Hundreds of Award nominations flowed in from music lovers and the music industry across Victoria during the Music Victoria Awards nomination period in July. These shortlists are an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the hard work of Victoria's music community during one of the industry's toughest times in history.
As part of Music Victoria's commitment to continual improvement, we have refined our 2021 awards criteria, categories and judging processes which we believe will more accurately reflect and reward the diverse music community in Victoria. This year, we also introduced the inaugural Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award. The long-overdue Award was established to shine a light on and recognise the contributions made by Deaf and Disabled musicians in the past 12 months.
Another change to the Music Victoria Awards 2021 is the inclusion of live streaming activity in the Venues, Festivals and Best Live Act categories in the eligible time period.
Congratulations to all the entrants shortlisted below. We will be announcing the nominees for the Industry Awards in late September, and all other category nominees will be announced on 7 October. Subscribe to our Industry Newsletter to stay up-to-date.
BEST PRODUCER
Alice Ivy
Anna Laverty
Becki Whitton
Eilish Gilligan
Mo•Louie
OK EG
Paul Maybury
River Boy
Tash Sultana
Tom Iansek
Prize: $2,000 cash grant and Music Market co-work package from VMDO plus a $1000 voucher to spend on Yamaha gear
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN MUSIC
Andrea Keller
Ayesha Mehta
Charlotte Abroms
Cherie Warwick
Emily Ulman
Emma Donovan
Mindy Meng Wang 王萌
Sarah Blaby
XANI
Prize: $3,500 cash grant from City of Melbourne
BEST FESTIVAL
Brunswick Music Festival
Come Together Music & Arts Festival
Gippsland Country Music Festival
Inward Goods Festival
Isol-Aid
MMW-Extended
MPavilion 2020
OK Motels
Rock Around The Block
The Secret Garden Gig Gathering
Prize: one-year subscription to festival management software loadin.com
BEST VENUE UNDER 500 CAP
The Bandwagon, no fixed address
Brunswick Ballroom, Brunswick
Cafe Gummo, Thornbury
Colour Club, Carlton
The Jazzlab, Brunswick
LOOP Project Space & Bar, Melbourne
The Night Cat, Fitzroy
Northcote Social Club, Northcote
The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
The Substation, Newport
Prize: tinnies from Brick Lane Brewing
BEST VENUE OVER 500 CAP
Corner Hotel
Forum Melbourne
Hamer Hall
Lighthouse Theatre Warrnambool
Melbourne Recital Centre - Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Torquay Hotel, Torquay
Prize: tinnies from Brick Lane Brewing
BEST REGIONAL/OUTER SUBURBAN VENUE UNDER 50 GIGS/yr
The Dart and Marlin, Warrnambool
Halls Gap Hotel, Halls Gap
The Macedon Railway Hotel, Macedon
The Main Bar, Ballarat
Major Tom's, Kyneton
New Hall, Point Lonsdale
Northern Republic, Euroa
The Sound Doctor Presents, Anglesea
Tom Katz! @ Sorrento Portsea RSL, Sorrento
Vine Hotel, Wangaratta
Prize: $3,000 cash from Bendigo Bank
BEST REGIONAL/OUTER SUBURBAN VENUE OVER 50 GIGS/yr
Arcobar, Heatherton
The Barwon Club Hotel, South Geelong
The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine
Caravan Music Club at Archies Creek Hotel, Archies Creek
The Eastern, Ballarat
Peninsula Hot Springs, Fingal
Piano Bar, Geelong
Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Volta, Ballarat
Prize: $3,000 cash from Bendigo Bank
PUBLIC-VOTED AWARDS
BEST ALBUM
Alex Albrecht - Campfire Stories
Alice Ivy - Don't Sleep
The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover
Gordon Koang – Unity
Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000
Kylie Auldist - This is What Happiness Looks Like
Maple Glider - To Enjoy is the Only thing
Surprise Chef - Daylight Savings
BEST GROUP
The Avalanches
Cry Club
Emma Donovan and The Putbacks
Hiatus Kaiyote
HTRK
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
KLLO
Mildlife
Mindy Meng Wang X Tim Shiel
Tropical Fuck Storm
Prize: $2,000 voucher to spend on Yamaha gear
BEST SONG
Alex Lahey & Gordi - Dino's
Alice Skye – Party Tricks
Allara - Rekindled Systems
Avalanches - Wherever We Go
Geoffrey O'Connor & Jonnine - For As Long As I Can Remember
Hiatus Kaiyote - Red Room
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Shanghai
Kylie Auldist - All Mine
Maple Glider - Good Thing
Mia Wray - Work For Me
BEST SOLO ARTIST
Alex Lahey
Alexander Biggs
Alice Ivy
Alice Skye
Andrea Keller
Archie Roach
Ashwarya
Baker Boy
