A.B. Original lead 2017 AIR Award artist nominations
Amongst a stacked field of indie artists, A.B. Original lead the 2017 AIR Award nominations, announced this morning.
The groundbreaking hip hop act match the current record of five nominations set by Chet Faker in 2012. Flume had the same number the following year.
With four each, Flume, D.D. Dumbo and Alex Lahey are right behind the record-holders, and will compete with A.B. Original for Best Independent Artist. The fifth Best Artist nominee is Ali Barter – her first and only nod, but it’s a biggie.
The AIRs went AWOL in 2016 in order to realign the eligibility dates with the calendar year; releases that dropped between 1 August 2015 and 31 December 2016 are eligible for the 2017gongs.
The ceremony will be held in Adelaide on July27 this year as part of Umbrella: Winter City Sounds, with six afterparties dotted around the city. AIR struck a deal to keep the ceremony in the city for the next two years as well, with the awards and the associated two-day industry conference benefiting from the support of the state’s new Live Music Events Fund.
Here’s the full list of nominees:
Best Independent Artist
D.D. Dumbo
Flume
A.B. Original
Alex Lahey
Ali Barter
Best Independent Album Or EP
Ngaiire – Blastoma
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia
Alex Lahey – B Grade University
D.D. Dumbo – Utopia Defeated
Big Scary – Animal
Best Independent Single
Flume – Never Be Like You (Feat. Kai)
D. D. Dumbo – Satan
A.B. Original – January 26 Feat. Dan Sultan
Big Scary – The Opposite Of Us
Alex Lahey – You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me
Breakthrough Independent Artist Of The Year – Presented By PPCA
Julia Jacklin
D.D. Dumbo
A.B. Original
Camp Cope
Alex Lahey
Best Independent Hip Hop Album
Remi – Divas And Demons
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia
L-Fresh The Lion – Become
Hau – The No End Theory
Milwaukee Banks – Deep Into The Night
Best Independent Country Album
William Crighton – William Crighton
Henry Wagons – After What I Did Last Night
Big Smoke – Time Is Golden
Bill Chambers – Cold Trail
Halfway – The Golden Halfway Record
Best Independent Blues And Roots Album
Archie Roach – Let Love Rule
The Waifs – Beautiful You
Russell Morris – Red Dirt Red Heart
Julia Jacklin – Don’t Let The Kids Win
The Wilson Pickers – You Can’t Catch Fish From A Train
Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy Or Punk Album
Dead Letter Circus – Aesthesis
Violent Soho – Waco
Luca Brasi – If This Is All We’re Going To Be
Hellions – Opera Oblivia
Twelve Foot Ninja – Outlier
Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album
Flume – Skin
Jagwar Ma – Every Now & Then
Elizabeth Rose – Intra
Friendships – Nullabor 1988-1989
Rainbow Chan – Spacings
Best Independent Dance, Electronica Or Club Single
Flume – Never Be Like You (Feat. Kai)
Nick Murphy – Stop Me (Stop You)
Starley – Call On Me
Best Independent Jazz Album
Vince Jones & Paul Grabowsky – Provenance
Keller Murphy Browne – Travellers
James Morrison & Don Burrows – In Good Company
Ben Winkelman Trio –The Knife
Best Independent Classical Album
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra – Brandenburg Celebrates
Slava Grigoryan – Bach: Cello Suites Vol 1
Australian Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tognetti – Mozart’s Last Symphonies
Genevieve Lacey & James Crabb – Heard This And Thought Of You