After two rough years for music across the state, Victorian acts, festivals and venues now have twelve more trophy shaped reasons to celebrate. The Music Victoria Awards are officially announcing nominees for all ‘Public Voting Categories’ in 2022, and punters across Australia’s home of live music can weigh in on who the most deserving acts and music locations are.
Voting for all twelve public categories officially opens today, with Victorians strongly encouraged to head to the Music Victoria Awards website (HERE), cast their votes and support the diverse and talented pool of artists that live and create in Victoria, before voting closes at 5pm, Monday 21 November.
Nominees have been selected by more than 200 acclaimed music judges, who cover a wide spectrum of the Victorian music scene, including radio, plus music industry experts from key stakeholders, peak bodies, print and online media, music podcasts, leading cultural organisations and music festivals. The 2022 nominees represent one of the strongest years on record!
In 2022, Victoria’s beloved Hip Hop extraordinaire Baker Boy is nominated for the prestigious ‘Best Album Award’ for his work on debut record ‘Gela’. Joining Baker Boy in the ‘Best Album Award’ category is multi-nominated artist Harvey Sutherland for his record ‘Boy’, beatnik-jazz outfit JAZZPARTY for their album ‘Nobody Gets Away’, award winning artist Kerryn Fields for her fearless new LP ‘Water’ and Zimbabwean-born, Melbourne based soul singer thndo (FKA Thando) for her incredible record ‘Life In Colour’.
Backing up his nomination for ‘Best Album Award’, Baker Boy has also scored himself a slot in the ‘Best Song Award’ category alongside fellow nominees Courtney Barnett, Black Cab, GUTHRIE and Julia Jacklin.
The ever-important ‘Best Solo Artist’ category welcomes back Baker Boy for his third nomination, as well as Julia Jacklin and Kerryn Fields for their second nods, Melbourne producer, vocalist, and performer IJALE and ARIA Award-nominated artist Mo’Ju.
Camp Cope, Dorsal Fins, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, Ramona Sky and Telenova will all be going head to head in the category for ‘Best Group’, as Alice Skye, DEAD, Bones and Jones, Jess Parker and three-time nominee Baker Boy duke it out in the ‘Best Regional Act’ category.
In 2022, the awards will cover a bigger footprint than ever before, with the award for ‘Best Festival’ now splitting out into ‘Best Metro Festival’ and ‘Best Regional Festival’, spreading even more of the festive spirit across the state and celebrating the important events happening in Victoria’s vibrant regions.
Brunswick Music Festival, Melbourne Music Week, Reunion Park, Peninsula Summer Music Festival and acclaimed arts & music festival RISING have been named as Victoria’s favourite metro events, while CresFest, Meadow in Bambra, OK Motels in Charlton, Port Fairy Folk Festival and Riverboats Music Festival in Echuca-Moama have all scored nominations for the best events taking place beyond the city limits, in the ‘Best Regional Festival’ category.
Despite Melbourne hosting countless world-class live music venues across the city, only five nominees could be selected for both ‘Best Small Venue (Metro)’ and ‘Best Large Venue (Metro)’; in 2022, beloved venues Brunswick Ballroom, Northcote Social Club, Shotkickers, The Gasometer Hotel and The Jazzlab will be in the running to pick up the award for ‘Best Small Venue (Metro)’, cementing themselves as the prime venue for seeing live music with less than 500 people.
Forum Melbourne, Melbourne Recital Centre, Palais Theatre, Sidney Myer Music Bowl and The Night Cat have all scored nominations for ‘Best Large Venue (Metro)’, with the public now encouraged to have their say on the premiere Melbourne destination for shows with more than 500 punters.
This year’s event also welcomes a brand new category for ‘Best DJ’, providing an even bigger platform for the electronic and dance music communities in Victoria and highlighting one of the state’s biggest music scenes. In the categories debut year, ‘Best DJ’ includes Toronto-born Australian-resident Jennifer Loveless, pop-electronic act Memphis LK, Melbourne-based DJ, event curator and radio broadcaster MzRizk, Melbourne producer Reptant and one third of both Wax’o Paradiso and ¿Club D’érange? Simon TK.
