Queensland Music Awards Unveils 2021 Finalists As Public Voting Opens

Celebrating some of Australia’s best establishing and emerging talent, Queensland Music Awards (QMAs) has today announced its 2021 finalists as People’s Choice Awards voting opens.

Finalists this year across various categories include Queensland favourites Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat, Miiesha, Jesswar, Greta Stanley, Cub Sport, DZ Deathrays, Tia Gostelow, Eves Karydas and more, with QMusic reporting a record number of artist submissions from all over the state.

Meanwhile, a slew of beloved local festivals and venues, metro and regional, have been named as People’s Choice Awards nominees, with public voting across three categories now open via theMusic.com.au.

The 2021 People’s Choice Awards winners will be decided by 60% public vote, and 40% from an expert industry panel, with those who vote going in the draw to win a double pass to the awards ceremony at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on May 5.

“The Queensland Music Awards have become an important date in the calendar for our music community and despite the hardship of the last twelve months, our artists have proven that they are among the best in the world,” QMusic CEO Angela Samut said.

“We had a vast number of exceptional submissions in every category, more than any previous year. Our judges certainly haven’t had an easy job narrowing it down, but we are thrilled to present such a remarkable group of talented finalists.

“The creativity emanating from our state is both exciting and inspiring and I'm proud that the QMAs can be the place for Queensland to celebrate our musicians' success."

Finalists for the annual Billy Thorpe Scholarship have also been announced, with Beckah Amani, King Stingray, Phoebe Sinclair and Selve up for the honour, one of whom will be awarded $10,000 as well as the opportunity to record with an established producer and receive career-planning from Chugg Entertainment.

"My daughters and I are so happy and proud that The Billy Thorpe Scholarship and QMusic have had the privilege to support the emerging young talent of Queensland for the past 13 years,” Lynn Thorpe said.

“There was a record amount of applications this year, and the quality of our four finalists was just amazing. It took a very long Zoom meeting with the judges to narrow down the finalists.

“I look forward to seeing how the scholarship might help the winner achieve exciting things in the coming 12 months.”

Winners revealed at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on May 5.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD 

METRO VENUE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Black Bear Lodge

Brisbane Jazz Club

Eatons Hill Hotel

Ipswich Civic Centre

Lefty's Music Hall

Mo's Desert Clubhouse 

The Brightside

The Fortitude Music Hall 

The Tivoli

The Triffid

The Zoo

VINNIES DIVE

Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage

REGIONAL VENUE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Banshees Bar & Artspace

Empire Theatre

NightQuarter

Otherwise Bar

Sandstone Point Hotel

Solbar

Studio 188

The Events Centre, Caloundra

FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

BLEACH* Festival

Brisbane Festival

Earth Frequency Festival 

Horizon Festival
 Mountain Goat Valley Crawl

Woodford Folk Festival

Yonder

QMAs 2021 FINALISTS

BLUES/ROOTS

FINALISTS

Billie Rose - Company With Regret

Karl S Williams - God Is A Bomb

LT - Hold Ya

Mardi Wilson - Runaway

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Hussy Hicks - Mountain Peak

Jack Bratt - Will You Ever

PEACH FUR - Preloved

CHILDRENS

FINALISTS

Fabulous Lemon Drops - There Are Times

Nyssa Ray - Love Everybody

Happy Singing Kids - Uh Oh Spaghetti-Oh!

The Mini Moshers - Shark Chase Song

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The Mini Moshers - Superhero

Sharon mirii Bell - Mamaba Dyan

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL 

FINALISTS

Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra - Apis Australis

Danny Widdicombe & Ant Aggs - Alpha Centauri

Ray Lin - Moonlight Illusion

Tristan Barton - Eris's Debt

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Julia Kourtidis - Leaving

Maddox/Devine - 1738

COUNTRY

FINALISTS

Karl S Williams - Columbus Ohio

Melody Moko - Like Hank Would

Ruby Gilbert - No Vacancy

Vixens of Fall - The Long Game

HIGHLY COMMENDED

HaydenGoSeek - Old Friend

Jessica Emily Odgers - This Ain't Over

ELECTRONIC/DANCE

FINALISTS

Confidence Man - First Class Bitch

Lastlings - No Time

Pink Matter - You'll Never Know

Young Franco - Juice feat. Pell

HIGHLY COMMENDED

CLOE TERARE - Intentions

Holiday Party - Let Down

The Kite String Tangle - I.S.T.A.U. (feat LANKS)

