Courtney Barnett, Gurrumul, The Presets & More Shortlisted For Aus Music Prize

Regarded as some of last year’s most important local releases, nine albums have officially been selected for 2018 Australian Music Prize shortlist.

The likes of Courtney Barnett, Gurrumul and The Presets are up for the prestigious award and accompanying $30,000 prize, with the winner unveiled on March 7 at a Melbourne ceremony.

The 2018 Australian Music Prize Shortlist

Abbe May - Fruit

Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel

Dead Can Dance - Dionysus

Grand Salvo - Sea Glass

Gurrumul - Djarimirri

Laura Jean - Devotion

The Presets - Hi Viz

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs

Sam Anning - Across A Field As Vast As One

“On behalf of PPCA, I would like to congratulate the nine artists that have made it through to the shortlist of the 14th Australian Music Prize,” PPCA Chief Executive Dan Rosen said.

“All of them have produced remarkable albums. We look forward to presenting the winner with their $30,000 prize money in March.”

Judge Bernard Zuel added: “Looking at the shortlist as a judge, what's thrilling isn't just that there were more than 400 albums from which to choose and somehow we got it down to nine, but that the best of 2018 had such breadth as well as depth. 

“From neo-classical intersecting with traditional indigenous and a record which captured the sounds of the world as heard through Australian ears to electronica with a hard edge, jazz and rock, there was so much to sink teeth into. How good is it that artists still see what an album can do?”

The shortlist was narrowed down from an 85-album longlist and has been described as “perhaps the most eclectic list in the Australian Music Prize’s 14 year history".

Previous winners include AB Original, Courtney Barnett, Sampa The Great and more.