In 2022, the awards for ‘Best Regional Venue/Presenter’ are split into two separate and equally important categories; established venues and venues with less than 50 gigs a year.
Caravan Music Club in Archies Creek, Palais Hepburn, The Barwon Club Hotel in Geelong, The Taproom – Shedshaker Brewing in Castlemaine and Theatre Royal Castlemaine have all scored nominations for the ‘established’ category, as Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute – Minerva, Daylesford Hotel, A69, Golden Vine Hotel in Bendigo, Hotel Warrnambool and Music on the Hill (MOTH) – Mornington Peninsula will be vying for the award for venues with less than 50 shows per year.
The long list of nominees for public voting now joins the previously announced list of ‘Industry Nominations’, which includes everyone from Confidence Man, Alice Ivy, Evelyn Ida Morris and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard to Carissa Nyalu, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Ajak Kwai.
“Public voting is certainly the most electrifying part of the Awards – where no-one knows who will win until all the votes are in. Make sure you have your say and VOTE FOR MUSIC!” said Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel.
“Massive congratulations to all the nominees – I really hope that this helps all of us to recognise their true value and contribution to the music ecology, that makes Victoria great. Many Victorian communities have been badly impacted by flooding of late, so it’s extra nice to find reasons like this one to celebrate, and ultimately help those impacted to rise again.”
Music fans across Victoria are encouraged to head to the official website and get their votes in before 5:00 pm AEDT on Monday 21 November, 2022.
To get your vote in and support Victorian music, please head to:
THE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS 2022
– PUBLIC-VOTED CATEGORY NOMINEES –
Best Album:
Baker Boy – Gela
Harvey Sutherland – Boy
JAZZPARTY – Nobody Gets Away
Kerryn Fields – Water
thndo – Life In Colour
Best Song:
Baker Boy – Survive
Black Cab – Rotsler’s Rules
Courtney Barnett – Rae Street
GUTHRIE – Dickhead Song
Julia Jacklin – Lydia Wears A Cross
Best Group:
Camp Cope
Dorsal Fins
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks
Ramona Sky
Telenova
Best Solo Artist:
Baker Boy
IJALE
Julia Jacklin
Kerryn Fields
Mo’Ju
Best DJ:
Jennifer Loveless
Memphis LK
MzRizk
Reptant
Simon TK
Best Regional Act:
Alice Skye
Baker Boy
Bones and Jones
DEAD
Jess Parker
Best Metro Festival:
Brunswick Music Festival (Wurundjeri)
Melbourne Music Week (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
Peninsula Summer Music Festival (Boonwurrung)
Reunion Park (Wurundjeri)
RISING (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
Best Regional Festival:
CresFest in Creswick (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Meadow in Bambra (Gulidjan, Gadubanud and Wadawurrung)
OK Motels in Charlton (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Port Fairy Folk Festival (Gunditjmara)
Riverboats Music Festival in Echuca-Moama (Yorta Yorta)
Best Large Venue (Metro):
Forum Melbourne (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
Melbourne Recital Centre (Wurundjeri)
Palais Theatre (Boonwurrung)
Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Wurundjeri)
The Night Cat (Wurundjeri)
Best Small (Metro):
Brunswick Ballroom (Wurundjeri)
Northcote Social Club (Wurundjeri)
Shotkickers – Thornbury (Wurundjeri)
The Gasometer Hotel – Collingwood (Wurundjeri)
The Jazzlab – Brunswick (Wurundjeri)
Best Regional Venue/Presenter (Established)
Caravan Music Club in Archies Creek (Boonwurrung)
Palais Hepburn (Dja Dja Wurrung)
The Barwon Club Hotel in Geelong (Wadawurrung)
The Taproom – Shedshaker Brewing in Castlemaine (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Theatre Royal Castlemaine (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Best Regional Venue / Presenter
(Under 50 Gigs Per Year)
Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute – Minerva (Wadawurrung)
Daylesford Hotel (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Golden Vine Hotel – Bendigo (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Hotel Warrnambool (Peek Whurrong)
Music on the Hill (MOTH) – Mornington Peninsula (Boonwurrung)