best Group and Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island Artist.
Film and video director Richard Coburn from the creative collective Kojo added to the tally for Best Music Video for ‘January 26’.
In the People’s Choice Award category, A.B. Original won the Hip-Hop category.
Tkay Maidza who went into last night’s ceremony with four nominations won Best Female Artist.
South Sudanese-born rapper DyspOra took home Best Male Artist, riding on the wave after the release of his The REBELUTION album this year.
Triple j faves Heaps Good Friends, purveyors of the self-described Peanut Brittle Pop sound, were chosen Best New Artist.
Best Music Venue was The Grace Emily for the second consecutive year while the travelling backyard event Porch Sessions won Best Festival/Event for the first time.
Craig Lock from 5/4 Entertainment was voted Best Manager for the third consecutive year.
Tom Barnes from Mixmasters Studios was Best Engineer for a second consecutive year.
The Ryan Freeman Live Music Award which provides $4000 to assist a person or group to continue their contribution to live music in South Australia, was awarded to Robert Dunstan, Editor of B Side Magazine.
Music SA’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented toThe Gov (The Governor Hindmarsh) for its longtime commitment to live music.
The Adelaide UNESCO City of Live Music Award for Best International Collaboration was presented to the House of Songs project which saw Adelaide musicians Dan Crannitch, Taasha Coates, and Kelly Menhennett collaborate with musicians from Austin, Texas on unfinished songs by the late Albert Brumley.
Music SA General Manager Lisa Bishop was delighted over the wins of not just the growing popularity of A.B. Original and Maidza but “upcoming artists such as DyspOra and Heaps Good Friends (who) are leading examples of the new talents coming out of South Australia.”
Over 6,500 individual votes were cast across the 12 genre-based awards.
Aside from A.B. Original’s hip hop gong, other triumphs were by Rachael Leahcar (pop), Bad//Dreems (rock), Young Offenders (punk), Adam Page (world), Ross McHenry (jazz/art music) and Wanderers (blues/roots).
Tkay Maidza made a surprise appearance, opening the night with a bang of confetti, presenting her track ‘Carry On’.
In other interpretations of nominated songs, Timberwolf reinterpreted A.B. Original’s ‘January 26’ with a full band as well as his latest single ‘Ikaros Lonelyspeck’ while Allume tripped back Bad//Dreems’ ‘Mob Rule’.
Glass Skies and Hana & Jessie-Lee injected soul into their treatment of West Thebarton’s’ ‘Moving Out’.
DyspOra, Elsy and Prospeks covered Maidza’s ‘Simulation’ while The Grenadiers closed the night with latest single ‘Long Way Down’ with help from Bec Stevens, as well as a hard-hitting rendition of Timberwolf’s ‘Washed Out’.
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