Amy Shark, Good Boy, Tia Gostelow & More Named As 2017 Qld Music Awards Finalists

13 February 2017 | 11:00 am | Staff Writer

The annual ceremony celebrating the state's finest musicians will be held in March

Regional areas stand tall among this year's crop of Queensland Music Awards finalists, with about half of the overall cabal coming from outside Brisbane and the batch of standouts being led in nominations by up-and-coming Mackay songstress Tia Gostelow.

Gostelow — incidentally, one of our acts to watch in 2017 — has picked up a deeply impressive six nominations across four categories, getting the nod from the QMAs' esteemed judging panel of more than 60 industry identities under the Folk/Singer-Songwriter banner (twice, for Vague Utopia and State Of Art) as well as in the Indigenous (State Of Art), Regional (Vague Utopia) and Schools (Vague Utopia, State Of Art) brackets.

Also turning in a superlative effort (for another year) is acclaimed Cairns songstress and previous QMA winner Leanne Tennant, who earns her nominations in the categories of Blues & Roots (Gentle Annie), Country (Lay Me Down) and Regional (Gentle Annie).

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Gold Coast musician and Hottest 100 #2 placer Amy Shark has also stepped up to the plate in 2017 following her Pop win last year, returning to the category as a nominee with Adore, which also steers her to a nomination under the Regional tag.

Emergent 'dolewave' faves Good Boy make their debut in the list of nominees this year, with two nods inside the Rock category (Poverty Line and S.O.G.K); also making their first appearance on the finalists' list, among others, are Confidence Man, stepping out for the first time in the Electronic/Dance finalists with Boyfriend (Repeat), Hanlon Brothers, who score two nominations across Regional and Urban (both for Diamonds), upstart artist Mallrat (in Urban, for Tokyo Drift), and ROMY, whose two entries — both for Wild Heart — land in the Urban and Video groups.

Of course, there are also plenty of old favourites, winners and nominees among the list of awesome acts shortlisted for the QMAs, including the evergreen Halfway (Country, Three In & Nothing But The Stars), The Belligerents (Electronic/Dance, Caroline), Emily Wurramara (another of our acts to watch; Indigenous, Ngayuwa Ngelyeyiminama [I Love You]), Cub Sport (Pop, Come On Mess Me Up) and Angharad Drake (Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Baby).

Also filling out the program for 2017 are the nominees for the annual Billy Thorpe Scholarship as well as the publicly voted BOQ People's Choice Awards and the industry-centric Highest Selling Album, Highest Selling Single and Export Achievement awards. Head this way for more details on those particular aspects of the event.

The 2017 Queensland Music Awards will be held at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Monday 27 March.

A limited number of public tickets are available for the event; don't think you'd just be in for an evening of all talk, though, as nominees Cub Sport, Good Boy, ROMY and Tia Gostelow (plus more yet-to-be-revealed acts) will be soundtracking the night with live performances. Plus, the whole thing takes place in a room filled with some of the best and brightest musicians from all over the state. As if you wouldn't want to be a part of that.

For more information, see the QMAs' website.

2017 Queensland Music Awards — Nominees

Blues & Roots

Silent Feature EraHouse Of Thieves
KingfishaThe Gold
Shukura ChapmanOne By One
Leanne TennantGentle Annie

Country

Alex & Bec CrookSuitcase
Josh Rennie-HynesFiddlewoods
HalfwayThree In & Nothing But The Stars
Leanne TennantLay Me Down

Electronic/Dance

Confidence ManBoyfriend (Repeat)
Miss PompeiiHaru Haiku
Mosaic x Thiefdude422
The BelligerentsCaroline

Folk/Singer-Songwriter

MoretonThe Water
Angharad DrakeBaby
Tia GostelowVague Utopia
Tia GostelowState Of Art

Heavy

LagersteinDrink The Rum
A Breach Of SilenceFalling Away
In Death...Malignancy Eradicated
Evol WalksTear It Down

Indigenous

Emily WurramaraNgayuwa Ngelyeyiminama (I Love You)
Robbie MillerFire
Tia GostelowState Of Art
DubmarineSolar Flare Fire

Jazz

Abbreviations OrchestraQuiet Wisdom
Andrew Butt TrioBlueberry Ash
Sean ForanUne Fille
Abbreviations OrchestraThe Alley

Pop

Morning HarveySusanne Monday
AYLALike The Other Kids
Cub SportCome On Mess Me Up
Amy SharkAdore

Regional

Amy SharkAdore
Hanlon BrothersDiamonds
Tia GostelowVague Utopia
Leanne TennantGentle Annie

Rock

Good BoyPoverty Line
Some JerksThe Hunter
The CreasesImpact
Good BoyS.O.G.K.

Schools

Asha JefferiesOn The Inside
TangsIn Dreams (ft. Asha Jefferies)
Tia GostelowState Of Art
Tia GostelowVague Utopia

Urban

Hanlon BrothersDiamonds
MallratTokyo Drift
DubmarineSolar Flare Fire
ROMYWild Heart

Video

Hey GeronimoBoredom
SS SebastianNightmare Of 1984
ROMYWild Heart
Cub SportCome On Mess Me Up

World

High LifeAware
InnessaYasen
TenzinSnow Lion
The Mouldy LoversCivilised Crossfire