2023 AIR Independent Music Awards Nominees Revealed

The AIR Independent Music Awards has revealed its 2023 nominees. Featuring heavy-hitters like King Stingray, Ball Park Music, Julia Jacklin, Flume, Casey Barnes and many more, all the independent Australian artists you know and love are up for awards.

Like its previous editions, this year’s list of incredible Australian music celebrates and honours Australia's independent music sector.

Over 250 individual awards have been presented so far and for many winners and nominees, it has been their first industry recognition that has helped facilitate national and international attention. Some of the award-winning and nominated artists include Genesis Owusu, Courtney Barnett, Vance Joy, Sampa The Great, Amyl And The Sniffers, Sheppard, Tones And I, A.B Original, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, Violent Soho and more.

The 2023 AIR Awards will be held at the Freemasons Hall in Adelaide on Thursday, 3 August 2023. As well as the AIR Awards, the Indie-Con Australia conference will be held from Wednesday, 3 until Friday, 4 August 2023, at Mercury Cinema.

In addition to its numerous music-based awards, AIR has announced two new industry award categories – the Independent Marketing Team Of The Year and the Independent Publicity Team Of The Year awards. You can check out all the nominees below.

“The Malinauskas Government is proud to support the AIR Awards and Indie-Con Australia Conference in 2023," SA Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP said in a statement.

“It is fantastic to be hosting the awards here in Adelaide – Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music - and I congratulate all of the nominees.”

Michaels added, “It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience.”

2023 AIR AWARDS NOMINEES

BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM OR EP

BABY VELVET – Please Don’t Be In Love With Someone Else

DOPE LEMON – Rose Pink Cadillac

LITTLE QUIRKS – Call to Unknowns

WILLIAM CRIGHTON – Water and Dust

ZIGGY ALBERTS – Dancing In The Dark 

BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM OR EP 

ALLDAY – Excuse Me

DANTÉ KNOWS – Phase One

JESSWAR – LIFE’S SHORT, LIVE BIG

KWEEN G - Sensible Rebel

YAWDOESITALL - LIFE I CHOSE

BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM OR EP

ADAM BRAND – All or Nothing

ANDY GOLLEDGE - Strength Of A Queen

CASEY BARNES - Light It Up

FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK – The Real World

LYN BOWTELL - Wiser

BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM OR EP

BARNEY MCALL – Precious Energy

DONNY BENÉT – Le Piano

JEREMY ROSE – Face to Face

MILDLIFE – Live From South Channel Island

SURPRISE CHEF – Education & Recreation 

BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM OR EP

ENSEMBLE OFFSPRING - To Listen, To Sing – Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers

MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/BENJAMIN NORTHEY - Nigel Westlake: Blueback [Original Motion Picture Score]

MIRUSIA – Songbird

TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – Nightlight

WILLIAM BARTON/VERONIQUE SERRET – Heartland 

BEST INDEPENDENT CHILDREN’S ALBUM OR EP

EMILY WURRAMARA – Ayarra Emeba (Calm Songs)

EMMA MEMMA – Emma Memma

PLAY SCHOOL – Very Jazzy Street Party

TEENY TINY STEVIES – How to Be Creative

THE WIGGLES – ReWiggled 

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE 

CUB SPORT – Always Got The Love

FLUME – Say Nothing feat. MAY-A

LIME CORDIALE, IDRIS ELBA, FATBOY SLIM – Holiday Fatboy Slim Remix

MEMPHIS LK – Coffee

PNAU & TROYE SIVAN – You Know What I Need

BEST INDEPENDENT PUNK ALBUM OR EP 

BODY TYPE – Everything Is Dangerous But Nothing’s Surprising

HARD-ONS – Yummy!

PRESS CLUB – Endless Motion

TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS - Pretty Good For A Girl Band

THESE NEW SOUTH WHALES – TNSW

BEST INDEPENDENT HEAVY ALBUM OR EP

CLAMM – Care

NORTHLANE – Obsidian

PARKWAY DRIVE – Darker Still

THORNHILL – Heroine

YOURS TRULY – is this what i look like? 

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE OR ELECTRONICA ALBUM OR EP 

CONFIDENCE MAN – TILT

FLUME – Palaces

NINAJIRACHI – Second Nature

TELENOVA – Stained Glass Love (Telenoir Versions)

THE JUNGLE GIANTS – Love Signs Remixed 

BEST INDEPENDENT ROCK ALBUM OR EP 

BALL PARK MUSIC – Weirder & Weirder

CAMP COPE – Running with the Hurricane

KING STINGRAY – King Stingray

OCEAN ALLEY – Low Altitude Living

SLOWLY SLOWLY – Daisy Chain

BEST INDEPENDENT SOUL/RNB ALBUM OR EP

ASHLI – Only One

BECKAH AMANI – April

FELIVAND – Ties

WANDERERS – WANDERERS

WINSTON SURFSHIRT – Panna Cotta 

BEST INDEPENDENT POP ALBUM OR EP

BIG SCARY – Me and You

DANIEL JOHNS – FutureNever

JEM CASSAR-DALEY – I Don’t Know Who To Call

TELENOVA – Stained Glass Love

VANCE JOY – In Our Own Sweet Time

BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR – PRESENTED BY PPCA 

ANDY GOLLEDGE

JEM CASSAR-DALEY

KING STINGRAY

TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS

WANDERERS

INDEPENDENT SONG OF THE YEAR

CUB SPORT – Always Got The Love

GENESIS OWUSU – Get Inspired

JEN CLOHER – Mana Takatāpui

JULIA JACKLIN – I Was Neon

KING STINGRAY – Camp Dog 

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR

DANIEL JOHNS – FutureNever

JULIA JACKLIN – PRE PLEASURE

KING STINGRAY – King Stingray

LAURA JEAN -  Amateurs

NORTHLANE - Obsidian

BEST INDEPENDENT LABEL

ABC MUSIC

CHAPTER MUSIC

DOMESTIC LA LA

LIBERATION

UNFD

INDEPENDENT MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR 

ABC MUSIC, THE ORCHARD – The Wiggles, ReWiggled

CHUGG MUSIC, THE ANNEX – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba

DOMESTIC LA LA – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band

FUTURE CLASSIC – Flume, Palaces

I OH YOU, MUSHROOM MARKETING – Confidence Man, TILT 

INDEPENDENT PUBLICITY TEAM OF THE YEAR

GENNA ALEXOPOULOS – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band

MUSHROOM PUBLICITY – Confidence Man, TILT

POSITIVE FEEDBACK – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba

RPM, BEC BROWN COMMUNICATIONS – The Wiggles, ReWiggled

THINKING LOUD – Genesis Owusu, Get Inspired