Nominees Announced For 2023 Music Victoria Awards

Music Victoria have today unveiled the full list of nominees and Hall Of Fame inductees set to be honoured at this year’s Music Victoria Awards (MVAs).

The ceremony itself will be held at Naarm/Melbourne’s Federation Square on Tuesday October 31. 29 awards will be given out – split between 12 categories open for public voting, and 17 voted on by industry figures – alongside the Hall Of Fame induction of Kirsty Rivers (Head of Music for Creative Australia) and Mutti Mutti songwriter/activist Kutcha Edwards.

It’s noted in a press release that this year’s list was narrowed down from a record number of entrants – more than 1,200 artists, venues, festivals and presenters threw themselves in the mix. Public voting is open now (head here to sign up) with Aussie music fans able to make their voices heard until 12pm AEST on Friday October 13.

“Our experts have spoken,” Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel said in a statement, “and now it’s time for the public to have their say. Place your vote and let’s celebrate the Victorian music that made your year!”

See the full list of nominees for the 2023 Music Victoria awards below.

Publicly voted categories:

BEST SONG OR TRACK

RVG – Nothing Really Changes
Miss Kaninna – Blak Britney
Forest Claudette – Mess Around (feat. EARTHGANG)
NO ZU – Liquid Love
Julia Jacklin – Love, Try Not To Let Go

BEST ALBUM

Cable Ties – All Her Plans
Cash Savage and the Last Drinks – So This is Love
Jen Cloher – I Am The River, The River Is Me
Julia Jacklin – PRE PLEASURE
Teether and Kuya Neil – STRESSOR

BEST SOLO ARTIST

Adalita
Forest Claudette
Gena Rose Bruce
Jen Cloher
Sarah Mary Chadwick

BEST DJ

CAITY WATSØN
Cara Murphy
Moopie
Rakhi
Uone

BEST GROUP

Cable Ties
Folk Bitch Trio
Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 & Tim Shiel
RVG
Surprise Chef

BEST REGIONAL ACT

Bones and Jones
Code Chroma
Immy Owusu
Leah Senior
Watty Thompson

BEST METRO FESTIVAL

Brunswick Music Festival (Wurundjeri)
Leaps and Bounds Music Festival (Wurundjeri)
Melbourne International Jazz Festival (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
RISING Melbourne (Kulin Nation)
YIRRAMBOI Festival including The Archie Roach Block Party (Wurundjeri)

BEST REGIONAL FESTIVAL

Boogie – Tallarook (Taungurung)
Esoteric Festival – Donald (Dja Dja Wurrung)
OK Motels – Charlton (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Port Fairy Folk Festival (Gunditjmara)
Winter Sounds – Daylesford (Dja Dja Wurrung)

BEST LARGE VENUE – METRO

Forum Melbourne (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
Melbourne Recital Centre (Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung)
Northcote Theatre (Wurundjeri)
Palais Theatre – St Kilda (Boonwurrung)
The Corner Hotel – Richmond (Wurundjeri)

BEST SMALL VENUE – METRO

Brunswick Ballroom (Wurundjeri)
Northcote Social Club (Wurundjeri)
Shotkickers – Thornbury (Wurundjeri)
The Gem – Collingwood (Wurundjeri)
The Night Cat – Fitzroy (Wurundjeri)

BEST REGIONAL VENUE OR PRESENTER – UNDER 50 GIGS

Meeniyan Town Hall – South Gippsland (Bunurong)
The Minerva Ballaarat (Wadawurrung)
The Blues Train – Bellarine Peninsula (Wadawurrung)
Trash Cult – Bendigo (Dja Dja Wurrung)
The Vine Hotel – Wangaratta (Bpangerang)

BEST REGIONAL VENUE OR PRESENTER – OVER 50 GIGS

Caravan Music Club – Archies Creek (Boonwurrung)
Palais – Hepburn (Dja Dja Wurrung)
The Barwon Club Hotel – Geelong (Wadawurrung)
The Bridge Hotel – Castlemaine (Dja Dja Wurrung)
Volta – Ballarat (Wadawurrung)

Industry voted categories:

ARCHIE ROACH FOUNDATION AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT

Charlie Needs Braces
Jada Weazel
Kiwat Kennell
Miss Kaninna
Pirritu

ARTS ACCESS VICTORIA AMPLIFY AWARD

Artemis Muñoz
BATTS
Jimmy from Thornbury
Katie Dey
Mathilde Anne

MAV DIASPORAS AWARD

Black Jesus Experience
Don Glori
Mitch Tambo
Origami with Wang Zheng-Ting
The Cloud Maker

BEST BLUES WORK

Damon Smith
Eddie Ink
Nigel Wearne
Paul Buchanan’s Voodoo Preachers
The Teskey Brothers

BEST COUNTRY WORK

Charlotte Le Lievre
De Porsal
Henry Wagons
Matt Joe Gow
Nathan Seeckts

BEST ELECTRONIC WORK

Close Counters
Lastlings
Memphis LK
The Oddness
Tim Shiel

BEST EXPERIMENTAL OR AVANT-GARDE WORK

Aviva Endean
Fia Fiell
Maria Moles
Patrick Hartono
R. Rebeiro

BEST FOLK WORK

Dandelion Wine
Folk Bitch Trio
Katankin
Leah Senior
Lucy Wise

BEST HEAVY WORK

DEAD
FACELESS BURIAL
GELD
ISUA
The Maggie Pills

BEST HIP-HOP WORK

Agung Mango
Strictly D.T
Teether & Kuya Neil
VOLDY
Yung Shōgun

BEST JAZZ WORK

Don Glori
Fran Swinn
Joshua Moshe
Nat Bartsch
The Rookies

BEST POP WORK

daine
Mia Wray
Mitch Tambo
Monnie
Telenova

BEST REGGAE OR DANCEHALL WORK

ALETHIA
Crown Heights
JahWise
Killah Keys
Melbourne Ska Orchestra

BEST ROCK OR PUNK WORK

Cable Ties
Cash Savage and the Last Drinks
CIVIC
CLAMM
RVG

BEST SOUL, FUNK, R&B OR GOSPEL WORK

30/70
Bumpy
Forest Claudette
Mo’Ju
Surprise Chef

BEST PRODUCER

Anna Laverty
Candice Lorrae
Gab Strum
Lucy Blomkamp
Simon Lam

BEST MUSICIAN

Daniel Farrugia
Immy Owusu
Jen Sholakis
Joshua Moshe
Sam Teskey