Live Review: AIR Awards 2024

The AIR Awards, held on August 1st, celebrated the Australian Independent Music sector. This year, the chosen venue in Adelaide was switched from Freemasons Hall to Queens Theatre for 2024. In conjunction with this event, AIR has also been running Indie-Con from 31 July to 2 August at Mercury Cinema. 

Following a catered pre-function sponsored by Spotify, Uncle Mickey O’Brien kicked off the awards show with his Welcome to Country. Then, hosts Dylan Lewis (with his energetic comedy that never disappoints) and a sparkly Jessica Braithwaite took to the stage. 

• AIR Awards Winners: Genesis Owusu, RVG, Polaris & More

The first award went to Josh Pyke for It’s Gonna Be A Great, Great Day! as Best Independent Children’s Album or EP. Pyke commented that he didn’t expect to win alongside The Wiggles, and because his kids sang on the recording too, he allowed them to invoice him afterwards for their efforts. 

Maple Glider, nominated for Best Independent Country Album, were the first to perform, singing Don’t Kiss Me, which proved to be a goose-bumping highlight. This was followed by Genesis Owusu winning Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP for Struggler—also the first artist of the night to leave an acceptance speech via video. 

Fanny Lumsden won Best Independent Country for Hey Dawn, and Zac Hurren from Elixir (which includes his wife, former George singer Katie Noonan) accepted the award for Best Independent Jazz Album or EP for A Small Shy Truth.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra / Richard Tognetti received the award for Best Independent Classical Album or EP, followed by a performance from Jack River singing Lie To You. They won Best Independent Pop Album, which was presented to them by the American Association of Independent Music. Co-host Braithwaite also commended the band’s efforts on climate activism.

The Teskey Brothers were nominated for Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP, but Dan Sultan won for his self-titled work. Fisher and Kita Alexander's Atmosphere won Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single, whereas Cub Sport won Best Album (Dance or Electronica) for Jesus At The Gay Bar.  

Best Independent Punk album or EP went to Private Function for 370HSSV 0773H, which was also a nifty internet password according to the comedy of Dylan Lewis, and Polaris won the award for Best Heavy Album or EP with Fatalism; the band honoured their late guitarist, Ryan Siew, in the acceptance speech. 

Bumpy, nominated for Best Independent Soul/RNB Album or EP, performed her song Return Home, which had the crowd entranced. However, it was WILSN who won the award for Those Days Are Over. 

“This doesn’t happen to people like me!” WILSN said in her acceptance speech while respectfully praising the other artists in the group. 

Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers won Best Independent Rock Album or EP for I Love You, and former Young Australian of the Year, Slava Grigoryan, nominated in Independent Classical for Gratitudes, performed solo with his classical guitar.

The Outstanding Achievement award, sponsored by Merlin, where the recipient is given $5,000, went to Don Spencer. Known to many as the Play School TV presenter, he is largely recognised for his work with the not-for-profit Australian Children’s Music Foundation.

He began his speech with “There’s a bear in there…” and the rest of the crowd delightfully joined in. “Music is magic,” Spencer said, and he’d like to move to Adelaide, mainly because of strong government support for the music scene. His speech and presence got him a standing ovation, and rightfully so.    

Best Breakthrough Independent Artist went to Royel Otis, and two new categories were introduced: Best Independent Music Video and Best Independent Producer. Adam Munnings won for Cub Sport’s Keep Me Safe, and producer Bonnie Knight won for her work on Enola and the All Is Forgiven EP.

The Annex, Ourness, AWAL (Genesis Owusu, Struggler) won Best Independent Marketing Team, and Jessica Searle (Jen Cloher, I Am The River, The River Is Me) took out Best Independent Publicity Team.    

Moshtix presented the award for Best Independent Label, which went to Ourness. Jem Cassar-Daley won Best Independent Song of the Year for King Of Disappointment, and then Chairman of AIR, David Vodicka, took the stage to present the last award. Melbourne-based RVG may have lost Independent Rock to Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers, but Brain Worms ultimately took the title of Best Independent Album of the Year.

RVG were also the last performers of the night, fittingly singing the lyrics from Midnight Sun: “I will be waiting for you to come home.”

Honourable mentions for Best Independent Outfit should go to Adam Noviello with his blue bows number (Fumbling, Independent music video by Sean Higgins) or to Henry Wagons (nominated in Independent Country, South Of Everywhere) for the impressive leather cowboy getup.     

“I’m grateful every year that I’m not cancelled, and I get invited back,” co-host Dylan Lewis said, as well as informing the crowd that KFC was supplying buckets of chicken to everyone during the afterparty.

Exciting developments will continue for the independent music scene. The Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels MP, has confirmed that Adelaide will be hosting the AIR Awards for the next two years. The American Association of Independent Music will be going outside of its New York base for the first time, having chosen Adelaide to host its future event.