The South Australian music community has united to celebrate the industry’s finest, and the outcomes of this year’s awards are nothing short of extraordinary.
Leading the pack with multiple awards is DEM MOB, the First Nations Hip Hop group hailing from the APY lands. Their year-long accomplishments have earned them five awards, including the prestigious Emily Burrows Award, which includes a $5,000 grant for professional development. They also clinched the titles of Best Regional Artist, Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Artist, and secured the Best Hip Hop award in the People’s Choice category.
In addition to their musical accolades, the group was honoured with the Best Music Educator award for their ‘Kurunpa Kunpuntjaku’ program. This initiative sees DEM MOB spearheading music programs and initiatives in the APY LANDS and Ceduna to engage young First Nations students in the curriculum using music as a culturally responsive pedagogy. They’ve also collaborated with the SA Department of Education on policy development for future alternative pathways.
On winning five awards DEM MOB said:
“We feel blessed and overwhelmed with the response at the South Australian Music Awards and it drives us to continue developing a sustainable educational program and live musical career.
“The time we were spent in the APY Lands allowed us to hone and develop our craft, vision and the platform for the Kurunpa Kunpuntjaku program. The Awards also enable us to shine a spotlight on the opportunities offered to regional communities and artists.”
DEM MOB at the 2023 South Australian Music Awards
Taking home two awards were The Empty Threats, who were crowned Best New Artis and won Best Song for their hauntingly beautiful track Evil Eye. Slowmango also received two awards with their latest release, “Hypercolour Miscellaneous” earnt the title of Best Release, while Kaspar Schmidt Mumm & The Bait Fridge snagged the award for Best Cover Art on the album.
The Neville Clark Award, named after Disk Edits founder and sound engineer Neville Clark, recognised outstanding sound engineering students from TAFE and SAE. This year, the awards went to SAE student Jase Ess and TAFE student Todd Pergallini.
Meanwhile, Adam Page’s global collaboration earned him the title of Best International Collaboration, courtesy of UNESCO, and Rachel Whitford was recognised as South Australia’s Best Manager.
On the live music front, the iconic Crown & Anchor has been crowned this year’s Best Live Music Venue, while the Adelaide Guitar Festival – On the Road 2023 secured the title of Best Regional Live Music Venue or Live Music Activation, and Nathan D’Agostino’s live expertise earned him the title of Best Live Technician.
Celebrating the growth and vibrancy of music festivals in South Australia, the Some Shine Festival was awarded the Best Small Music Festival or Event, while festival newcomer Vintage Vibes Festival resonated with audiences as it took home the Best Major Music Festival or Event for its inaugural festival.
Other noteworthy mentions include Girls Rock! being awarded the Community Achievement Award, and Wundenbergs took home the title of Best Studio. In the realm of visuals, Conor Mercury Movies clinched the Best Music Video award for the evocative film clip for Carla Geneve’d Bill’s. Solo artist Alana Jagt won the Best Solo Artist category, and Bad//Dreems emerged as the Best Group.
MusicSA CEO Christine Schloithe that this year’s awards were a great success.
“This year’s SA Music Awards have been fiercely contested with some categories literally decided by one or two votes. We’ve seen record voting numbers in the People’s Choice categories and a groundswell of industry respect and support or everyone who entered into the awards process. We celebrate the award winners and congratulate all nominees – the bar was set very high this year!”
South Australian Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP said the Malinauskas Government is proud to celebrate another successful year of South Australian music.
“Congratulations to the talented 2023 SA Music Awards winners and finalists,” she said. “Everyone of you has made an important contribution to our state and deserves to be recognised and celebrated. “As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music, the Malinauskas Government is committed to supporting our state’s incredible musicians and growing the South Australian music sector for the future.”
