It’s time to roll out the red carpet, steam-cleaned and covid-safe of course! The Music Victoria Awards return in 2021 with submissions now open for the 17th annual instalment. Every year the Music Victoria Awards looks back on the incredible achievements of the Victorian music community over the previous 12 months, and despite 2020 being one of the toughest years the sector has ever seen, there is still plenty to celebrate.
A lot has happened since last year’s Awards, and Music Victoria would like to announce some new changes that come into effect this year. Firstly, the board would like to thank Awards founder and former CEO, Patrick Donovan for his outstanding work growing the Awards over the past 16 years, and welcome Music Victoria’s new CEO, Simone Schinkel to the role. A professional arts leader, Simone brings with her a celebrated reputation for strategic sector development, and a commitment to equity and justice, and she looks forward to celebrating with the local music community at her debut Music Victoria Awards this November.
“I’ve really tried to spend my early days in the role listening to the industry and I am delighted to introduce some changes in 2021, based on what I have been hearing. As part of our commitment to continual improvement we have refined our Awards criteria, categories and judging processes which we believe will more accurately reflect and reward the diverse music community in Victoria. A Music Victoria Award nomination results in increased promotion, recognition and attention on your music, career, venue or festival – we encourage our members to get involved.”
– Simone Schinkel, Music Victoria CEO
In 2021 Music Victoria will debut a brand new category for Best Pop Act, and Industry-voted genre categories will also be simplified to make them uniform. To address the changing nature of the way music is released and consumed, all genre categories will now be assessed on the Act rather than Album, with the requirement that nominees have released at least multiple recordings in the eligible time period.
To nominate you simply need to have an active paid membership of Music Victoria.
Each paid membership (starting at $77 or $33 concession) allows one nomination per team member, with higher-tiered memberships able to submit multiple nominations (as they have more team members associated with their membership fee).
Submissions for the 2021 Music Victoria Awards are now open until midnight Tuesday 20 July, so be sure to head to the Music Victoria website to sign up as a paid member if you aren’t already and make your submission today.
The categories open for self-submission are:
Music Victoria Industry Awards
Best Producer
Outstanding Woman In Music
Best Festival
Best Venue (under 500 capacity)
Best Venue (over 500 capacity)
Best Regional and Outer Suburban Venue (under 50 gigs per year)
Best Regional and Outer Suburban Venue (over 50 gigs per year)
Plus
Music Victoria Awards
Best Blues Act
Best Country Act
Best Electronic Act
Best Experimental or Avant-Garde Act
Best Folk Act
Best Heavy Act
Best Hip Hop Act
Best Intercultural (previously Global) Act
Best Jazz Act
Best Pop Act
Best Reggae and Dancehall Act
Best Rock/Punk Act
Best Soul, Funk, R’n’B or Gospel Act
Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent (for First Nations acts)
and
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act
The remaining categories (Best Band, Best Album, Best Song, Best Solo Artist, Best Musician, Best Breakthrough Act, Best Live Act) will be nominated by an expert industry panel and open to public voting in October. Last year’s inaugural Outstanding Woman in Music Award will once again be voted upon by the Music Victoria Board.
Eligibility Criteria
– For music categories – at least 50% of the act has been living in Victoria for the last two years, or uses Melbourne as a home base. If you are performing under a solo artist name, you must reside in Victoria to be eligible (residency of backing band is not considered).
– Must have created or produced multiple recordings released between 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021
– Ran a music festival or music venue in Victoria between 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021
For the Music Victoria Awards 2021, in light of the COVID-19 crisis, the Best Venue, Festival and Best Live Act categories include live streaming activity from Victorian venues, festivals and artists in the eligible time period.
Submissions are now open until midnight Tuesday 20 July
Shortlists will be published in September, with nominee announcements to follow soon after.
Members submit your entry or nomination via
www.musicvictoria.com.au/login/
Not a member, sign up here musicvictoria.com.au
Music Victoria thanks Major Partners Bendigo Bank, City Of Melbourne, Creative Victoria and Melbourne Recital Centre, and Event Partners Brick Lane, Channel 31 and Moshtix for their ongoing support of the Music Victoria Awards.