Elsy Wameyo Dominates The 2022 SAM Awards

The South Australian Music Awards were held last night in the stunning Hindley Street Music Hall to celebrate the exciting new music coming out of the SA scene. 

Hip-Hop artist Elsy Wameyo was the talk of the night, winning five of her six nominations, including Best Song for her track River Nile, Best Release for her Nilotic EP, Best Solo Artist, and Best Music Video for Nilotic which was shot with Richard Coburn. 

On the same day, Wameyo also won the sought-after triple j Unearthed Artist of the Year award, cementing her status as one to watch. Our Cover Story with Wameyo earlier this year dives into the complexities of making her E.P and understanding her diasporic identity as an African-Australian, which heavily influences her music.

Music SA CEO, Christine Schloithe, congratulated Wameyo on the monumental achievement of winning five awards, which is the second-biggest haul in the SAM Awards history. 

“Elsy, in recent years, has become one of South Australia’s biggest musical exports and this is just another achievement on a long list of awards and accolades for her,” said Ms Schloithe

“Wameyo, who recently supported Adelaide’s own Hilltop Hoods on their national tour and performed at some of the biggest festivals in the country, including Dark Mofo, Vivid, and WOMADelaide, along with being billed to play this year’s Falls Festival, is the perfect example of how to carve a burgeoning musical career from Adelaide and we are excited to watch Elsy’s career grow.”

Also dominating the SAM Awards was First Nations duo Electric Fields, who took out the awards for Best Group and People's choice award for Pop Artist of the Year. Fellow First Nations artist Tilly Tjala Thomas won Best Regional artist, while exciting duo Marlon x Rulla were awarded Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Artist. 

Teenage Joans passed down their title of Best New Artist to fellow punk-rockers LOLA, while swiping up a win for the People’s Choice Award for Punk. Others receiving People’s Choice Awards include Motez for Electronic Artist, Ukulele Death Squad for Folk, We Move Like Giants for Hip Hop, and The Shaolin Afronauts for Jazz.  

Premier Peter Malinauskas said that the 2022 SAM Awards highlight the wealth of industry and musical talent in this city which his government will continue to support.

“The South Australian Music Industry, led by MusicSA, is an incredibly thriving community full of talented artists across and an industry we will continue to support.”  Said Malinauskas.

“To date, the SA government has supported the industry through event grants of up to $50,000 for SA-based businesses, venue grants of $5000 for upgrades to help to cater for live music performances, and through the ‘See it LIVE’ campaign, providing more opportunities for artists and revitalising South Australia’s night-time economy.

"The music industry is vital to the South Australian economy, and congratulation to all the winners and finalists at the 2022 SAM Awards.”

See a complete list of winners below: 

SAM AWARDS - MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

BEST SONG

Elsy Wameyo - River Nile

BEST NEW ARTIST

LOLA

BEST REGIONAL ARTIST

Tilly Tjala Thomas

BEST ABORIGINAL OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST

MARLON X RULLA

BEST GROUP

Electric Fields

BEST SOLO

Elsy Wameyo

BEST RELEASE

Elsy Wameyo – ‘Nilotic

SAM AWARDS - INDUSTRY WINNERS

BEST STUDIO

Wundenberg's Recording Studios

BEST STUDIO ENGINEER/ PRODUCER

Elsy Wameyo

BEST LIVE TECHNICIAN

Lachlan Sheehan

BEST MAJOR FESTIVAL / EVENT

Spin Off Festival

BEST SMALL FESTIVAL / EVENT

Space Jams

BEST MANAGER

Sian Walden (Little Acorn Music)

BEST VENUE

Jive

BEST REGIONAL VENUE / ACTIVATION

Big Easy Radio 

BEST COVER ART

Paloma Ellery (SONS OF ZÖKU - SÜN)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

Elsy Wameyo & Richard Coburn (Elsy Wameyo - Nilotic)

BEST INNOVATION

Porch Records 

BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR

Adelaide Youth Orchestras

SPECIAL AWARDS

EMILY BURROWS AWARD - APRA AMCOS

Molly Rocket 

Neville Clark Award

Thessa Burdon (SAE)

Lucinda Machin (TAFE)

UNESCO COLLABORATION REPORT

Adelaide Guitar Festival: Origination

MUSICSA COMMUNITY AWARD

Northern Sound System

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNERS 

BLUES AND ROOTS

Cal Williams Jr.

COUNTRY

Ella & Sienna

ELECTRONIC

Motez

EXPERIMENTAL

SONS of ZÖKU

FOLK

Ukulele Death Squad

HEAVY

SwordfishTrombone

HIP HOP

We Move Like Giants

JAZZ

The Shaolin Afronauts

POP

Electric Fields

PUNK

Teenage Joans

ROCK

TOWNS

SOUL/FUNK/RNB

WANDERERS