The 2023 SouthAustralian Music Awards are being hailed as a resounding success, with 30 artists, industry professional, festival and venues taking home an ward. Additionally, Australian music icon Paul Kelly was inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame, and the audience was treated to a live rendition of the 1974 track ‘The Streets of Forbes’, plus a new song, never played live before the SA Music Awards ‘Going Down The River With Dad’. The 2023 South Australian Music Awards also featured performances by aleksiah, The Empty Threats, Carla Lippis + The Mondo Psycho, and singer-songwriter Nathan May.
www.southaustralianmusicawards.com.au
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC AWARD WINNERS:
SPECIAL AWARDS
NEVILLECLARK AWARD
Winner: Todd Pergallini
Winner: Jase Ess
EMILY BURROWS AWARD
Presenting Partner: APRA AMCOS
Winner: DEM MOB
BEST INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
Presenting Partner: UNESCO
Winner: Adam Page
COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Presenting Partner: MusicSA
Winner: GirlsRock! Adelaide
MAJOR AWARDS
BEST NEW ARTIST
Presenting Partner: WOMADelaide
Winner: The Empty Threats
BEST REGIONAL ARTIST
Presenting Partner: Good Music Month
Winner: DEM MOB
BEST ABORIGINAL OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST
Presenting Partner: Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music
Winner: DEM MOB
BEST SOLO ARTIST
Presenting Partner: Scenestr
Winner: Alana Jagt
BEST SONG
Presenting partner: Wonderlick
Winner: The Empty Threats
Work: Evil Eye
BEST RELEASE
Presenting Partner: Hindley Street Music Hall
Winner: Slowmango
Work: Hypercolour Miscellaneous
BEST GROUP
Presenting Partner: Moshtix
Winner:Bad//Dreems
INDUSTRY AWARDS
BEST MANAGER
PresentingPartner: Eckermann Lawyers
Winner: Rachel Whitford
BEST REGIONAL LIVE MUSIC VENUE OR LIVE MUSIC ACTIVATION
Presenting Partner: AHA (SA)
Winner: Adelaide Guitar Festival – On the Road 2023
BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE
Presenting Partner: AHA (SA)
Winner: Crown & Anchor
BEST STUDIO
Presenting Partner: Flinders University
Winner: Wundenbergs
BEST COVER ART
Presenting Partner: Version Design
Winner: Kaspar Schmidt Mumm & The Bait Fridge
Work: Hypercolour Miscellaneous by Slowmango
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Presenting Partner: JC Decaux
Winner: Conor Mercury Movies
Work: Bill’s by Carla Geneve
BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR
Winner: SAMii
Work: DEM MOB’s Kurunpa Kunpuntjaku
BEST STUDIO ENGINEER/PRODUCER
Presenting Partner: Novatech Creative Event Technologies
Winner: Lewis Wundenberg
BEST LIVE TECHNICIAN
Presenting Partner: Adelaide Backline & Production Hire
Winner: Nathan D’Agostino
BEST SMALL MUSIC FESTIVAL OR EVENT
Presenting Partner: White Marquee
Winner: Some Shine Festival
BEST MAJOR MUSIC FESTIVAL OR EVENT
Presenting Partner: Insurance Advisement Australia
Winner: Vintage Vibes Festival
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
MOST POPULAR BLUES & ROOTS
Presenting Partner: Adelaide West End Association
Winner: Dojo Rise
MOST POPULAR COUNTRY
Winner: Mark Curtis and the Flannelettes
MOST POPULAR ELECTRONIC
Presenting Partner: Thebarton Theatre
Winner: Electric Fields
MOST POPULAR EXPERIMENTAL OR ART MUSIC
Presenting Partner: Crown & Anchor
Winner: SONS OF ZÖKU
MOST POPULAR FOLK
Winner: Ukulele Death Squad
MOST POPULAR HEAVY
Presenting Partner: Derringers Music
Winner: Stabbitha and the Knifey Wifeys
MOST POPULAR HIP HOP
Presenting Partner: The Gov
Winner: DEM MOB
MOST POPULAR JAZZ
Presenting Partner: Helpmann Academy
Winner: 5 SIDEDCUBE
MOST POPULAR POP
Presenting Partner: Alpha Box & Dice
Winner: The Tullamarines
MOST POPULAR PUNK
Presenting Partner: Three D Radio
Winner: Teenage Joans
MOST POPULAR ROCK
Presenting Partner: UniBar ADL
Winner: Mums Favourite
MOST POPULAR SOUL, FUNK OR RNB
Presenting Partner: Woodville Town Hall
Winner: Mum Thinks Blue
