Winners announced for 2016 Art Music Awards
Paul Grabowsky and the Young Wagilak Group, Catherine Milliken and Andrew Schultz are amongst the winners for this year’s 2016 Art Music Awards.
The gala event, that was held at The Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne on Tuesday, showcased a wide range of artistic streams that included 11 national categories as well as eight state and territory categories.
The ceremony stands tall as the only national event in Australia to acknowledge the work and success of Australians in the genres of contemporary art music, experimental music and jazz.
One of the more prestigious presentations at the ceremony, The Distinguished Services to Australian Music Award, honoured 80-year-old Australian composer Helen Gifford OAM for her lifelong service to the industry.
This year’s event paid tribute to a host of notable music industry figures who had passed away in the last year. AMC CEO John Davis gave a special mention to the late Roger Smalley, Catherine Sullivan and Roy David Page, acknowledging their unique and important contributions to the Australian music community.
Paul Grabowsky and Katie Noonan
During the ceremony, Brett Cottle, CEO of APRA AMCOS, announced the opening of a second round of applicants for the recently established Art Music Fund. The fund is designed to support art music composers create new, commissioned work that will be performed extensively.
With the second round set to open in November, the fund will offer $100,000 in grant money. 12 established and emerging Australian artists have already benefitted from the fund in 2016.
See below for the full list of 2016 Art Music Awards winners:
WINNERS 2016 ART MUSIC AWARDS
Distinguished Services to Australian Music
Helen Gifford OAM
Vocal / Choral Work of the Year
Title: Le Molière Imaginaire, for eight voices Composer: Andrew Schultz
Text: Timothy Knapman, after the final scene of Molière’s ’Le Malade Imaginaire’
Performed by: I Fagiolini
Jazz Work of the Year
Title: Nyilipidgi
Composers: Paul Grabowsky* and the Young Wägilak Group
Performed by: Paul Grabowsky, the Young Wägilak Group and the Monash Art Ensemble
Publisher: J Albert and Son
Instrumental Work of the Year
Title: Semaphore
Composer: Kate Neal
Performed by: Semaphore band and dancers
Orchestral Work of the Year
Title: Earth Plays
Composer: Catherine Milliken
Performed by: Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Fiona Campbell (Soloist), Peter Rundel (Conductor)
Performance of the Year
Performer: Semaphore band and dancers
Title: Semaphore
Composer: Kate Neal
Award for Excellence by an Organisation
Ensemble Offspring for 2015 activities and sustained services to Australian music for 20 years
Award for Excellence by an Individual
Claire Edwardes for performance, advocacy and artistic leadership
Award for Excellence in Music Education
Artology for the Fanfare Competition
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
Moorambilla Voices for the Moorambilla Voices 2015 Tenth Anniversary Season
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
Speak Percussion for 2015 Music Program
Award for Excellence in Jazz
Australian Jazz Real Book for the Australian Jazz Real Book
State Winners
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY AWARD
Category: Instrumental Work of the Year
Recipient: Natalie Williams for Saudade
NEW SOUTH WALES STATE AWARD
Category: Performance of the Year
Recipient: Sydney Chamber Opera for Fly Away Peter
Composer: Elliott Gyger
NORTHERN TERRITORY STATE AWARD
Category: Orchestral Work of the Year
Recipient: Darwin Symphony Orchestra for Tracy
Composers: Ross Edwards, Iain Grandage, Kat McGuffie and Lachlan Skipworth
QUEENSLAND STATE AWARD
Category: Excellence in Jazz
Recipient: Berardi/Foran/Karlen for Hope in my Pocket
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE AWARD
Category: Excellence by an Organisation
Recipient: Zephyr Quartet for sustained contribution for over 16 years
TASMANIAN STATE AWARD
Category: Instrumental Work of the Year
Recipient: Michael Kieran Harvey for Patañjali
VICTORIAN STATE AWARD
Category: Orchestral Work of the Year
Recipient: Elliott Gyger for From Joyous Leaves
WESTERN AUSTRALIA STATE AWARD
Category: Performance of the Year
Recipient: Louise Devenish for Electroacoustic Music For One Percussionist
Works by: Warren Burt, James Hullick, Stuart James, Andrián Pertout and Lindsay Vickery