Syrup - Sun

HEAVY

FINALISTS

DZ Deathrays - Fired Up

RHINO - White Witch

These Four Walls - White Lies

VIRTUES - DoubleThink

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Caligula's Horse - Slow Violence

The Atomic Beau Project - Cellar Door

HIP HOP/RAP

FINALISTS

Jesswar - Venom

No Money Enterprise - Presto

LEMAIRE - Where's Up? (feat. Jay Orient & JK-47)

Tbi$h - Endless Trips

HIGHLY COMMENDED

GILL BATES - BOB AND WEAVE

Lauren. - Work for the Money

Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra - Welcome To The Neighbourhood

Order Sixty6 - Bruce Banner

INDIGENOUS

FINALISTS

AYA J - Tenth Street

Beddy Rays - Sobercoaster

ELEEA - Wasting Time

Miiesha - Twisting Words

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Zennith - Ancient Warrior

Tia Gostelow - RUSH

JAZZ

FINALISTS

Charlotte Mclean - Find Comfort in What Ends

Danny Widdicombe with Kristin Berardi & Trichotomy - Falling

Jordan Brodie - Twitch

Sophie Min - Time Is On (feat. Kayleigh Pincott)

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Denson Baartz Quartet - Frangipani

Linsey Pollak - 18th April

Antonix - Smooth Dancer

POP

FINALISTS

Eves Karydas - Complicated

Mallrat - Rockstar

Sycco - Dribble

The Jungle Giants - Sending Me Ur Loving

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Greta Stanley - Soak Into This

ROCK

FINALISTS

Ball Park Music - Head Like A Sieve

Beddy Rays - Sobercoaster

Hope D - Second

Jaguar Jonze - Rabbit Hole

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Bugs - Old Youth Feeling

Hallie - Sympathy

Nice Biscuit - Fem Chem

Sweater Curse - Close

Violent Soho - Pick It Up Again

SCHOOLS (GRADE 6 - 12)

FINALISTS

Abi Muir - FIRST DATE

Amber Farnan - Over & Out

Amy Elise - Teenagism

Tayiha - No Happy Ending

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Bella Mackenzie - Dance in the Rain

Monet's Pond - Floating In Air

FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER

FINALISTS

Greta Stanley - Soak Into This

Hazlett - Monsters

Jaguar Jonze - MURDER

Karl S Williams - Never Let Me Go

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Asha Jefferies - Dancefloor

Austen - Worse Things

Dami Im - Marching On

Mardi Wilson - Runaway

SOUL/FUNK/R’N’B  

FINALISTS

DVNA - Sushi In Tokyo

FELIVAND - Ebb & Flow

MiCCY - Tug of War

Miiesha - Twisting Words

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Jarryd James - Miracles

Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra - Welcome To The Neighbourhood

Volcanic Lovers - Magic In The Mundane

WORLD

FINALISTS

MZAZA - The Ether

Saraima Navara - Kaum Leva Tagu

Tenzin Choegyal - Heart Strings

Tijuana Cartel - Sufi

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Linsey Pollak - Light in the Tunnel

Menaka Thomas, Old Semeil, Tsoof Baras - Feel the Joy

SOL - TRILOGY

REGIONAL

FINALISTS

Cloe Terare - Intentions

Fragile Animals - Only Until It's Over

Greta Stanley - Soak Into This

Tia Gostelow - PSYCHO

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Colie - Kids These Days

LT - Till The Sun Dies

REMOTE

FINALISTS

Alison Jeeves - Angels Watching Over Me

Billie Rose - Kick Her To The Curb

Ella Hartwig - Can't Ask You to Stay

Miiesha - Twisting Words

VIDEO

FINALISTS

Dylan Dulcos | Rico Zhang -  Lastlings, Out Of Touch

Jennifer Embleton - Cub Sport, Confessions

Levi Cranston - FELIVAND, Trajectory

Mick Soiza - Jarryd James, Miracles

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Alex Greaves - Pink Matter, You'll Never Know

Deena Lynch | Ribal Hosn - Jaguar Jonze, MURDER

Jack Birtles - Clea, Sugar

Michelle Levings - GLVES, Heal Me

BILLY THORPE SCHOLARSHIP

FINALISTS

Beckah Amani

King Stingray

Phoebe Sinclair

Selve

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Among The Ruined

Andy Martin

Asha Jefferies

Fragile Animals

Hallie

Scenes

Sycco