FBi Radio 2024 SMAC Award Nominees Announced

It’s that time of the year again!

Sydney-based community radio station FBi Radio announced the nominees for their annual FBi Radio Sydney Music, Arts & Culture Awards yesterday and the talented lineup is nothing short of phenomenal.

FBi Radio is an independent broadcaster who has been championing the local music, arts and culture of Sydney for 21 years. Now entering young adulthood, the station recently went through a website makeover, marking a pivotal step into the future of FBi. The first FBi SMAC Awards were held in 2008 as a means to honour the ever-changing number of musicians, artists, programmers and event curators who were pushing the envelope each year. In the first year of the SMACs, the electronic duo now Australian music legends The Presets won Record Of The Year for their project Apocalypso, and Blue Mountains four-piece Cloud Control won Best Newcomer.

Now, across nine different categories, FBi Radio aims to award and celebrate Sydney’s creative communities through the likes of Record of the year, Next big thing, Best eats, Artist of the year, and so much more. Over 50 Sydney musicians, artists, curators, restaurants, performers and events are being commemorated for their transformative, groundbreaking moves throughout 2024, including Fijian performance artist Stelly G, Blacktown-based Filipino restaurant Sydney Cebu Lechon, two-time 2024 SMAC Award nominee Devaura, Sydney/Newcastle DIY emo band doris and collective and record label Beat Kitchen Records.

Last year's SMAC Awards saw Ziggy Ramo win Record Of The Year for his album Sugar Coated Lies, Vv Pete swept with two wins under her belt with Best Live Act and Song Of The Year for her track Jordan 1s, and Zion Garcia took out Next Big Thing.

View the entire list of nominees below:

Artist of the year, presented by Powerhouse

HOSSEI

Jazz Money

Kalanjay Dhir

Marian Abboud

Remy Faint

Stelly G

Best eats, presented by Archie Rose Distilling Co.

Derrel's

Firepop

Khamsa Eatery

Pizza Oltra

Sydney Cebu Lechon

Tida Persian

Song of the year

1300 - ‘Levitate’

doris - ‘holster’

GAUCI - ‘Brat’

GUILD - ‘GIMME UR LOVE’

Maina Doe - ‘Witness’

Party Dozen - ‘The Big Man Upstairs’

SPEED - ‘THE FIRST TEST’

Vv Pete - ‘Bacardi Papi’

Best music program

Beat Kitchen Records

Decay

Lazy Thinking Live

Leak Your Own Nudes

Offbeat Lofi Jam

Yabun

Best music video

700 Feel - ‘Green n Grey’

BARKAA - ‘We Up’

Rainbow Chan - ‘Seven Sisters’

SHADY NASTY - ‘HARDSTYLE’

Solsa - ‘Work’

V/A - ‘Until We're All Free’

Next big thing

DEVAURA

Eko Atari

Itchy and the Nits

Jerome Blazé

maschinenkrieger

Tahkoe

Best live act

DEVAURA  

doris

Gift Exchange

G.U.N

Manfredo Lament

TBX

Best arts program

Barbara McGrady: Ngiyaningy Maran Yaliwaunga Ngaara-li (Our Ancestors Are Always Watching) (Campbelltown Arts Centre)
Blacktown Shorts Film Festival (Blacktown Arts)
Forms of Censorship (The Cross Art Projects)
Move-Queer (The Red Rattler)
Sucking The Blak Tit (The Bearded Tit)
Think+DO Tank

Record of the year

Beryl - Dry Peel Crack

cherry rype - GOODGIRLSGETLUVBOMBED

doris - four trees

gi - Thought Makes Music

Grasps - when will you be here again?

Marcus Whale - Ecstasy

RMFC - Club Hits

SPEED - ONLY ONE MODE

This year’s edition of the SMACs will take place at City Recital Hall on Thursday, November 7 at an open-to-public, free-via-RSVP award ceremony. FBi DJs and live performances from selected nominees are yet to be announced but will help soundtrack the night from start to finish. 

The entire ceremony will be broadcast live on FBi Radio 94.5 FM and DAB+ and streamed on the freshly relaunched fbi.radio website.