Art Music Awards calls for nominations

Nominations for the 2022 Art Music Awards are open, with organisers calling on APRA AMCOS members to nominate their peers.

The Art Music Awards aim to honour the music, the people and the organisations that make up Australia’s art music landscape (contemporary classical music, contemporary jazz, improvised music, experimental music and sound art) across composition, performance, education and presentation.

Nominations opened today and close at 5pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, March 23.

The awards will take place in Melbourne in August.

Australian Music Centre CEO, Catherine Haridy, wholeheartedly encouraged artists and members to take a moment to nominate their peers.

“In my first year with Australian Music Centre, I’m looking forward to celebrating the art music community and the achievements of Australian composers, performers and organisations, despite the obstacles in their way throughout 2021,” she said.

Last year, Art Music Award-winning composer, Liza Lim, nominated soprano Deborah Kayser, who went on to win the National Luminary Award for an Individual.

She encouraged others to do the same.

“Aren’t we all longing to celebrate the creative brilliance of our art music scene – the performers. composers and those that advocate for musical creativity in all areas, those who make, support, organise and educate?

“Let’s lift up their names and honour their hard work, resilience, their courage, their community spirit and the power of aesthetic expression in telling the most important stories of our lives, our ways of knowing and feeling and being, our griefs and passions,” she said.

“Please also nominate your heroes for a Luminary Award – they deserve it.”

Lim also noted there are plenty of categories in this year’s awards which also accomodate the new ways of doing things in a pandemic.

Organisers reiterated this idea, saying works, events, performances, activities and other music use that may have adapted to pandemic restrictions – such as via live or digital performance, video/audio broadcast, or commercial release – made available for the first time in 2021 are eligible for nomination.

Check out last year’s winners here, and this year’s categories below.

Art Music Awards 2022 – Categories

WORK OF THE YEAR
Work of the Year: Choral
Work of the Year: Chamber Music
Work of the Year: Large Ensemble
Work of the Year: Dramatic
Work of the Year: Electroacoustic / Sound Art
Work of the Year: Jazz

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR AND EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Performance of the Year: Notated Composition
Performance of the Year: Jazz / Improvised Music
Award for Excellence in Music Education
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music

LUMINARY AWARDS 
Luminary Awards – National (Individual)
Luminary Awards – National (Organisation)
Luminary Awards – State/Territory Awards*
*Nominate a person/organisation in your state or territory of residence.