Ros Bandt, Chris Sainsbury among winners at 2020 Art Music Awards

Sound artist Dr Ros Bandt and composer Chris Sainsbury were among the winners at the 2020 Art Music Awards, held virtually on Tuesday night.

Having been announced as its recipient back in August, Ros Bandt formally accepted the night’s top honour, the Richard Gill Award for distinguished services to Australian music.

Following a decades-long career, Bandt was awarded for her work as a composer, sound artist and scholar, which saw her create dozens of major installations and facilitate a number of intercultural and inter-disciplinary collaborations.

Also honoured was Chris Sainsbury, who received the inaugural national Luminary Award for an individual, for sustained contribution over several years.

Sainsbury was recognised for initiating and driving the Ngarra-Burria: First Nations Composers program, which aims to support and mentor emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander composers.

“Chris’ work over the past five years has had a national impact in both training emerging First Nations composers and redefining their role and future within Australian art music,” judges said in a statement.

Also among the winners circle were Netanela Mizrahi and Guwanbal Gurruwiwi (excellence in music education for the Djari Project), Louise Devenish (performance of the year: notated composition, Western Australia state Luminary Award) and Katie Noonan (Queensland state Luminary Award).

Hosted by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre (AMC), the Art Music Awards celebrate the achievements and creative successes of Australian composers, performers and educators in the genres of contemporary classical music, jazz, improvisation, sound art and experimental music.

The event was hosted by comedian Jonathan Biggins, ARIA-nominated pianist Zela Margossian, and performer, songwriter and composer Dr Lou Bennett.

Watch Louise Devenish’s performance of ‘EXPOSICIONES’:

See the full list of winners from the 2020 Art Music Awards below.

Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music
Dr Ros Bandt

Award for Excellence in Music Education
Netanela Mizrahi and Guwanbal Gurruwiwi for the Djari Project

Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
Gillian Howell and Tura New Music for the Fitzroy Valley New Music Project

Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
The Music Box Project for Shallow Listening

Work of the Year: Choral
Title: I am Martuwarra
Composer: Paul Stanhope, text by Steve Hawke
Performer: Gondwana Choirs, Luminescence Chamber Singers, Valla Voices, Hunter Singers, and Resonance and Lyn Williams, conductor

Work of the Year: Chamber Music
Title: passing bells: day
Composer: Chris Dench
Performer: Alex Raineri

Work of the Year: Large Ensemble
Title: Viola Concerto
Composer: James Ledger
Performer: Brett Dean, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Fabien Gabel, conductor

Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art
Title: Everywhen

Composer: Matthias Schack-Arnott
Performer: Matthias Schack-Arnott

Work of the Year: Dramatic
Title: Oscar and Lucinda
Composer: Elliott Gyger, librettist Pierce Wilcox
Performer: Sydney Chamber Opera and Jack Symonds, conductor
Title: Speechless
Composer: Cat Hope
Performer: Judith Dodsworth, Karina Utomo, Caitlin Cassidy, Sage Pbbbt (soloists), with Australian Bass Orchestra, Decibel New Music Ensemble and
Aaron Wyatt, conductor

Work of the Year: Jazz
Title: Aventurine
Composer: Linda May Han Oh
Performer: Linda May Han Oh, Greg Ward, Matt Mitchell, Ches Smith, Fung Chern Hwei,
Sara Caswell, Benni von Gutzeit, Jeremy Harman, Invenio with Gian Slater,
director

Performance of the Year: Notated Composition
Performer: Louise Devenish
Title: Sheets of Sound
Composers: Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh, Matthias Schack-Arnott, Louise Devenish and Stuart James

Performance of the Year: Jazz/Improvised Music
Performer: Sandy Evans, Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan and Sirens Big Band
Title: Bridge of Dreams
Composer: Sandy Evans, Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan

Luminary Awards: National
Individual
• Chris Sainsbury for initiating and driving Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers program
Organisation

• Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for Australian Composers School, Australian Conducting
Academy, and professional development opportunities for Australian musicians

Luminary Awards: State/Territory

Australian Capital Territory
• Canberra International Music Festival for their record-breaking 2019 event and
ongoing reputation for high quality and innovative programming

New South Wales
• Joanna Drimatis for sustained contribution to the performance, programming and advocacy of
Australian works, and string music education

South Australia
• Ross McHenry for trailblazing global pathways through artistic practice for South Australian
musicians

Northern Territory
• David Wilfred & Daniel Wilfred for cultural leadership and sustained creative contributions in
Australia and beyond

Western Australia
• Louise Devenish for her ongoing advocacy, commissioning and performance of new
percussion music in Western Australia

Victoria
• Making Waves for breaking down perceived state barriers and connecting a new generation of
Australian musicians

Tasmania
• Michael Kieran Harvey for supporting the Tasmanian new music community through teaching,
performance and recording

Queensland
• Katie Noonan for The Glad Tomorrow and furthering the future of Queensland musicians

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