AIR unveils award nominees & keynote speakers for Indie-Con
The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) has begun building up for two of its flagship events – both in Adelaide and held in the same week in July.
This morning it announced the finalists for the AIR awards and the first two keynote speakers for the Indie-Con Australia conference.
The awards are on Thursday, July 25 at Freemasons Hall.
The nominees are:
BEST INDEPENDENT ARTIST
Courtney Barnett
Gurrumul
Julia Jacklin
Laura Jean
Methyl Ethel
BEST INDEPENDENT ALBUM OR EP
Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel
Emma Louise, Lilac Everything
Laura Jean, Devotion
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Hope Downs
BEST INDEPENDENT SINGLE
A.B. Original, ‘Blackout’
Courtney Barnett, ‘Nameless Faceless’
G Flip, ‘About You’
Laura Jean, ‘Girls On The TV’
Mojo Juju, ‘Native Tongue’
BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
(Presented by PPCA)
Confidence Man
Didrri
Emily Wurramara
G Flip
Hatchie
BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM
B Wise, Area Famous
Cool Out Sun, Cool Out Sun
Milwaukee Banks, No Time
Space Invadas, Wild World
Tasman Keith, Mission Famous
BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM
Beccy Cole, Lioness
Halfway, Rain Lover
Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes, Some Girls (Quite Like Country Music)
The Wolfe Bros, Country Heart
William Alexander, The Kid From Bourke
BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM
Dan Sultan, Killer Under A Blood Moon
Emily Wurramara, Milyakburra
Gabriella Cohen, Pink Is The Colour Of Unconditional Love
John Butler Trio, Home
Mia Dyson, If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back
BEST INDEPENDENT HARD ROCK, HEAVY OR PUNK ALBUM
Camp Cope, How To Socialise & Make Friends
DZ Deathrays, Bloody Lovely
High Tension, Purge
Little Ugly Girls, Little Ugly Girls
West Thebarton, Different Beings Being
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE/ELECTRONICA
ALBUM OR EP
Braille Face, Lightletting
Confidence Man, Confidence Music For Confident People
Nina Las Vegas, Lucky Girl
Paces, Zag
Total Giovanni, Euphoria
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE
Dom Dolla, ‘Take It’
Fisher, ‘Losing It’
Hermitude, ‘Stupid World ‘Ft Bib Bourelly
Odd Mob, ‘Intrinsic’
What So Not, ‘Beautiful’ ft Winona Oak
BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM
Harry James Angus, Struggle With Glory
James Morrison/ William Morrison/ Harry Morrison/ Patrick Danao, Midnight Til Dawn
Jonathan Zwartz, Animarum
Midlife, Phase
BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM
ACO Collective, Collective Wisdom
Grigoryan Bros/ Adelaide Symphony Orchestra / Benjamin Northey, Bach Concertos
Gurrumul, Djarimirri
Nicole Car / Australian Chamber Orchestra/ Richard Tognetti, Heroines
Indie-Con 2019
Indie-Con Australia is held across Thursday, July 25 and Friday 26 at Lot Fourteen.
It will explore synchronisation and music publishing, video and gaming, mental health in the music industry, the future of the record label, and insights into China.
It will also offer development skills, one-on-one networking with industry stakeholders and insights to the latest innovations and technological advancements in products, services and strategies.
The first two keynote speakers are Helen Smith, London-based executive chair of indies association IMPALA, and Thaddeus Rudd, co-owner and co-president of New York indie label Mom+Pop.
Smith will address the work of IMPALA and its ongoing efforts to grow the independent music sector, return more value to artists, promote cultural diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access and modernise perceptions of the music sector.
Rudd will present the closing keynote address sharing the story of Mom + Pop, set up in 2008, and offering insights into the key factors that contributed to the label’s rise to success.
The label’s signings include Flume, Courtney Barnett, Tash Sultana, Jai Wolf, Alina Baraz and Sunflower Bean.
The complete Air-Con Australia program is to be announced in May.