APRA AMCOS has announced the nominees for the 2019 APRA Music Awards, the annual event that celebrates excellence in contemporary music and honours songwriters and music publishers that have achieved outstanding success in their fields.
In a category that is 100% determined by APRA songwriter and publisher members, the final five contenders for the prestigious Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year can now be revealed.
Joel Ma (Joelistics) and first-time nominees Mojo Juju and Rita Seumanutafa are nominated for Native Tongue, performed by Mojo Juju. Another songwriter receiving her first nomination is Angie McMahon, who secured peer support for her song Slow Mover. McMahon just took out the prestigious SXSW Grulke Prize for developing artists at the annual US music conference.
Receiving back-to-back nods in the Song of the Year category is Ainslie Wills, who with co-writers Bram Inscore and MoZella, has been nominated for Society, a track written at SongHubs The Tower in 2017. Last year’s Song of the Year recipient and songwriting luminary Paul Kelly is nominated for With the One I Love, the first single from his recent LP, Nature.
Appearing for the third consecutive year in the Song of the Year category is Amy Shark, this time with I Said Hi, a punchy, melodic anthem, which was the lead track from Shark’s debut chart-topping album Love Monster.
Leading all contenders is last year’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, Sarah Aarons, with four nominations. Aarons continues to consolidate her reputation as a global hit-maker, thanks to high-profile collaborations with Peking Duk, The Rubens and co-writing credits on the Zedd worldwide smash Stay, and the Grammy-nominated The Middle. Amy Shark and 2019 Young Australian of the Year Danzal Baker, professionally known as Baker Boy, have three nominations a-piece.
Danzal Baker (Baker Boy)
Featuring a dynamic group of emerging songwriters that are having huge success both here and abroad are the five nominees for the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. They are hip-hop standout Danzal Baker (Baker Boy), global sensation Dean Lewis, multi-talented drummer-singer-songwriter Georgia Flipo (G Flip), Holly Rankin, who writes and performs as the psych-pop solo artist Jack River, and Tash Sultana, an explosive live artist who has commanded global attention and continues to sell out major arenas around the world. The winner will be determined by the APRA board of directors.
Jack River
Dual APRA Music Awards nominees for 2019 include PNAU, Vance Joy, Sheppard, Tash Sultana, Morgan Evans, Jack Ladder, Angie McMahon, and five-piece alternative rock band The Rubens, who are nominated twice in the Rock Work of the Year category.
Other nominees include 2019 triple j Hottest 100 winners Ocean Alley, Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso, Thundamentals, Sia, Peking Duk, Kasey Chambers, Angus & Julia Stone, Tori Forsyth, Jon Hume, Kim Churchill, Gang of Youths, The Wolfe Brothers and more.
Two more awards, decided by the APRA board of directors, will be announced at the ceremony – Songwriter of the Year and the Overseas Recognition Award. The Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, Most Played Australian Work Overseas and Licensee of the Year will also be presented at the 2019 APRA Music Awards on Tuesday 30 April at Melbourne Town Hall.
Returning to host the APRA Music Awards is acclaimed Melbourne writer, performer, comedian, producer and broadcaster Brian Nankervis. Among his many credits, Nankervis was a regular on Hey Hey It’s Saturday as the tortured street poet Raymond J Bartholomeuz. He was the co-creator beloved SBS music trivia show, RocKwiz and appeared on the program alongside host Julia Zemiro for 12 years. He can be heard on ABC Radio’s The Friday Revue, which sees him and co-host Richelle Hunt put an entertaining spin on the stories that have shaped the week.