Tkay Maizda leads South Australian Music Awards nominees

Fast rising Zimbabwe-born Adelaide-raised rapper Tkay Maizda leads the nominations for this year’s South Australian Music Awards. She is up for seven of 14 categories.

The 19-year old Maizda just completed a sell-out tour of Australia, and next month tours Europe. In a remarkable 12 months, she’s moved so quickly that she even scrapped most of her forthcoming debut album because it no longer represented where her head was.

Other front-runners include punk trio Grenadiers, alt-folk bluesman Timberwolf and alt-rockers Koral & The Goodbye Horses.

The awards, held by peak music association Music SA, are held at The Mercury Cinema on November 11. The ceremony will be opened by the SA Premier and with trophies sponsored by the Lord Mayor. A ticketed after-party is open to the public at Fowler’s Live hosted by triple j’s Dom Alessio and Adelaide musician Max Savage, and features live sets by SKIES, Shaolin Afronauts, Sparkspitter and West Thebarton Brothel Party.

Music SA General Manager Lisa Bishop says, "We're delighted with the outstanding calibre of nominees in the artist and industry categories. This is the first year Music SA takes custodianship of the rebranded and renamed South Australian music awards.”

2015 NOMINEES

BEST RELEASE
Grenadiers – Summer
Horror My Friend – A Million Hands
Shaolin Afronauts – Follow The Path
Timberwolf – Flux
Tkay Maidza – Switch Tapes

BEST FEMALE
Hunt – Hollow
Jay Power – The Missing
Julia Henning – Fledgling
Koral – Nocturnes
Tkay Maidza – Switch Tapes

BEST MALE
Banjo Jackson – Banjo Jackson
Kaurna Cronin – Glass Fool
Max Savage – Little Flame
Motez – Vancouver
Timberwolf – Flux

BEST GROUP
Flamingo – Drip Away
Grenadiers – Summer
Horror My Friend – A Million Hands
Shaolin Afronauts – Follow The Path
Wasted Wanderers – Goddamn Anything

BEST SONG
Presented by APRA / AMCOS
Bad//Dreems – Hiding To Nothing
Jesse Davidson – Laika
SKIES – Call For My Heart
Timberwolf – Fallen Sun
Tkay Maidza – Switch Lanes

BEST SONGWRITER
Presented by APRA / AMCOS
Chris Panousakis (Timberwolf)
Jesse Davidson
Koral Chandler (Koral & The Goodbye Horses)
Tkay Maidza
Tom West

BEST NEW ARTIST
Koral & The Goodbye Horses – Nocturnes
K21 – Change My Way
SKIES– Skies
Tkay Maidza – Switch Tapes
Wasted Wanderers – Goddamn Anything

BEST LIVE ACT
Bad//Dreems
Grenadiers
The Funkoars
Tkay Maidza
West Thebarton Brothel Party

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Flamingo – Drip Away (Directed by EVO)
Grenadiers – Summer (Directed by Crystal Arrow Films)
Koral & The Goodbye Horses – Pony (Directed by Aaron Schuppan)
Tkay Maidza – Switch Lanes (Directed by Sachio Cook)
Tom West – Easy Love (Animation by Matthew Hitch)

BEST MUSIC VENUE
Fowler’s Live
The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel
The Grace Emily
Jive
Rocket Bar & Rooftop

BEST FESTIVAL / MUSIC EVENT
Presented by Moshtix
Laneway Festival, Adelaide
Moving Music
The Porch Sessions
Scumfest
WOMADelaide

BEST PRODUCER
Koolta – Revolutions Per Minute
Motez – Vancouver
SKIES – Skies
Squeaker – In Love / Madness
Tom Barnes & Conchillia – Conchillia

BEST COVER ART
Dan Vaughan & Ben McGee – for Nocturnes by Koral & The Goodbye Horses
Charlotte Stanforth – for Conchillia’s self-titled EP
Jack Vanzet – for SKIES’ self-titled EP
Lluis Fuzzhound – for Lady Luck by The Villenettes
Jo Kitto & Carlo Jensen – for The Missing by Jay Power

BEST MANAGER
Presented by Association of Artist Managers
By Popular Demand (Ryan Winter)
Kiss Punch Music (Daisy Brown)
Sue Germein
Young Muscle (Adam Cope, Ash Wilson & Oli Kirk)
5/4 Entertainment (Craig Lock & Ross Osmon)