Australian Music Prize Announces Shortlist

The Australian Music Prize has announced its 18th shortlist. With nine albums released in 2022 nominated, the finalists have been shortlisted in partnership with the Soundmerch AMP, EMI, Virgin and Island Records.

The winner of the Australian Music Prize will take home a $30,000 cash prize, courtesy of the major sponsor, independent Australian merchandising company, Soundmerch. 

490 Australian albums were eligible for nomination, so the judging panel had a tough call whittling down all those options to just nine shortlisted albums. 

The Soundmerch AMP shortlist is:

1300 - Foreign Language
Body Type - Everything Is Dangerous But Nothing’s Surprising
Camp Cope - Running With The Hurricane
Julia Jacklin - Pre Pleasure
King Stingray - King Stingray
Laura Jean - Amateurs
Party Dozen - The Real Work
Sampa The Great - As Above, So Below
Tasman Keith - A Colour Undone 

Founder and Prize Director of The Soundmerch AMP, Scott B. Murphy, is thrilled with the "very strong" nominees. Murphy commented, "Yet again we have a VERY strong list. It’s incredibly diverse and truly captures another year of the WORLD’S best music. I sincerely thank the Soundmerch AMP team of judges – their donation of time and passion is much greater than what most people would think."

EMI, Virgin, and Island have each partnered with The Soundmerch AMP to sponsor this year's shortlist by each label contributing $3,000 cash to form a Shortlist funding pool of $9,000 which will be used to guarantee that the Shortlisted artists can attend the Winner Announcement event in Sydney on 1 March.

King Stingray's Roy Kellaway said,  “We are so stoked that our debut album made the shortlist for the AMP and feel privileged to be in the company of so many other great artists that are making so many great records. Yo Manymak.”

Body Type added, “It means the world to have our debut record shortlisted for the AMP. How cool to be recognised and supported by such a prestigious industry body. It’s an honour to be nominated. Thank you!”  

Recorded in Alex The Astronaut’s studio in Marrickville, Tasman Keith and his team locked themselves in the tiny room for six days, he revealed to The Music. An album created by a village and inspired by community, a break-up, duality of personas, and detailing a spiritual journey that explores the suffering of an Indigenous man in Australia, A Colour Undone delivers messages of hope and loving others. 

“I love the record,” he said. “The job I did with this record is fulfilling for me. I wrote this record for myself and the listener. I hope that it connects with the audience, and I believe that it will connect, but I don’t completely expect it to.”