Gurrumul has taken out the 2018 Australian Music Prize

The 14th annual Australian Music Prize has been handed out today, with the honour going out to the late Gurrumul with his record Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow).

Earlier this year, the shortlist for the Australian Music Prize was officially announced. Now in its 14th year, this shortlist of just nine records was culled down from a longlist of 85, which in turn was selected from a massive 483 Aussie albums released throughout 2018.

While Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever scored a nomination for their debut release, Hope Downs, Courtney Barnett was looking rather hopeful to become the first two-time winner of the award with Tell Me How You Really Feel.

Now, the winner of Australia’s richest music prize has been announced, following an award ceremony in Melbourne this afternoon.

Taking place in the Melbourne Town Hall, some of the Aussie music industry’s best and brightest turned out to honour the exceptional work of Aussie musicians.

Following a series of speeches from the nominated artists who were able to attend, the audience were treated to the annual AMPed Up In Conversation event, which this year featured Natalia Nastaskin from United Talent Agency NY.

Curated by Bernard Zuel, Nataskin spoke at length about her own musical experiences, having grown up in the Soviet Union and moving to New York City at the age of eight.

Along the way Nataskin provided great insight into how many opportunities are available for new and emerging artists in our continuing culture of musical globalisation.

However, the event that the audience – and music-lovers around the country – were waiting for soon took place, with the 14th Annual Australian Music Prize being awarded to the late Gurrumul for his exceptional Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) .

Released in April of 2018, Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) was completed only weeks before the untimely death of Gurrumul in July of 2017. In addition to becoming Gurrumul’s first number one on the ARIA charts, it also made history by becoming the first album sung in an indigenous language to top the chart as well.

Accepting the award and $30,000 cash prize on his behalf was close friend and collaborator Michael Hohnen, who thanked all the supporters of the late artist following the release of the record.

This year’s winner was decided by a nation-wide panel of 21 judges, led by Hoodoo Gurus frontman Dave Faulkner.

During the announcement of Gurrumul’s win, Faulkner revealed that he will be leaving the judging panel as of this year, instead handing over the duty to Scott B. Murphy, the founder of the Australian Music Prize.

Check out Gurrumul’s ‘Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow)’:

14th Annual Australian Music Prize Shortlist

Winner: Gurrumul – Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow)

Abbe May – Fruit
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
Grand Salvo – Sea Glass
Laura Jean – Devotion
The Presets – Hi Viz
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
Sam Anning – Across A Field As Vast As One

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.