Violent Soho & Luke Daniel Peacock Win Big At 2016 Qld Music Awards

Beloved local rockers Violent Soho have emerged the big winners of the 2016 Queensland Music Awards, taking out the prize for Song Of The Year and the Rock Award for their recent single Like Soda.

Troubadour Luke Daniel Peacock also enjoyed hearty success at tonight's ceremony, presented by the Bank Of Queensland and Hutchinson Builders, as the winner of the Indigenous category and the $10,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship (supported by the Qld government, through Arts Queensland), while Brissy four-piece Blank Realm claimed Album Of The Year honours for celebrated full-length Illegals In Heaven.

"Time and again, the Queensland Music Awards prove that Queensland produces some of Australia's most talented and exciting musicians," QMusic executive officer Joel Edmonson said in a statement. "Although there can only be one winner in each category, the depth of talent that the QMAs have unearthed this year is staggering.

"The format consistently proves that opening the application process to the general public creates a space for unknown gems to shine. This year was also a great chance to create new ways of celebrating the commercial success of Queensland musicians around the world."

The evening was punctuated with performances from stellar local acts including closing performer Peacock as well as indie-psych heroes The Belligerents, Emily Wurramara (who was also nominated for the Indigenous award), Standby Empire, Balloons Kill Babies and Ayla, who picked up the Regional award for her celebrated cut Waiting.

The ascendant chanteuse was one of several musical women under the spotlight tonight, with the Schools category being taken out by up-and-coming act Doolie, the Country category going to Dana Hassall, and the Folk/Singer-Songwriter award being picked up by acclaimed musician Sahara Beck. LA-bound pop upstart Amy Shark — also among the list of performers this evening — picked up prize honours in the Pop category, from an all-female field of nominees.

There were a slew of new categories in the running at tonight's awards, too, with world-beating pop act Sheppard taking out the well-earned Export Achievement Award (via video from Stradbroke Island), rising crooner Jarryd James turning so many heads with his single Do You Remember as to (in absentia) pick up the award for Highest Selling Single, and veteran sibling act The Veronicas gained favour as the winners of Highest Selling Album, though they, too, were unable to attend.

Additionally, local acts Avabereé, Deena and Joe Agius (of The Creases) were showered with love from the general public, emerging as the winners of this year's Bank Of Queensland People's Choice Awards — each netting a handsome sum of cash for their troubles — while veteran music journalist Noel Mengel, a long-time fixture of The Courier-Mail (and proud flag-bearer for local music), walked away as this year's recipient of the Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The 2016 Queensland Music Awards were once again held at the Brisbane Powerhouse, hosted by comedian and radio DJ Gen Fricker. The annual prizegiving is made possible with key support from APRA/AMCOS and producers QMusic.

Prior to the event, we caught up with local musos George Browning (Velociraptor), Michael Richards (Violent Soho), Dan and Sarah Spencer (Blank Realm) and Ian Powne (The Stress Of Leisure) to talk awards, Qld music, hip hop and the apparently requisite pessimism about being a nominee. Check it out (in glorious 240p resolution!) below. Hey, that's live phone broadcasting for you.

See below for the full list of winners, and head to the event's website for a playlist of all winning songs.

2016 Queensland Music Awards: Winners List

Pop: Amy Shark — Golden Fleece (Amy Shark)

Rock: Violent Soho — Like Soda (Luke Boerdam, James Tidswell, Michael Richards, Luke Henery)

Electronic/Dance: Standby Empire — Tenderness (Tom Wensley, Nathan Morrison)

Blues/Roots: Bearfoot — Impolite (Asher Chapman, Rhys Fox, Sean Keenan, Damian Khoury, Rohan Nitschke, Sullivan Heywood)

Heavy: Caligula's Horse — Marigold (Samuel Vallen, James Grey, Zachary Greensill)

Jazz: Berardi/Foran/Karlen — Hope In My Pocket (Sean Foran, Rafael Karlen, Kristin Berardi)

Schools: Doolie — Pristine (Doolie)

Indigenous: Luke Daniel Peacock — Fruits Of Our Labour (Luke Daniel Peacock)

Urban: Astro Travellers — Move Actively (Ali Lakhani, Rui Da Cruz Vieira, Tiana Naug, Jessi Dunbar, Sam Maguire, Rohan Seekers)

Country: Dana Hassall — Spinning Wheels (Dana Hassall)

World: MZAZA — Nightwatch (Pauline Maudy, Stephen Cuttriss, Greta Kelly, Jordan Stamos, Chloe Ann Williamson, John Robertson)

Folk Singer/Songwriter: Sahara Beck — Mother Mother (Sahara Beck)

Children's Music: Carolyn Simpson/The Kangagang — Kangaroo Dance A Roo (Carolyn Simpson)

Regional: Ayla — Waiting (Ayla)

Music Video: Eves The Behavior — TV (Hannah Karydas, Adam Spark)

BOQ People's Choice — Most Promising Female Songwriter: Deena

BOQ People's Choice — Most Promising Male Songwriter: Joe Agius (The Creases)

BOQ People's Choice — Most Promising Songwriting Team: Avabereé

Album Of The Year: Blank Realm — Illegals In Heaven

Song Of The Year: Violent Soho — Like Soda

Billy Thorpe Scholarship Award: Luke Daniel Peacock

Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement Award: Noel Mengel