Australian Music Prize | |
---|---|
Awarded for | Best Australian album |
Country | Australia |
First awarded | 2005 |
Website | www |
The Australian Music Prize (often shortened to the AMP) is an annual award of $50,000 ($30,000 from 2005 to 2023) given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The award was made by Australian Music Prize Ltd, a sole-purpose entity sponsored by a variety of music industry figures and record companies. The AMP was established in 2005.
Unlike the more mainstream ARIA Music Awards, the AMP aims to encourage Australian music of excellence – the prize's stated aim is to "financially reward and increase exposure for an Australian artist (or group of artists) who have produced and commercially released what specially appointed judges vote is the best contemporary music album in any one calendar year". In this sense, the AMP is broadly comparable to the UK's Mercury Music Prize.
The prize typically launches at the start of October each year and accepts entries (must be new Australian artist albums commercially released in that year) in October and November. A shortlist is announced the following February and then a winner at an event in Sydney in March.
In 2023, the nominations were revealed in late November with the award announcement scheduled for early December.
Augie March are an Australian pop and indie rock band formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria. Since 2001 the group consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bass guitarist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box. Box had replaced Robert Dawson, the band's piano player since March 2000, who died in January 2001.
Daniel O Kelly, known as Dan Kelly, is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released music as part of Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males.
Laura Jean Englert is an Australian musician from Melbourne, Victoria who performs as Laura Jean. She is known for her classically inspired folk songs, often using a range of orchestral instruments. She garnered much critical acclaim for her debut album, Our Swan Song, receiving high rotational support from community and alternative radio stations such as Triple J. She received high exposure when Snow Patrol, who are big fans of her, asked her to sing Martha Wainwright's part in the song Set the Fire to the Third Bar during their two Australian tours in 2007. Her second album, Eden Land, was released on 1 March 2008 in Australia. In August 2008, Laura Jean was invited by Deborah Conway to take part in the Broad Festival project, which toured major Australian cities including performing at the Sydney Opera House. With Laura Jean and Conway were Elana Stone, Liz Stringer and Dianna Corcoran – they performed their own and each other's songs.
Jen Cloher is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer, currently based in Melbourne, Victoria. Cloher's 2017 self-titled fourth studio album peaked at number 5 on the Australian ARIA Charts. From 2006 to 2010, Cloher recorded and toured with her band Jen Cloher and the Endless Sea and since 2013 has released with Mia Dyson and Liz Stringer music under the name Dyson Stringer Cloher.
Big Scary is an Australian musical duo formed in Melbourne in 2006, by Tom Iansek and Joanna Syme. The pair have released several EPs and five studio albums.
The Peep Tempel was a punk rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The band's line-up for most of its tenure was Blake Scott, Steven Carter (drums) and Stewart Rayner. The band released three studio albums: The Peep Tempel (2012), Tales (2014) and Joy (2016).
Thelma Amelina Plumbe, known professionally as Thelma Plum, is an Aboriginal Australian singer, songwriter, guitarist and musician from Delungra, New South Wales. Her debut album, Better in Blak, was released on 30 July 2019 and peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Mojo Ruiz de Luzuriaga, known professionally as Mo'Ju and previously as Mojo Juju, is an Australian musician, best known for their 2018 album Native Tongue and the lead single of the same title. The single won the Best Independent Single category in the 2019 AIR Awards. They play guitar and piano, write songs and sing, and have created music in a number of genres.
Julia Jacklin is an Australian singer-songwriter from the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales. Jacklin's musical style has been described as indie pop, indie folk, and alternative country. She has released three studio albums, Don't Let the Kids Win (2016), Crushing (2019) and Pre Pleasure (2022). Jacklin has also performed with the band Phantastic Ferniture, with whom she released the debut single "Fuckin 'n' Rollin" and a self-titled album in 2018, followed by subsequent singles.
Danzal James Baker, known professionally as Baker Boy, is a Yolngu rapper, dancer, artist, and actor. Baker Boy is known for performing original hip-hop songs incorporating both English and Yolŋu Matha and is one of the most prominent Aboriginal Australian rappers.
The Vampires are an Australian world roots jazz group comprising saxophonist Jeremy Rose, trumpeter Nick Garbett, drummer Alex Masso, and bassist Mike Majkowski.
Sampa Tembo, known professionally as Sampa the Great, is a Zambian singer, rapper and songwriter. Between 2014 and 2020, she was based in Australia. Her debut solo album, The Return, peaked at No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019 she won Best Hip Hop Release for her second single, "Final Form". In the following year she won the same category for The Return, as well as Best Female Artist and Best Independent Release. In March 2020 Sampa became the first artist to win the Australian Music Prize twice: for Birds and the Bee9 and The Return. The artist was based back in Zambia from late 2020, where she issued her second studio album, As Above, So Below.
Amyl and the Sniffers are an Australian pub rock and punk rock band based in Melbourne, consisting of vocalist Amy Taylor ("Amyl"), drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Declan Mehrtens, and bassist Gus Romer. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2019. It was followed by Comfort to Me and Cartoon Darkness, in 2021 and 2024, respectively.
RVG are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 2015. The band's current line-up is composed of Romy Vager on vocals and lead guitar, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Reuben Bloxham, bassist Isabele Wallace and drummer Marc Nolte. Original bassist Angus Bell was part of the band from its inception until 2019, being replaced briefly by Siahn Davis before Wallace joined as a permanent fixture later that year.
Ainslie Wills is an Australian singer-songwriter.
Tasman Keith is an Australian rapper and singer-songwriter.
Liz Stringer is an Australian singer-songwriter, based in Melbourne, Victoria. As of April 2021, Stringer has released six studio albums, a live album and two extended plays. Since 2013 she has released with Mia Dyson and Jen Cloher music under the name Dyson Stringer Cloher.
Martha Marlow, is an Australian singer, songwriter, artist and musician. Marlow's debut studio album, Medicine Man was released in May 2021 and received a nomination for Best Blues and Roots Album at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards.
King Stingray is an Australian rock band from Northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. With a sound self-described as "Yolŋu surf rock", the band perform songs with lyrics in both English and Yolŋu Matha. King Stingray released their debut single, "Hey Wanhaka", in October 2020, and their self-titled debut album on 5 August 2022.
1300 (pronounced "one three hundred" are an Australian 5-piece hip-hop group from West Sydney.