DMA'S, Spacey Jane & More Win Big At 2021 AIR Awards

The 2021 AIR Award winners have been revealed! 

DMA'S were this year's big winners, taking out three awards for their album The Glow. 

They took out Independent Album Of The Year, Best Independent Rock Album Or EP with The Glow, and Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club single for The Avalanches' remix of their single Criminals.

WA group Spacey Jane have picked up two awards for Independent Song Of The Year for Booster Seat and Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year.

Emma Donovan & The Putbacks took out Best Independent Soul/RNB Album for Crossover, Gordi scored Best Independent Pop Album Or EP for Our Two Skins, while The Chats took out Best Independent Punk Album for their debut album High Risk Behaviour and Fanny Lumsden's Fallow won Best Independent Country Album. 

I OH YOU were awarded Best Independent Label, while Vika & Linda won Best Independent Blues & Roots Album for Sunday (The Gospel According to Iso), Banoffee was awarded Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Album Or EP for Look At Us Now Dad and Polaris took out Best Independent Heavy Album for The Death of Me.

Katie Noonan's The Sweetest Taboo took out Best Jazz Album, while ChillinIt won Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP for The Octagon, Joseph Tawadros, James Tawadros, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey won Best Independent Classical Album for Live At The Sydney Opera House, and Teeny Tiny Stevies were awarded Best Independent Children's Album for Thoughtful Songs For Little People.

The 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award went to Deena Lynch (Jaguar Jonze) for "her work in courageously calling out unacceptable behaviour and raising awareness for the industry to have a code of conduct to ensure that all practitioners operate in safe and respectful environment". 

Speaking with The Music about the event, AIR Chief Executive Officer Maria Amato said that pivoting this year’s awards online due to COVID was “quite a challenge”.

“It had us all going back to the drawing board a few times when half the country found itself in lockdown including South Australia where we had planned to hold the live event,” Amato said.

“Notwithstanding all the curveballs, we were determined to do our best to get the event broadcast on YouTube.”

Amato also noted that the 2021 nominees and winners prove that Australian music “strives to be resilient and find ways around the challenges brought on by limited resources and the pandemic”.

"It's super important to shine the spotlight on the super talented independent artists and labels who have continued to release new music in a difficult year plagued by the pandemic that has resulted in the cancellation of tours, events and live performances," she said.

"We need to celebrate and support them as they try to navigate a path forward.

“This year’s line-up of nominees is testament to the great talent that exists in the Australian Independent sector and I hope radio stations play more of their music over the airwaves.

“I hope everyone makes the AIR Award nominee playlist their preferred listening and viewing pleasure.”

See the full list of winners below.

2021 AIR Award Winners

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
DMA’S – THE GLOW

INDEPENDENT SONG OF THE YEAR
SPACEY JANE – BOOSTER SEAT

BEST INDEPENDENT SOUL/RNB ALBUM OR EP
EMMA DONOVAN & THE PUTBACKS – CROSSOVER

BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM OR EP
FANNY LUMSDEN - FALLOW

BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM OR EP
VIKA & LINDA – SUNDAY (THE GOSPEL TO ISO)

BEST INDEPENDENT POP ALBUM OR EP
GORDI – OUR TWO SKINS

BEST INDEPENDENT ROCK ALBUM OR EP
DMA’S – THE GLOW

BEST INDEPENDENT CLASSICAL ALBUM OR EP
JOSEPH TAWADROS/JAMES TAWADROS/SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – LIVE AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

2021 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - SPONSORED BY MERLIN
DEENA LYNCH
Thanks to global independent rights agency Merlin, this year’s winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize to be used for business/professional development

BREAKTHROUGH INDEPENDENT ARTIST OF THE YEAR - PRESENTED BY PPCA
SPACEY JANE

BEST INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM OR EP
CHILLINIT – THE OCTAGON

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE OR ELECTRONICA ALBUM OR EP
BANOFFEE – LOOK AT US NOW DAD

BEST INDEPENDENT DANCE, ELECTRONICA OR CLUB SINGLE
DMA’S – CRIMINALS (THE AVALANCES REMIX)

BEST INDEPENDENT JAZZ ALBUM OR EP
KATIE NOONAN – THE SWEETEST TABOO

BEST INDEPENDENT PUNK ALBUM OR EP
THE CHATS – HIGH RISK BEHAVIOUR

BEST INDEPENDENT HEAVY ALBUM OR EP
POLARIS – THE DEATH OF ME

BEST INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S ALBUM OR EP
TEENY TINY STEVIES – THOUGHTFUL SONGS FOR LITTLE PEOPLE