Shining a spotlight on the best independent music Australia has to offer, the 2018 AIR Awards have seen Jen Cloher, Baker Boy, PNAU and more win big.
This year’s event – taking place in Adelaide for the second time – saw Cloher take out Best Independent Artist following the release of her 2017 album, while her label, Milk! Records, picked up Best Independent Label, and PNAU claimed two awards.
After a powerful performance on the night, Baker Boy was awarded Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year, while rising Melbourne star Alex Lahey picked up Best Independent Single for Every Day’s The Weekend and, in an AIR Awards first, Methyl Ethel’s Everything Is Forgotten and The Jungle Giants’ Quiet Ferocity album tied in the Best Independent Album or EP category.
The night also saw performances from Alex The Astronaut, Stella Donnelly and more before Skinnyfish Music was honoured with AIR’s new Outstanding Achievement Award and Caiti Baker closed the event with I Won’t Sleep.
“It was great to celebrate the success of the Australian Independent music sector at the 2018 AIR Awards in Adelaide last night,” AIR GM Maria Amato said.
THE 2018 AIR AWARDS WINNERS:
BEST INDEPENDENT LABEL
Milk! Records
BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY PPCA
Baker Boy (Independent)
BEST INDEPENDENT ARTIST
Jen Cloher (Milk! Records)
BEST INDEPENDENT SINGLE
Every Day’s The Weekend - Alex Lahey (Nicky Boy Records)
BEST INDEPENDENT ALBUM OR EP
Everything Is Forgotten - Methyl Ethel (Dot Dash Recordings) AND Quiet Ferocity - The Jungle Giants (Amplifire Music)
BEST INDEPENDENT HARD ROCK, HEAVY OR PUNK ALBUM
Murder Of The Universe - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Flightless Records)
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE
Go Bang – PNAU (Etc Etc)
BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM
Changa – PNAU (Etc Etc)
BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM
Train Of Thought – BIRDZ (Bad Apples Music)
BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM
When We Fall – All Our Exes Live In Texas (ABC Music)
BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM
Real Class Act – Fanny Lumsden (Red Dirt Road Records)
BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM
The Great American Songbook – James Morrison/BBC Concert Orchestra (ABC Classics)
BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM
Jonny Greenwood – Australian Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tognetti (ABC Classics)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Skinnyfish Music
20.09.18
Red Rattler, Marrickville
26.09.18
Cultural Forecourt, South Brisbane
27.09.18
The Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
28.09.18
The Aardvark, Fremantle
04.10.18
The Melba Spiegeltent, Collingwood
05.10.18
The Melba Spiegeltent, Collingwood
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