Blake Scott
Ex-Olympian
G Flip
Gordon Koang
June Jones
Kylie Auldist
Liz Stringer
Maple Glider
Mia Wray
Sampa the Great
Sarah Mary Chadwick
Tones and I
Prize: $1,000 voucher to spend on Yamaha gear
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Ashwarya
Blake Scott
Cry Club
Ex-Olympian
Hachiku
Izy
Maple Glider
Mindy Meng Wang
SaD
SHOUSE
Prize: rehearsal package from Bakehouse Studios
BEST MUSICIAN
Adam Halliwell (Mildlife)
Amanda Roff (Time For Dreams, Harmony)
Ambrose Kenny-Smith (The Murlocs, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard)
Andrea Keller
Briggs
Dannika Horvat (Dannika)
Davey Lane (Solo, You Am I)
Emma Donovan
Erica Dunn (Tropical Fuck Storm, MOD CON)
Errol Green (E. Bobby G, Big Yawn)
G-Flip
Gareth Liddiard (Tropical Fuck Storm)
Joanna Syme (Big Scary)
Jonnine Standish (Jonnine, HTRK)
Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos)
Liam Halliwell (Snowy Band, Lachlan, Pop Filter, and Snowy)
Mindy Meng Wang
Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote)
Simon Mavin (Hiatus Kaiyote)
Stu Mackenzie (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard)
Prize: $1,000 voucher to spend on Yamaha gear
BEST LIVE ACT
Amyl and The Sniffers
Cable Ties
Cash Savage & The Last Drinks
Emma Donovan and the Putbacks
Kee'ahn
Maple Glider
Mildlife
RVG
Sui Zhen
The Teskey Brothers
INDUSTRY-VOTED AWARDS
BEST BLUES ACT
Aaron Pollock
Anna Scionti
Blues Roulette
Dan Dinnen & Shorty
Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald
Julian James
Mike Elrington
Nick Charles
Paul Buchanan's Voodoo Preachers
Rambal
BEST COUNTRY ACT
Ben Mastwyk & His Millions
Georgia State Line
Gretta Ziller
The High Heaven
James Ellis and the Jealous Guys
Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes
The Long and Short of It
The Luke Sinclair Set
Van Walker
The Weeping Willows
BEST ELECTRONIC ACT
Alex Albrecht
Female Wizard
Jennifer Loveless
KiTA
Kuya Neil
OK EG
RBI
Reptant
SaD
Y-L Hooi
BEST EXPERIMENTAL/AVANT GARDE ACT
Aarti Jadu
Ai Yamamoto
candlesnuffer
Chris Smith
Deborah Cheetham, Byron Scullin, Tom Supple
Emily Bennett
Lisa Lerkenfeldt
Muddy Lawrence
Red Wine and Sugar
Thembi Soddell
BEST FOLK ACT
Charm of Finches
The Cornerhouse Band
Erica Bramham
Kerryn Fields
Kimberley Wheeler's Roadside Holiday
Lucy Wise
The Maes
Maple Glider
Neil Adam
Tulliah
BEST HEAVY ACT
Acolyte
Dead
Divide and Dissolve
Dr. Colossus
FACELESS BURIAL
Growth
Myridian
NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER
Pridelands
SUNDR
BEST HIP HOP ACT
Agung Mango
Baker Boy
Birdz
Briggs
DRMNGNOW
Jordan Dennis
Kwasi
Man Made Mountain
Pookie
Yung Shōgun
BEST INTERCULTURAL ACT
Abe Dunovits
Ajak Kwai
Amaru Tribe
Ausecuma Beats
Black Jesus Experience
Coco's Lunch
Gelareh Pour's Garden
Mademoiselle & Floyd Thursby
Ruth Roshan & Tango Noir
Tio
BEST JAZZ ACT
Adam Simmons & Jean Poole
Andrea Keller
Audrey Powne
Australian Art Orchestra
Menagerie
Minnie Big Band (Minnie Hill)
Nat Bartsch's Lullaby Quartet
Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky
The Rest Is Silence
The Rookies
BEST POP ACT
Alice Ivy
Alice Skye
Big Scary
Braille Face
Eggy
Geoffrey O'Connor
Gregor
Hachiku
Jess Locke
June Jones
BEST PUNK/ROCK ACT
The Black Heart Death Cult
Blake Scott
CIVIC
El Tee
Flyying Colours
MOD CON
Plaster of Paris
Pseudo Mind Hive
Riff Raiders
Tom Lyngcoln
BEST REGGAE AND DANCEHALL ACT
Crown Heights
Disun Future
Flames Eye
Jah Tung
JahWise Productions
King River Rising
Marvin Priest
Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Monkey Marc
Quashani Bahd
BEST SOUL RNB FUNK GOSPEL ACT
The Bamboos
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks
Emma Volard
That Gold Street Sound
Hiatus Kaiyote
Izy
Kee'ahn
KYE
Surprise Chef
The Teskey Brothers
ARCHIE ROACH AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT ACT
Alice Skye
Allara
Benny Clark
Bumpy
Chasing Ghosts
Izy
Madi Colville Walker
The Merindas
Rachael Lia
River Boy
Prize: $3,000 cash from the Archie Roach Foundation + rehearsal package from Bakehouse Studios
ARTS ACCESS VICTORIA AMPLIFY AWARD ACT
Artemis Munoz
Billy Exton
Eliza Hull
Gordon Koang
The Hackkets
Irene Zhong
Kerryn Fields
Nat Bartsch
Rudely Interrupted
Thembi Soddell
Prize: $3,000 cash from Arts Access Victoria + rehearsal package from Bakehouse Studios
BEST REGIONAL/OUTER SUBURBAN ACT
Baker Boy
Bones and Jones
D'Arcy Spiller
Fenn Wilson
Lucy Wise
Mike Elrington
Our Carlson
Paper Jane
The Teskey Brothers
Thembi Soddell
Prize: $3,000 cash from Bendigo Bank
