Indigenous Music Awards Attacked Over Album Snub

The National Indigenous Music Awards have come under attack from one of the scene’s most respected labels following the nominations today.

Mark Grose of Skinnyfish Music, the record label home to Gurrumul, Dewayne Everettsmith and others, is miffed that Tom E Lewis’ Beneath The Sun, released by them, missed out on nominations, tweeting his discontent and asking on Gurrumul’s Facebook page “Where’s Tom’s music?”.

Lewis, a renowned actor (The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith) and musician since the late ‘70s, released the album in February this year. The cover art was nominated for a NIMA, but the album doesn't appear anywhere else.

“I was a little shocked at the complete absence of any music from Tom E Lewis,” Grose told theMusic.com.au today. “We put forward over 20 nominations for the NIMAs, I certainly wasn’t expecting everything we nominated would get to the final list but after the reviews and the industry talk about Beneath The Sun I was confident it would get some nominations.”

“When it didn’t I was stunned,” he added. “There were some other issues with the nominations that have nothing to do Skinnyfish but which indicates to me that the NIMAs are out of sync with the broader Indigenous music world… I feel someone has to speak up for Tom I feel very strongly about Beneath The Sun as an amazing album.”

"When it [wasn't nominated] I was stunned."

He added, “[Skinnyfish] do have some nominations in the awards and surprisingly there are two Gurrumul albums nominated which are really just rearrangements of his old songs, I would not have chosen two Gurrumul albums at the expense of Beneath The Sun.”

Originally an awards ceremony for the Northern Territory, 2014 marks the third year of the awards going national – an expansion that has taken place under the guidance of MusicNT’s Executive Director Mark Smith. Grose said that having helped set up the awards originally with former CAAMA Music CEO Gillian but is concerned at the current direction.

Smith told theMusic.com.au today, “The judging panel comprises reputable, high level figures from across the Australian Music Industry and we are confident in their ability and passion for celebrating Indigenous music. Tom E Lewis has produced a great album and it’s indicative of the growing success of the Indigenous music industry that this year’s awards are so highly competitive.”

Grose said he was also surprised at the placement of Victorian rapper Briggs.

“Putting Briggs into Best Emerging Artists shows me that no one at the NIMAs knows who Briggs is or what he has done. I am sure Briggs would feel a little miffed at being called an emerging artist.”

"We are confident that [the awards] are relevant and equitable."

Smith tells theMusic that, “Briggs has carved a strong path in the indigenous hip hop scene and his forthcoming album will only confirm his place as an exciting act in the national scene following alongside The Medics and Thelma Plum, both previous finalists for New Talent of the Year.

"The criteria for the awards were developed in consultation with industry including Skinnyfish music and we are confident that they are relevant and equitable.”

But Grose wants the whole awards process to be more transparent.

“I don’t think there is an aspect of the indigenous music overlooked [but] I think that the NIMA’s need to be more transparent. What is the selection criteria for best album and best song? The intention of the awards was always to have the nominations judged by music industry people but no one knows who the judges are what’s the shortlisting process.”

“It seems that the shortlisting process has gone for the Best Known artists and maybe not The Best. I maybe wrong in my criticism of the NIMAs but without greater transparency that is all I have to go on… I fully understand that my views may be construed as sour grapes but I have to support an artist and a release I fully believe in, I am making no comments about the other albums and songs by other artists we nominated that did not get selected. The non selection of Tom’s album indicates to me there is something wrong with the process.”

See the full list of nominations here