Sixties surf rocker Patricia ‘Little Pattie’ Amphlett, soul queen Renee Geyer and folk activist Margret RoadKnight will share the historic honour of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Australian Women in Music Awards at a ceremony next Wednesday October 11 at the Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre. The jury could not separate the three extraordinary women and decided to acknowledge all three.
The Australian Women in Music Awards intend to honour the efforts and outstanding contributions from some of the most inspiring women in Australian music across a wide range of categories. The AWMA will recognise excellence in the fields of artistry, song-writing, technical and production skills, music education, music photography, humanitarian work, and much more.
“This will be a very special celebration of women in Australian music, those who have come before and those who continue to light the way,” explained AWMA Founding Director and Executive Producer, Vicki Gordon. “We are overwhelmed with support which we continue to receive from artists, the music community and the broader creative sector all of whom agree that the time for change has come.”
The awards ceremony will feature performances from Kate Cebrano, Katie Noonan, Adalita and Lou Bennet of Tiddas. The ceremony has also been the catalyst for the reformation of Do-Re-Mi, with Deborah Conway and Helen Carter playing together for the first time in 30 years
Some of Australia’s biggest names have been named in the list of finalists, including Jen Cloher, Katie Noon, Sarah Blasko and Tiddas, as well as rising stares such as Camp Cope and NGAIIRE.
Registration and tickets to the event are available through the AWMA website.
Songwriter Award (Recognises a female songwriter or composer who has made extraordinary impact nationally and/or internationally in the past 12 months).
FINALISTS: Sarah Blasko, Gordi (Sophie Payten), NGAIIRE
Music Leadership Award (Recognises a female CEO, Managing Director, Label Manager, A&R Director, Artist Manager or Publisher making significant impact in music industry leadership).
FINALISTS: Linda Bosidis, Jen Cloher, Susan Heymann
Diversity in Music Award (Recognises individual artists or female-driven musical collaborations for their contribution to advancing a culturally diverse and inclusive music industry).
FINALISTS: Mission Songs Project, Rachel Maria Cox, 3 Signal Creative
Studio Production Award (Recognises a female sound engineer or producer who has made contributions of outstanding significance in the studio recording environment).
FINALISTS: Anna Laverty, Kath Naunton, Becki Whitton
Music Photographer Award (Recognises a female music photographer currently working in the field and to acknowledge her body of work).
FINALISTS: Lisa Businovski, Tashi Hall, Wendy McDougall
Creative Leadership Award (A curatorial award recognising excellence in creative programming and/or content creation from a woman working in a music festival, live performance/venue or media setting to champion female artists).
Breakthrough Artist Award (Recognises a female artist who has had a significant breakthrough impact nationally in the past 12 months).
FINALISTS: Camp Cope, Stella Donnelly, Amy Shark
Artistic Excellence Award (Recognises exceptional creative achievement from a female artist/musician across any genre).
FINALISTS: Dalla Frasca, Gordi (Sophie Payten), Ngaiire
Film-maker Award (Recognises a female music videographer, clip-maker or film-maker currently working in the field and to acknowledge her body of work).
Live Production Award (Recognises a female working in a live production or touring environment making significant impact in her field: Includes Tour Management, Live Sound, Lighting, Backstage and Roadcrew)
Musical Excellence (Recognises exceptional musicianship from a female musician across any genre).
FINALISTS: Fem Belling, Lydia Davies, Nerida Tyson-Chew
Educator Award (Recognises an individual who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and/or to empowering Indigenous female artists in remote and regional communities).
FINALISTS: Dr Anita Collins, Louise Denson, Elizabeth Sellars
Auriel Andrew Memorial Award (Recognises a true pioneer of Indigenous women in music).
Lifetime Achievement Award (Presented to a female artist or musician who has made outstanding artistic contribution to the field of recording and/or live performance during her lifetime).
