Gang of Youths Win J Award For ‘Angel In Realtime’

The third time is like a charm for Gang of Youths, as the rock heroes snag the J Award for Australian album of the year with angel in realtime.

GoY’s third album opened at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart in March of this year, for their second leader, and was supported with a homecoming arena tour in July and August. 

Now it’s an award winner with the ABC’s tastemakers. 

Angel in realtime, notes the music team at the Corporation, centres on the death of frontman Dave Le’aupepe’s father and “it’s this arc – traversing grief and growth – that sucks you in and makes you feel every moment of emotional enlightenment in such a heightened way. It’s more proof that Gang of Youths don’t make albums, they craft canon.”

The recording tops a shortlist that included LPs by Eliza & The Delusionals, Flume, Julia Jacklin, King Stingray, Sampa The Great, Spacey Jane and others.

It’s the band’s first J Award win in three goes.

GoY’s debut album The Positions made the final cut in 2015 (won by Courtney Barnett’s Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit); as did 2017’s Go Farther In Lightness (won by A.B. Original’s Reclaim Australia).

The Gang could make it a month to remember. They’re nominated in four categories at the ARIA Awards next Thursday (Nov. 24), including album of the year and best group.

Now in its 18th year, the J Award was announced Thursday (Nov. 17), one of five categories voted on by music presenters, producers and programmers across triple j, Double J, rage, and Unearthed.

Among the winners are legendary rockers and activities Midnight Oil, who, after their final tour, was named Double J artist of the year; Kenyan-born, Adelaide-based creator Elsy Wameyo was named Unearthed artist of the year; Korean-Australian hip-hop act 1300 won Australian music video of the year for “Oldboy,” directed by Raghav Rampal; and Gomeroi rapped Kobie Dee received the “Done Good Award.”